Who We Are Helping

The United States is renowned worldwide as the land of opportunity. People come from all over the world with dreams of achieving a better life for themselves and their families, laying down new roots and calling this great nation home. Their love for the opportunities and promise of America and their aspirations for its future strengthen the fabric of our nation. Our country’s commitment to integrating the entrepreneurship, diversity and passion of new Americans is a measure of our greatness as a country. When new Americans gain the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of citizenship, they contribute more fully to the vitality of our communities and our democracy as a whole.

Attaining citizenship is a journey. You have to earn it. But for too many citizenship hopefuls, that journey is much harder than it should be. Many people who live, work, create jobs and pay taxes in this country are eligible for citizenship, yet only about eight percent of them became naturalized last year. The process is complex and can take up to two years. Lack of knowledge about how the process works, compounded by costly legal fees, can put the dream out of reach.

WHO CAN LEGALLY ATTAIN CITIZENSHIP?

Individuals must meet the following requirements to be eligible for citizenship:

  • Must be at least 18 years old
  • Must have authorization to live and work in the U.S. on a permanent basis (informally known as a green card) for at least five years
  • Must have continuous residence in the U.S. for at least five years (or three years, if married to a United States citizen)
  • Must be able to read, write and speak basic English
  • Must have a knowledge and  understanding of the fundamentals of U.S. history and government
  • Must be a person of good moral character
  • Must be attached to the principles of the United States Constitution

Find more information about the path to citizenship here.

WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS FOR ASPIRING NEW CITIZENS?

Every person who can legally attain U.S. citizenship should have the opportunity to earn it. However, a number of obstacles prevent the majority of eligible residents from pursuing citizenship, including:

  • High costs associated with the application process, including the application fee, which has increased from $35 in 1983 to $680 today.
  • Lack of knowledge of the process and eligibility requirements
  • Lack of access to English and civics classes
  • Unscrupulous attorneys or false notaries who take advantage of individuals seeking assistance

Read more about the barriers for aspiring citizens, “Becoming a Citizen: It’s Not as Easy as You Think”

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENSHIP?

There are significant social, economic, and civic benefits of naturalization for individuals, their communities and the nation.

Economic: Naturalization increases individual spending power by up to 15 percent.

Civics: Naturalized individuals contribute more to society, including serving on juries and in the U.S. military.

Employment: New Americans have greater access to education and employment opportunities.

Stability: Naturalization leads to more stable and cohesive families.

There are also many rights and responsibilities that come with the privilege of American citizenship that strengthen the fabric of our great nation. Learn more here.

Our Impact

The New Americans Campaign is transforming the way aspiring citizens navigate the path to becoming new Americans.

Our innovative and collaborative approach has already yielded incredible results:

  • Over 52,000 citizenship applications completed since July 2011
  • Saved aspiring citizens and their families over $43 million in legal and application fees
  • Almost 1,000 naturalization events have been held by Campaign partners since July 2011

Who We’re Helping

People come to America from all over the world with dreams of achieving a better life for themselves and their families and calling this great nation home. Eight million people who live, work, and pay taxes in this country are eligible for citizenship, yet only about eight percent of them naturalize each year. Find out more about these individuals and the barriers they face.Read More

News & Events

  • NAC Looking for Best Practices Manager 06/18/13

    Come join the New Americans Campaign’s movement to pave a better road to citizenship for the millions of eligible legal immigrants across the country, through streamlining and modernizing access to naturalization services. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is seeking a full-time Best Practices Manager for the New Americans Campaign (NAC). The Best Practices Manager [...]

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  • NAC Partners with Businesses to Help Immigrant Employees 06/01/13

    The New Americans Campaign is a proud partner and sponsor of the Bethlehem Project, an innovative initiative to work with businesses to assist their eligible immigrant employees with the citizenship process so they become full participants in the workplace, community, and economy. The Project is already having an impact in the launch city of Miami, [...]

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  • Wins for Citizenship 05/15/13

    As a unprecedented national network of funders and nonprofit partners working to achieve collective impact on naturalization, the New Americans Campaign is transforming the way aspiring citizens navigate the path to becoming new Americans. Since launching in 2011, we’ve accomplished some great gains. Just a few of these include: Helping complete over 52,000 naturalization applications [...]

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  • New Americans Campaign comes together for Citizenship Drive in Los Angeles 05/08/13

      Early this past Saturday, nearly 150 immigrants and their families from all over the world trekked to southern Los Angeles County and eagerly waited in line for their chance to take the crucial next step to becoming an American citizen. The huge Inglewood church quickly filled with the sounds of many languages, from Spanish [...]

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  • Even a Think Tank VP and Professor is Overwhelmed by Naturalization Process 04/25/13

    A first-hand look into the complicated and messy bureaucracy of the current naturalization system left Darrell West shocked. The Vice President of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution spent 5 years stuck in a cycle of inefficiency, confusion and surprises. He admits, “For many immigrants, it is virtually impossible for them to afford the fees, [...]

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