Queens elected officials and CUNY (The City University of New York) staff joined forces to host a citizenship application event at P.S. 60 in Woodhaven on Saturday Feb. 3.
State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr and Council Members Joann Ariola and Lynn Schulman hosted the event that 140 people attended, where CUNY staff assisted attendees with their US citizenship applications.
The event was part of the “Become a Citizen: Opportunities Await” series that CUNY runs to assist green card holders with their application to be a US citizen, which is required in order to vote, while making overseas travel easier and providing financial advantages. Some jobs also require applicants to be citizens.
Addabbo says that he is proud to be a part of the program that offers valuable assistance to community members.
“Citizenship is not just a status; it’s a responsibility and a privilege. It provides the opportunity to fully participate in and contribute to the growth and prosperity of our nation, and to shape its future for the better,” he said.
The event also included assessing the attendees’ eligibility for a fee waiver, which can potentially save them a significant portion or the entire application fee.
The forum covered a number of topics, such as civil service job opportunities; preparing for the citizenship interview; accessing interest-free loans for their citizenship application; and fee waivers.
Ariola said that since she came into office in 2022, she has helped more than 120 people become citizens.
“My office is proud to sponsor events that help newcomers to our country legally pursue a path towards the American Dream. It was great to see so many people going about things the right way, working with CUNY to become American citizens,” she said.
All services at the event were free of charge.
