The Flushing YMCA will host an immigration resource fair on Saturday, July 25, with state Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Assemblyman Ron Kim, and City Councilman Peter Koo.
Lawyers and other professionals experienced in the immigration process will be at the event, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the YMCA at 138-46 Northern Blvd. Only the first 130 attendees will be served because space is limited, so anyone interested in attending should call 646-664-9400 to reserve a spot.
The event is hosted as part of a partnership with CUNY Citizenship NOW!, the largest university-based legal assistance program in the nation. Free legal assistance in Chinese, Korean and Spanish will be available for those seeking to become American citizens.
According to Stavisky, applying for citizenship can be a costly and confusing process even for fluent English speakers.
“Becoming a citizen is a lifelong commitment to the ideals of this country and I applaud all of the applicants for their dedication and perseverance,” Stavisky said.
Koo said that assistance offered at the event would be a serious benefit to many of his constituents and encouraged the community to use it to their advantage.
“Becoming a citizen of a new country can be a complicated process that can leave applicants in a lurch due to missing documentation or inaccurate information,” Koo said. “Every day, my office receives dozens of requests from constituents seeking immigration assistance.”
Kim also encouraged Flushing residents to participate in the fair and to support the initiatives of CUNY Citizenship NOW!
“Many families in our community are looking for help and seeking consultation regarding their legal status in this country. The CUNY Citizenship NOW! Fair would provide a necessary service for those in our neighborhoods seeking to embark on a path to citizenship,” said Kim, who added that the attorneys, paralegals and volunteers at the fair were working to assist those looking to achieve the American Dream.
Eligible applicants must have lived in the U.S. as a permanent resident for at least five years (or three years if living with and married to the same U.S. citizen), must have lived in the U.S. for at least half of the three- or five-year period and must be at least 18 years old. Attendees should bring the following:
- Green card
- All passports since becoming a permanent resident
- Proof of home addresses for the last three or five years
- Parent’s naturalization information (if applicable)
- School/employment history for the last three or five years
- Children’s information (date of birth, A#, addresses if applicable)
- Marital history
- Certified dispositions for any arrests, tickets citations and MTA disposition letters (if applicable)
- USCIS fee waiver assistance available if applicants are receiving a means-tested benefit from a state or federal agency, have a household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, have a special financial hardship that USCIS should consider
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