New Americans Initiative Workshops

The New American Initiative (NAI) is a coordinated campaign for citizenship. It links legal permanent residents directly to the information and services they need to successfully pursue citizenship. To accomplish these goals the New Americans Initiative coordinates a media/outreach campaign and provides grants to organizations in order for them to provide assistance in the naturalization process, citizenship preparation, and legal counseling for legal permanent residents eligible to naturalize.

Workshops take place once per month at Family Focus Aurora and the Cicero, IL location of Family Focus Nuestra Familia. Dates and locations of workshops are determined at least 3-4 weeks in advance. Each workshop requires volunteers to help assist those seeking services.

The New American Initiative helps permanent legal residents get connected with information and services to successfully pursue citizenship.

Volunteers Needed:

Legal Volunteers: Attorneys or DOJ Accredited Representatives are needed to screen applicants to ensure they meet citizenship requirements and confirm that the applicant does not have any legal concerns that could impact their application for citizenship. Immigration law experience is not required. Training will be provided for those who need it.

N-400 Volunteers: Named after the title of the citizenship application (Form N-400), these volunteers will assist applicants that have been screened by a legal volunteer and are approved to continue with their application process. N-400 volunteers work with applicants to ensure their Form N-400 is filled out correctly. These volunteers must be at least 18 years old, and bilingual Spanish speakers are preferred.

Logistical Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to help assist with the overall workshops, including set-up, tear-down, making copies of forms, and just offering any assistance. There are no minimum requirements to be a logistical volunteer.

How to Volunteer

Aurora, IL: Workshops in Aurora need 1-2 legal volunteers, and 5-10 N-400 volunteers per workshop. Please contact Astrid Cardenas by email to volunteer or for more information.

Cicero, IL: Workshops require 2-4 legal volunteers, 4-5 N-400 volunteers, and 2-3 logistical volunteers. Please contact Cecilia Mendoza by phone at 708-652-0900 or by email to volunteer or for more information.