DHS makes a $20 million push to help immigrants to get US citizenship

Highlights of DHS announcement

• The DHS has announced the US plan to help the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program with grants of $20 million given to organizations.
• The aim is to help provide integration services to non-citizens to become US citizens and integrate with US communities.
• The program will provide non-citizens access to the tools and resources required for citizenship education.
• Immigrants in the US can take advantage of this program by getting better integration training via more organizations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6aL_imkrC8

The DHS has announced that its Citizenship and Integration Grant Program will grant $20 million to help organizations that provide immigrants integration services to prepare them for citizenship. The grant provided in 2021 was $10 million.

The increased amount of grants under this program will help the organizations involved reach more communities in the USA. There, they can find immigrants and give them access to tools and resources that will help them become US citizens.

The Director of the USCIS, Mr. Ur M. Jaddou, has made a statement that in 2022, the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program will be made more robust. The Program will lend support to initiatives for innovation and bring about a deeper local and regional collaboration to reach more geographic areas around the US.

The aim of the program is to prepare immigrants to naturalize and promote civic integration. The whole exercise will include delivering increased knowledge of US history, the English language, and civics. The grant will also fund English acquisition and US citizenship classes.

The expansion of the grants provided in 2022 includes opportunities for innovatively and creatively preparing immigrants to undergo naturalization.

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Here are some of the services that the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has in its scope of activities:

Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services

Funding will be made to public/nonprofit organizations that offer both naturalization application and citizenship instruction services to immigrants. USCIS could award up to $300,000 each for 2 years to 42 organizations via this Program. Applications are due by August 5, 2022.

Community and Regional Integration Network Grant

Extended integration services are among the activities under the program. The focus will be on individualized programming for some of the immigrants. They will include one of the following:

• Those who came to the USA under the US Refugee Admissions Program
• Those who were granted asylum
• Those who were admitted or have entered the USA as a Cuban/Haitian entrant

They will gain the skills as well as the knowledge needed for successful US citizenship.

This program was earlier called the Refugee and Asylee Integration Services Grant. It has expanded eligibility to rope in organizations that provide services to the following:

• Individuals admitted on a Special Immigrant Visa
• Individuals who were admitted or have entered the USA as Cuban/Haitian entrants
• Abused spouses, children, and parents under the VAWA (Violence Against Women Act)
• Victims of human trafficking and criminal activity

USCIS expects to award up to $300,000 each to 3 to 6 public/nonprofit organizations that have experience in serving vulnerable populations. This will be done for a period of 2 years via this opportunity. Applications are due by August 5, 2022.

Regional Hub Program

This program is designed to fund regional/statewide support networks for citizenship that build capacity among their members/affiliates to give direct services for US citizenship preparation to immigrants.

It’s expected of applicants to serve as a hub for communication and information sharing on preparation for citizenship among their members/affiliates as well as within the broader community. USCIS could award approximately 5 to 10 grants of not more than $1,000,000 each. This will be for a period of 2 years via this program opportunity. Applications are due by Aug. 5, 2022.

Innovations in Citizenship Education Program

Here, the grant is aimed at amplifying innovation. USCIS will award grants for innovation to organizations working to prepare immigrants for naturalization using creative approaches. It will also encourage the linguistic, cultural, and civic integration of immigrants into the US communities. USCIS could award up to $250,000 each to approximately 25 organizations. This will be for a period of 2 years via this program opportunity. Applications are due by August 5, 2022.

The bottom line...

The USA is not only welcoming more immigrants to the country to fulfill the needs of skilled educated professionals but also ensuring that they get expert and quality services to transform themselves into US citizens. It’s a point of credible recognition of US immigration that will play a significant role in attracting more immigrants to the USA.

If you are willing to migrate to US, talk to Y-Axis, the leading immigration and career consultant in the UAE.

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