Free Citizenship Assistance with Catholic Charities of Denver

Posted September 15, 2021

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Catholic Charities Immigration Services of Denver is excited to announce that our citizenship grant through the New Americans Campaign has been renewed through June 30th, 2022. During the period of the grant, we will be offering free citizenship assistance to qualified lawful permanent residents hoping to obtain their U.S. citizenship. We can be reached at (303)742-4971. Our program is the longest-standing accredited immigration legal service provider in Colorado. We are currently accredited through the Office of Legal Access Programs and our bilingual (English/Spanish) staff has over 30 years of combined experience providing high-quality assistance and diligent representation to immigrants throughout the state of Colorado. 

BENEFITS OF BECOMING A U.S. CITIZEN

Citizenship is a cornerstone of our democracy and obtaining this status is a pivotal milestone in the lives
of immigrants living in the United States. There are many benefits to becoming a U.S. citizen including:

  1. The Right to Immigrate Family Members
    U.S. citizens can sponsor a wider number of family members to come to the U.S. than lawful
    permanent residents.
  2. Derivative Citizenship for Children
    When a lawful permanent resident gets their citizenship, their children may automatically
    become U.S. citizens by derivation, provided they meet certain requirements
  3. Full Civic Participation
    This includes not only the right to vote in national, state and local elections, but also the right to
    run for elected office and to serve on a jury
  4. More Employment and Educational Opportunities
    Many federal, state and local government jobs, as well as certain scholarships for higher
    education require U.S. citizenship
  5. Travel Benefits
    U.S. citizens can travel outside the country for unlimited periods of time and may reenter freely,
    while lawful permanent residents may never leave the U.S. for more than 6 months at a time
    and must remain in the U.S. at least half of their time.
  6. Protection from Deportation
    U.S. citizens, unlike lawful permanent residents cannot be deported.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR CITIZENSHIP THROUGH
NATURALIZATION

If you meet the basic requirements listed below, please contact our office for your full, individual
consultation

  1. Be at least 18 years old;
  2. Be a lawful permanent resident (LPR) for 5 years in the U.S.; *
  3. Have continuous residence in the U.S. as an LPR for 5 years; *
  4. Have been physically present in the U.S. for a least half of the 5 years; *
  5. Have lived in Colorado for the past 3 months;
  6. Can pass a test of speaking, reading and writing basic English; **
  7. Pass a test of U.S. history and Government; ***
  8. Be a person of good moral character and
  9. Understand and accept the oath of allegiance to the U.S.***

* Three years if you obtained your residency through marriage to a U.S. citizen spouse
** Unless eligible for an exemption based on age and years of residency
*** Unless eligible for an exemption based on disability


The information and materials provided herein are for educational and informational purposes only.
Such information and materials do not constitute and are not intended to provide legal advice and
should not be relied upon for any such purpose.