Fremont Family Resource Center Hosting Citizenship Workshop

The International Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA) and the East Bay Naturalization Collaborative (EBNatz) are partnering with the Fremont Family Resource Center (FRC) for the fourth Citizenship Day to be held on Saturday, October 18 at 9:30 a.m. at the Fremont Family Resource Center, 39155 Liberty Street in Fremont, Building EFGH – Caribbean Room Suite H830. This will be the second Citizenship Day this year due to an overwhelming turnout of citizenship seekers at the last event in April.

At this event, people eligible for U.S. citizenship can receive free assistance in filling out the naturalization application and fee waivers if necessary. Volunteers will speak many languages including Spanish, Chinese and Farsi. Interested parties need to pre-register at www.ebnatz.org or by telephone. Registrations in English and Spanish are taken at 510-451-2846 x301, in Chinese at 510-251-2846 and in Dari/Farsi at 510-894-3639.

There are many benefits to becoming a citizen including the opportunity to file immigrant visa petitions for parents, children and siblings. Perhaps most importantly, citizens can have full civic participation in this country and make sure their voices are heard.

Among the local nonprofits leading the charge to increase the number of citizens is Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Catholic Charities of the East Bay, Centro Legal de la Raza, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, International Institute of the Bay Area, International Rescue Committee, Jewish Family and Children Services of the East Bay and the Korean Community Center of the East Bay. In 2011, these immigration service providers created the East Bay Naturalization Collaborative, a partnership designed to support each organization’s citizenship efforts by sharing tools and best practices, and providing volunteer support at large-scale citizenship fairs.

The member organizations of the East Bay Naturalization Collaborative have a long history of providing services to immigrants and want to make sure Tri-City residents receive trustworthy legal advice and reliable help with completing their applications for naturalization. They have heard countless stories of immigrants who have lost money paying someone to help them with legal services only to find this “help” has resulted in the loss of thousands of dollars or even deportation. IIBA and EBNatz educate immigrants about their rights and responsibilities and represent immigrants in applications for legal status that U.S. law prescribes.

To learn more about IIBA and EBNatz, please visit the websiteswww.iibayarea.org and www.ebnatz.org. To register for the naturalization event, please go to www.ebnatz.org or call at 510-451-2846 x301 in English or Spanish, 510-251-2846 in Chinese and 510-894-3639 in Dari/Farsi.

—Information submitted by City of Fremont