You and your family can apply to become U.S. citizens!

If you have been a Legal Permanent Resident (Green card Holder) for at least 5 years, (or) 3 years and you are married to a U.S. Citizen, then you are eligible to apply to become a U.S. Citizen.

At  workshop applicants will receive:

-Free assistance to complete the application for naturalization
-Free legal consultation with an immigration attorney
-Free information on how to apply for application fee waiver
-Free study materials to prepare for the test and interview
-To fill out the citizenship form, please bring the following documents:

FEE:
Money Order/Cashier’s Check for $680.00 payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security
______________________

To fill out the citizenship form, please bring the following documents:

1.   Have your Green Card, Social Security Card, State ID or Driver’s License
2.   List of places you have traveled to since you received your residency (Include month, day, year of travel)
3.   List of where you have lived, worked and/ or studied for the past 5 years
4.   Information about your spouse including: name, date of birth, social security number,
5.   Green Card number and/or date and place your spouse became a citizen (if applicable)
6.    Information about your children including address, name, date of birth & greencard number (if applicable)
7.    If you are married, have your date of marriage available
8.    Information about previous marriages for both you and your spouse (if applicable):
9.    Date of prior marriage, date the marriage ended and reason the marriage ended.
10.    If applicable, information about any arrests: reason for the arrest, date, place and disposition
11.    For men only: Selective Service number and date of registration, call (847) 688-6888 if you don’t know
12.    Money Order/Cashier’s Check for $680.00 payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security

You may qualify to apply for citizenship at no cost if:

Do you want to learn about next steps after you’ve been “DACAmented”? Do you want to join the fight for Comprehensive Immigration Reform from your school, college, or community?

Deferred Action youth and allies will learn ways and strategies to get involved in local campaigns like the fight for youth employment in IL and the national fight for immigration reform! Meet dozens of other youth and allies who will fight for the rights of our community in 2013! Youth from Albany Park Neighborhood Council and ICIRR youth leaders will lead conversations on concrete steps we can take to win victories for our communities!

Know Your Rights, Family Unity Waivers, and Temporary Visitors Drivers Licenses

Do you know your rights with the police and with immigration?  Do you know what the family unity waiver is, and if your family qualifies?  Do you know what you need to do NOW in order to apply for your Temporary Visitors Drivers License in November?  Come to this workshop to find out the answers to these questions and more. This workshop will provide important information to help KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER. 

*Immigration attorneys will be present to help answer questions, but individual legal consultation will NOT be provided in this session.

Entender sus derechos, Perdón para la unidad familiar, y las nuevas licencias de conducir en Illinois

¿Conoce usted sus derechos, con la policía y con inmigración? ¿Sabe lo que es el perdón para la unidad familiar, y si su familia califica? ¿Sabe los pasos que tiene que tomar AHORA para solicitar su licencia de conducir (TVDL por sus siglas en ingles) en NOVIEMBRE? Venga a este taller para conocer las respuestas a estas preguntas y más. Este taller proporcionará información importante para ayudar a mantener la familia unida.
* Abogados de inmigración estarán disponibles para ayudar a responder preguntas, pero consultas legales individuales NO serán proporcionadas en este taller.

Understanding existing health care services and upcoming changes helps maintain healthy communities and healthy families. The new health care law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), will have profound effects on how immigrant families access health care. The ACA is designed to protect consumers and lower the cost of insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses so that more people can have access to insurance. Some immigrants will benefit significantly while others will be largely left out of coverage.

This workshop will provide an overview of ACA and what should be expected in 2014. How will seniors be impacted? What other healthcare resources are currently available to our communities? What is County Care and how does it benefit those living in Cook County?

The Parent Mentor Program is engaging immigrant parents and families as leaders in 55 schools around the State of Illinois. This workshop will provide participants with more information about Parent Mentor Program basics, the history and philosophy of the program, and testimonies from current Parent Mentors. This group will join with the Existing Parent Mentor Partner Session for the second half of the training. This workshop is geared towards those not currently involved in the Parent Mentor Program who would like to learn what all the buzz is about!

The Parent Mentor Program expanded to a total of 13 ICIRR member organizations this Spring. This workshop is designed as a reflection and strategy session for partners and key stakeholders already involved in the Parent Mentor Program. This group will join with the Parent Mentor 101 group for the second half of the training.

Hear from experts in education about Opening Doors for DREAMers, the High School to College Pathway, and the Adult Education (ESL & GED) to College/Career pathway.

Panelists:
Tanya Cabrera, IL DREAM Fund Commissioner / IIT Vice Provost
Elissa Lopez, City Colleges of Chicago Recruiter
Sameer Gadkaree, City Colleges of Chicago Associate Vice Chancellor of Adult Education
Maureen Fitzpatrick, City Colleges of Chicago Community Relations Liaison

Today’s Illinois cities are at the hub of an increasingly growing immigrant population that makes up 13.5% of our state’s population. As the level of government closest to the people, municipalities are well positioned to respond to our communities’ needs. Around the country, cities in partnership with local community organizations are developing policies and practices that accelerate the settlement and integration of immigrants, and engage local residents in building safe, healthy and prosperous communities.

In this workshop we will discuss immigrant integration with a focus on the municipal level, share best practices for creating more welcoming cities in Illinois and throughout the country and engage key stakeholders to build momentum for expanding welcoming cities throughout Illinois.

 Panelists:

• -Maria Elena Jonas, Executive Director of the Hispanic American Community Education and Services, Waukegan
• -Adolfo Hernandez, Director of the Office of New Americans, City of Chicago
• -       James Bennett, Midwest Regional Director, Lambda Legal, Chicago

Moderator:

Rachel Brooks, Uniting America Fellow, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Wheaton

Join us for a panel discussion on effective coalition-building that responds to the criminalizaton of the immigrant and African American communities. The Corrections Corporation of America, which runs for-profit jails and detention centers across the country that incarcerate and detain many immigrants and African Americans, is trying to come to Illinois. CCA failed to build a detention center in Crete, IL due to community mobilization and effective advocacy efforts, but they now plan to build in Joliet, IL instead. How do we forge effective coalitions to respond to problems that affect all of our communities?

Panelists:
Commission Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Cook County Board of Commissioners
Elena Quintana, Executive Director, Institute on Public Safety & Social Justice at the Adler School of Professional Psychology

The Presidential Election may be behind us, but municipal elections are quickly approaching!

The immigrant vote continues to show its strength in local and national politics, but how do you know that every voter’s rights is being observed on Election Day? Get to know the common issues facing voters at the polls from voter intimidation to language access. Also learn how communities can use local voting power to keep inhumane immigration practices like detention facilities out of our communities!

Attendees will get trained in poll monitoring so you can ensure that our community’s voice is heard.

Immigrant women may face a difficult time escaping abuse due to their immigration status. They often feel trapped in abusive relationships because of immigration laws, language barriers, social isolation, and lack of financial resources. We will address barriers to services such as cultural, language, legal, economic and the fear of deportation. In this workshop, we will discuss the dynamics of domestic violence and mental health in immigrant communities.

Speakers:  (Note: Spanish translators will be available)

Suhad Tabahi, Arab American Family Services
Fatima Hishmeh, Arab American Family Services
Hamza J. Salim, Arab American Family Services

Participate in the Housing Resources Workshop provided by Northside Community Resources and the Rogers Park Community Development Corporation! This workshop will provide attendees with information and resources on Rental Housing, Foreclosure Prevention, and Homebuyer Assistance.

Participe el taller de Recursos de Vivienda de Northside Community Resource y el Rogers Park Community Development Corporation! Este  taller ofrecerá a los asistentes con información y recursos sobre Viviendas de Alquiler, Prevención de Embargos Hipotecarios y Asistencia para Compradores de Vivienda.

Join Rudy Lopez and Gabe Gonzalez to learn about effective state and federal advocacy.

Hear about ground-breaking efforts to protect low-wage workers and ensure the health and safety of all workers:

Gabriela/ Jorge Mujica, ARISE Chicago

Organizing Workers around Wage Theft and the New Chicago City Ordinance

Martin Unzueta, Chicago Community and Workers Rights

Organizing workers against E-Verify and ICE Audits

Laura Garza, SEIU Local 1

Organizing Strong Workers in Strong Unions

Warehouse Workers UE

Organizing Workers With No Rights (Striking Walmart)