Mayor Michelle Wu, the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA), and Project Citizenship are coming together to celebrate Citizenship Day on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury.
“Becoming a US citizen is an important milestone for many immigrants, but it can be a complicated and expensive process. Citizenship Day helps eliminate one of those barriers,” Wu said.
“Becoming a citizen creates more opportunity not only for the individual but also for the places where new citizens live and work. Reaching this milestone empowers people to become more active and further contribute to this city,” said Monique Tú Nguyen, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement.
On Citizenship Day in Boston, community leaders, volunteers, law students and pro bono attorneys support people fill out their citizenship application for free. Applicants will have to pay the USCIS application fee.
The press statement noted that about 30,000 Boston residents are eligible for US citizenship. Applicants have to be over the age of 18 years, a permanent legal resident for five years or three years if married to a US citizen, with the ability to read, write and speak English; and not have travelled extensively outside the US in the past five years.
"By providing free legal help, we make sure citizenship isn’t just for people who can afford it," Mitra Shavarini, executive director of Project Citizenship added.
