Help will also be available in Atlanta, Alpharetta and Smyrna.
The sessions are sponsored by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and will provide help to lawful, permanent residents who are eligible to become naturalized citizens.
This is the second year that the Citizenship Day event will be conducted on a national scale.
Last year, fourteen AILA chapters held "citizenship drives" at 27 different locations around the country. More than 350 attorneys and 500 non-attorney volunteers assisted 1,700 clients with their citizenship applications.
This year, the Atlanta Chapter is joining 26 other chapters of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) across the country to provide free assistance with the United States citizenship application process. Chapter attorneys and trained volunteers will provide assistance at no cost at four Atlanta Metro area locations during this one-day event on April 19. The event will take place in Atlanta, Alpharetta, Smyrna and Gainesville from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Event Chair Elizabeth L.A. Garvish said: "This event highlights one of the most important events in an immigrant's life - becoming a U.S. citizen. Attorneys and volunteers from across the country will come together on one day to demonstrate the importance of being a U.S. citizen and assist others on their road to naturalization."
"It is important for people to become fully integrated members of our nation by becoming U.S. citizens," said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. "This second annual event is very important and we encourage anyone eligible to come and learn more and take the necessary steps to become U.S. citizens. We also encourage people to volunteer in these efforts."
Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) may apply for U.S. citizenship. Citizenship confers the right to vote, bear a U.S. passport, petition for relatives abroad and obtain public benefits. Recent developments and initiatives regarding immigration issues, including a dramatic increase in the filing fees for naturalization cases, among others, and the increased difficulty of the required testing for naturalization applicants, have resulted in an even greater surge of lawful permanent residents seeking citizenship as they become eligible to do so.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants from all corners of the globe embrace the ideals of freedom and democracy and become United States citizens. Statistics show that more than 700,000 immigrants became U.S. citizens during fiscal year 2006 alone, and about 4.5 million individuals have naturalized since the year 2000.
To apply for citizenship, a person must be at least 18 years old and have been a lawful permanent resident for five years, or for three years if married to a U.S. citizen. In addition applicants must demonstrate that they can read, write and speak in English, have paid income taxes, pass a civics test and take the oath of allegiance to the United States.
On the Net:
American Immigration Lawyers Association. http://www.aila.org
Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. http://www.galeo.org
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/3/207944