By Anita Weier
Northside News
If you are a lawful permanent resident who wants to become a citizen of the United States, help is on the way.
The Literacy Network, which offers free classes for those preparing for the citizenship test, wants to expand its classes to the North and East sides, after receiving a $180,000 grant from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The grant was provided jointly to the Network and Centro Hispano, which helps with the application process.
Until now, classes were only offered in the Literacy Network’s Southside offices on the corner of Dane and South Park Streets, as well as online. The nonprofit organization is currently looking for available sites, said Jill Stendahl, citizenship program manager for the Literacy Network. The citizenship test is complicated, so preparation is essential, she added.
The test requires that applicants can read and write a sentence in basic English, that they can answer six questions about U.S. history and government, and that they can answer questions about themselves from their applications.
Filling out the application is not easy, as it consists of 40 pages. The application is then sent to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which researches the individual to make sure answers are true and correct. An interview follows, in which the immigration officer can ask any question from the application document.
Literacy Network classes for citizenship occur over a four-month period — either twice a week or once a week for a longer time. Time involved is two to three hours per week. Trained staff instructors, approved by the USCIS, teach the classes. The curriculum also has to be approved.
“More than 11,000 people living in Dane County have lawful permanent resident status (with a green card) and are eligible for citizenship,” Stendahl said. Last year, 140 students took the Literacy Network citizenship classes, and 53 students finished the class.
If potential applicants have trouble with English, they are encouraged to take the Network’s English classes first. All Literacy Network classes are free.
The Network also has volunteer tutors available to help applicants hone their English and citizenship skills. “They can practice what they learn in class and gain confidence,” she said.
So far in 2024, nine students from the Madison area passed the citizenship test, which is given in the Federal Building in Milwaukee.
Those interested in taking the Network’s classes should call 608-244-3911. There are spring, summer and fall classes.
Demand has been increasing for the classes because people want to vote in the 2024 elections, she said. Also, many students have lived in the Madison area for years and now regard Dane County as home.
