Fiscal Year 2020 Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services - Eligibility Guide

The Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services program is a funding opportunity under the FY 2020 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program.

Am I Eligible to Apply?

Step 1: Are you (and any sub-awardees) a non-profit or public organization?

• If yes, go to step 2. 
• If no, you are not eligible to apply.

Step 2: At the time of application, is your organization (or sub-awardee) recognized by the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Legal Access Programs (OLAP) and does it employ at least one DOJ-accredited representative employee with experience providing clients with naturalization representation?*

• If yes, go to step 4.
• If no, go to step 3

Step 3: At the time of application, do you (or a sub-awardee) have at least one attorney employee with experience providing clients with naturalization representation?*

• If yes, go to step 4.
• If no, you are not eligible to apply.

Step 4: Does your organization (or sub-awardee) have at least one year of experience in the past three years providing naturalization application services within the authorized practice of immigration law (i.e., using an attorney or DOJ-accredited representative)?*

• If yes, go to step 5.
• If no, you are not eligible to apply.

Step 5: Does your organization (or sub-awardee) have at least one year of experience in the past three years providing direct citizenship instruction in a classroom setting that follows a curriculum and utilizes a citizenship textbook?**

• If yes, you are eligible to apply.***
• If no, you are not eligible to apply.

*Only the organization that proposes to provide naturalization application services must meet this requirement.

**Only the organization that proposes to provide citizenship instruction must meet this requirement.

***USCIS will take into account various program and organizational factors, including past grantee performance, when making final award decisions. In addition, all funded grant recipients must enroll in E-Verify as a regular employer within 30 days of receiving the award and remain as a participant in good standing with E-Verify throughout the entire period of grant performance. Funded grant recipients will be required to verify all new hires at hiring locations performing work on a program or activity that is funded in whole or in part under the grant.