TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP: Citizenship Resources

Are you or someone you know seeking naturalization as a US citizen?

San Francisco Public Library offers a variety of resources on our website as well as books, videos and CDs. On the Internet, you will find a multitude of links. In this Tuesday Tip, we’ll share some of the best citizenship resources.

Over the past ten years, there have been many changes in US immigration law and procedure. One major change for the prospective citizen is the introduction of an entirely new test for Naturalization in October 2008. It is very important to check the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website for the most recent information.

USCIS has a wealth of information on their site, including materials for educators and volunteers, humanitarian resources, and guides to avoid being a victim of fraudulent offers of assistance. USCIS provides text and mp3 files of the test questions in English and Spanish. In addition to English, the questions are available in Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

CLINIC, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. offers translations of the citizenship questions done by community organizations in many other languages, including Arabic, Farsi, French and more. Many other services are offered to help organizatons that serve immigrant communities.

You can prepare for the USCIS naturalization interview with these helpful resources from SFPL, including a guide to naturalization, detailed practice materials for the new citizenship exam, and a list of local organizations that can help you with the naturalization process. Watch short videos to learn more about citizenship resources. Available in: Chinese, English, Filipino, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.

Through our library catalog, we offer links to a variety of online government resources, including printable flash cards for the test questions as well as reading and writing vocabulary cards. And you can always ask a librarian for information on guides for naturalization, immigration information and more.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!