Sunday, June 15, 2025
75.0°F

College sponsors help with citizenship applications

Herald Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 12 years, 1 month AGO
by Herald Staff WriterCHERYL SCHWEIZER
| April 18, 2013 1:00 PM

MOSES LAKE - People who have permanent resident status but want to become U.S. citizens will have a chance to talk with volunteers experienced in immigration issues at Citizenship Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, April 27, at Big Bend Community College, 7662 Chanute St. NE.

Four Citizenship Days are planned in the state by the Washington New Americans Program (WNAP), but the Moses Lake event is the only one in Eastern Washington. Citizenship Day is for people who have already obtained permanent resident status, not for people without documents, said Sandy Cheek, the college's director of adult basic skills.

The naturalization process is dynamic and not static, Cheek said, meaning there are frequent changes in the rules and everyone, applicants and consultants alike, must keep up.

The college sponsors citizenship classes which prepare people to take the test, Cheek said, but no one at the college gives advice on the naturalization process. "That's why this is a great add-on," she said. This is the third year BBCC has hosted the event, she said, and it has experienced good participation.

"I'm optimistic that every year we do this, it's going to grow," Cheek said.

Immigration attorneys and paralegals, interpreters and other volunteers help people navigate the naturalization process. They provide information about the process and the requirements, help with the application and legal review of completed applications.

Translators will be available, but it might speed up the process if applicants bring their own translators, Cheek said. Volunteers are being sought, especially to help with translating, she said. Potential volunteers can get more information on the WNAP website.

Applicants should bring their permanent resident card (commonly called a green card), their 2012 tax return and W-2, and a list of names and ages of spouses and children and their documentation. Applicants also should bring a list of residences in the last five years, a list of employers in the last five years, and documentation of any time the applicant has spent outside the U.S. since becoming a permanent resident.

Other documents may be required depending on individual circumstances. Those include marriage or divorce, family not living with the applicant and whether or not applicants have been charged with or convicted of crimes. A complete list of required documents can be found on the WNAP website.

The process includes a $680 fee, which can be waived for low-income applicants. More information will be available at Citizenship Day.

ARTICLES BY HERALD STAFF WRITER

Staatses plead not guilty
November 2, 2012 6 a.m.

Staatses plead not guilty

EPHRATA - The Moses Lake couple, accused of refusing to take their child to a hospital as the boy was starving, pleaded not guilty Tuesday.

Central Wash. Home Expo this weekend
May 7, 2013 6 a.m.

Central Wash. Home Expo this weekend

MOSES LAKE - Basin residents wanting to build a new home, or renovate an existing one, can turn to next weekend's Central Washington Home Expo for inspiration.

Nurse practitioner program begins in Othello
May 6, 2014 6 a.m.

Nurse practitioner program begins in Othello

Application deadline is May 15

OTHELLO - The Columbia Basin Health Association will start a training program for nurse practitioners, beginning in September. The program's application deadline is May 15.