Van Cd 22 7 Aspect Ratio 3 1

Washington
New Americans

Gateway to Citizenship

Citizenship is a powerful way to improve our lives and gain access to our fundamental rights. Our Washington New Americans (WNA) program supports eligible legal permanent residents in Washington State with information and legal services to successfully become U.S citizens, vote, and get involved in issues that matter to them. 

Our vision is citizenship for all. We advocate to reduce the barriers that keep our communities from accessing the rights and opportunities of citizenship.

Cheryse Acrs And Adelina Scaled Aspect Ratio 4 3
Img 4516 Scaled Aspect Ratio 1 1

Receive Free Citizenship Services

Citizenship Day is a FREE, day-long workshop where volunteer immigration attorneys, paralegals, and interpreters come together to provide assistance with citizenship applications. All lawful permanent residents (“green card” holders) interested in applying for U.S. citizenship are welcome to participate. 

Every year, we host two Citizenship Days in various cities on the same day. In addition, we host four smaller legal clinics around the state of Washington. Those interested in applying, please call or text to our Citizenship hotline at 206-926-3924.

Attend a Citizenship Day!

About the Program

WNA is a partnership between the State of Washington and OneAmerica. With the support of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and community organizations across Washington, we provide citizenship information and assistance.

We organize approximately 11 free citizenship application workshops every year, and our affiliate organizations offer assistance in their offices year-round, by appointment. We provide aid with the completion of the citizenship and fee waiver forms. Our partners also offer classes to prepare applicants for the citizenship interview.

In addition, WNA advocates at the federal and state level to ensure that citizenship remains accessible to all those that qualify. We strive to build power among our applicants through involvement in our advocacy, the opportunity to become WNA Citizenship Ambassadors and registering them to vote. Through our grantee network and joint advocacy, we also set out to build an immigrant integration policy agenda to build power in WA State.

The Journey to Citizenship

Listen to the story of WNA Volunteer, Natasha Burns, about her journey to citizenship.

Making a Difference

Since it was founded, the WNA program has grown to support 13 immigrant serving organizations across the state who receive resources and capacity building from OneAmerica to expand citizenship access. We’ve also grown to include six staff, including Department of Justice Accredited Representatives and a Staff Attorney. Our funding has increased to $2 million dollars biannually.

Through our legal workshop and support of immigrant organizations providing direct services, we have provided over 48,000 legal permanent residents with citizenship services. We have hosted about 120 citizenship workshops in over 20 cities across Washington State.

 

11,000

citizenship applications since 2008

9,500

attorney pro-bono hours since 2008

2,500

applicants have become U.S. citizens since 2016