WHAT TO BRING TO OUR WORKSHOPS/CLINICS

Getting assistance

Whether you’re seeking assistance from a nonprofit legal services organization, a citizenship clinic, a private attorney, or applying on your own, you should gather the following documents to help prepare your application:

Bring the following to your consultation:

Your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)

Home addresses for the past five years – be sure to cover the entire five-year period mo/day/year-mo/day/year

Employers the last five years – be sure to cover the entire five-year period. Include:

    • Mo/day/year-mo/day/year
    • Employer name
    • Address
    • Occupation
    • For periods of unemployment, provide dates of unemployment, as a student, traveling, or as a homemaker

Travel history the last five years:

    • Dates OUTSIDE the USA – e.g., Mo/Day/Year-Mo/Day/Year, countries visited.
    • Since becoming a permanent resident, any trips of 180 days or more – mo/day/year,-mo/day/year and countries visited.
    • Bring your passport, itineraries and, if available, tickets to track all trips made outside the U.S.
    • If any trips outside the USA of six months or more, bring copies of re-entry permit and documents relating to why you were gone for so long and attempts to return to the USA

Children’s Information: Their complete names, dates and locations of birth (country), and their A#s (alien registration numbers) and current addresses

Spouse information: Full name, date of birth, date of marriage, spouse’s social security #, a A#, naturalization certificate number, current address, employer name

Your and your spouse’s prior spouses’ information: name, date of birth, citizenship status, date of marriage, date of divorce or death

Divorce decrees and parenting plans

Proof of alimony, child support orders and recent payments if applicable

Taxes and Income: Your most recent tax return, W-2s/1099s, and three most recent paystubs

If you receive public benefits (such as SNAP food stamps, SSI, TANF, Medicaid) bring your most current award letter that expires in the future. Click here for more information on how to obtain this letter.

All immigration history documents in your possession, copies of all applications filed, receipts, decisions. You may need to contact your past attorney, nonprofit agency or relative who sponsored you a copy of your file

Other names used/desired: Court order if you legally changed your name, or marriage certificate or divorce decree if your name changed.

If you immigrated through a spouse, bring documents to prove you are living together (e.g., joint tax returns, bank statements, leases, mortgages, children’s birth certificates.

Proof of tax payment plan, recent payments if applicable.

If you were arrested, detained, convicted or cited for any offense anywhere in the world, EVEN IF DISMISSED, and including traffic offenses (but not parking), bring certified court records. What to bring and where to find court records can be found HERE.

If you were detained by immigration officers, stopped at the border, deported or received voluntary return/departure, bring your full immigration record.

Proof of US Selective Service registration for men 18-26 years old. Verify registration at www.sss.gov.

See if you qualify for a fee waiver or reduced filing fee from the usual $725 fee: Use this online tool. See above regarding benefits letter for public benefits and tax returns and related information. Bring those to the clinic. Resources: