Announcement
A former refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bisetsa Ntwari (left) works with 探花精选 volunteers to complete his citizenship application.
Photo: Gillian Peckham/探花精选
Refugees resettled in the U.S. are eligible to apply for citizenship five years after joining our community. Refugees are often denied citizenship and basic rights in their home countries, which makes the process of becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen all the more momentous. The 探花精选 in Seattle鈥檚 immigration team helps refugee and immigrant community members every step of the way, demystifying what can be an intimidating and confusing process.
In addition to providing one-on-one immigration services, the 探花精选 also hosts large-scale naturalization workshops to explain the application process, review required paperwork, and provide free tutoring and materials in preparation for the naturalization exam. With the support of volunteers, workshops enable the 探花精选 to serve a larger number of community members in just one day. At the spring workshop held last month - the largest workshop to date - volunteers from AirBnB worked alongside 探花精选 staff and interns to serve more than sixty clients. Representatives from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services were also on hand to answer questions and walk clients through the naturalization process step-by-step.
Amir Kalabic (center) meets with long-time 探花精选 volunteer John to discuss studying for the naturalization exam.
Photo: Gillian Peckham/探花精选
Workshop participants, several of whom were in the final stage of the application process, were excited to finally achieve the major milestone of becoming a U.S. citizen. Originally from Bosnia, Amir Kalabic said that working with the 探花精选 鈥渇or the naturalization process has been great. If we have issues about anything, we just contact the 探花精选 for direction.鈥 For Kalabic and many other workshop participants, becoming a citizen means greater safety, security, personal freedom, job and education opportunities, and the chance to vote. Kalabic worked as a police officer in Bosnia and plans to apply to become an officer in the King County area once he obtains citizenship.
Mohammed Talib arrived in the U.S. with his family in 2013 and is applying for naturalization alongside his parents and older sister, Adian. He鈥檒l soon graduate from the University of Washington with plans to apply to medical school, which Adian also plans to do. For Talib, becoming a citizen adds another dimension to his identity: 鈥淗aving grown up in Iraq and China and now being here, I don鈥檛 see it as losing my identity or a part of it. I see becoming a U.S. citizen as gaining another part of me that鈥檚 representative of who I am and the experiences I鈥檝e had.鈥
A whole family, originally from Iraq, apply for U.S. citizenship together. Aidan and Mohammed (pictured on the right) plan to soon apply to medical school.
Photo: Gillian Peckham/探花精选
For Bisetsa Ntwari, naturalization represents the first time any government will officially recognized him as a citizen. Former refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ntwari and his wife are both applying for citizenship with the hope that their two young daughters will grow up with more opportunities than they鈥檝e had: 鈥淭his is a country that offers equal opportunities for everyone who lives here. I hope my kids will take advantage of being here to get a good education and good jobs. Their future will be very different from mine.鈥
Bisetsa Ntwari's daughters, pictured here, are top of mind as he applies for U.S. citizenship: "I hope my kids will take advantage of being here to get a good education and good jobs. Their future will be very different from mine.鈥
Photo: Gillian Peckham/探花精选
If you are in need of high-quality, low-cost immigration services, please contact the 探花精选 at 206-623-2105. The 探花精选 can help you bring family members to the U.S., apply for permanent residency (green card) or U.S. citizenship, and more. Interested in supporting the 探花精选鈥檚 immigration program? Join us at an upcoming session or email Seattle@Rescue.org to learn more.