Ms. Susana Preyera of MOIA speaks about citizenship at India Home’s Desi Senior Center in Jamaica, Queens
Susanna Pereyra of Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) visited India Home’s Desi Senior Center on Thursday, February 4, to talk about how citizenship rules were different for older immigrants.
Some Exceptions
Those who are 50 years old or above at the time of filing for naturalization and have held a green card for 20 years are exempt from the English language requirement, for instance. However, these applicants are still required to take the Civics test. There are separate rules for those who are older than 55 years. Elders may be eligible to take the test in their native language. In addition, there are also exceptions to the Civics Test and the continuous residence requirement, among others. For more information, see the USCIS Policy Manual Citizenship and Naturalization Guidance.
Ms. Pereyra spoke through an interpreter who translated into Bangla for the benefit of our seniors. The team also distributed flyers with more information.
The Office of the Comptroller also released an updated version of the Immigrant Rights and Services Manual in Bangla, which will be distributed at our center through the month of February. Please click here to download it in English. Please click here to download it in Bangla.