Citizenship Program

Citizenship Classes

Gaining citizenship allows refugees and immigrants to achieve permanence and safety in the United States. With citizenship they can participate in our democracy by voting or even seeking political office.

 

Our free citizenship classes teach students English language skills and knowledge of U.S. history and civics needed to pass the citizenship exam. Classes are offered each week at different locations. We offer assistance with the N-400 Application for Citizenship, the Disability Waiver, Request for reduced fee and the Naturalization Application Fee Waiver.

Oregon Citizenship Classes

Citizenship classes for the Spring Term will be held April 8 through June 30. Please visit our class website and fill out the new student form. Please contact Annie at 503-731-9585 or aruonavaarakaras@lcsnw.org if you have any questions.

Our free Citizenship ESL classes are offered quarterly in the Portland Metro area. We can help prepare you for the exam and file your N-400 application too! To enroll in our classes, please bring your Green Card to the first day of class. Open enrollment during the first three weeks of class. For more information, please contact us at 503-731-9585.

New Student Form

Visit our class page

Spring Term begins in early April 2023. All classes are ONLINE unless indicated otherwise:

Saturday Class (begins April 8)
10:00am-12:00pm

Tuesday Class (begins April 11)
6:00-8:00pm

Wednesday Class (begins April 12)
6:00pm-8:00pm IN-PERSON ONLY (Southeast Portland site)

Thursday Morning Class (begins April 13)
9:30am-11:30am

Thursday Evening Class (begins April 13)
6:00pm-8:00pm IN-PERSON ONLY (At Jubilee Hall E Burnside and 122nd)

Friday Class (begins April 14)
10:00am-12:00pm

Washington Citizenship Classes

Our Vancouver Free Citizenship Classes are offered on a rolling basis at:

To enroll in Vancouver Area Citizenship Classes, contact Alla Brandt at abrandt@lcsnw.org or (360) 787-4727

For more information, contact us at (360) 694-5624

Citizenship Information

To become a citizen, a person must have resided in the United States as a legal permanent resident for at least 5 years or 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen, have good moral character, and meet the physical presence requirements. The Naturalization process has 2 major components:

 

  • The N-400 application
  • The Naturalization Exam and Interview: N-400 questions interview, knowledge of 100 civics questions, and the English reading and writing test.
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Citizenship candidates must complete and submit the N-400 application, answer all of the oral interview questions, pass the civics and history exam, and write one sentence and read one sentence in English. The Citizenship Exam and Interview  is conducted in English unless the applicant meets an age requirement or can prove that they have a disability that hinders their ability to take the exam in English. If you have lived in the U.S. for 20 years and are 50 years old, or have lived in the U.S. for 15 years and are 55 years old, you are eligible to take the exam in your native language.

Resources and Other Links

Need more information?

Contact an office offering this program