KWQC | Seminar held on how to become a U.S. citizen

MOLINE, Illinois (KWQC) — Dozens of immigrants attended a seminar at World Relief on Saturday to learn how to become a United States citizen.

The informational seminar was held by State Representative Tony McCombie and the New Americans Initiative.

Presenters provided information on how to become a U.S. citizen, eligibility screening, application making and scheduling, as well as the benefits of being a citizen.

Nana Ouro-Agoro, the New Americans Initiative coordinator, was one of the presenters. She said the goal of the session is to help people feel more comfortable with the application process and prepared to obtain the job they want.

“To be able to verse yourself, to be able to vote, to be able to hold certain jobs, which is very important,” said Ouro-Agoro.

Ouro-Agoro said many of the attendees left their families behind and came to the U.S. alone. She said they want to understand the process of becoming a citizen in order to reunite with their families.

“As soon as they get the citizenship, they should be able to bring their parents to the United States and live with them, so that’s why the immigration piece is very important and we try to really work hard on that in order to help immigrants in this community,” said Ouro-Agoro.

After the information session, people who felt ready to apply for the citizenship met with a member of World Relief for assistance. Organizers said anyone who does not feel ready to apply can choose to take citizenship classes to help them feel more prepared.

Read more at Seminar held on how to become a U.S. citizen.