Before First Meeting:

• • Reach out and set up an initial time to just talk

  • Tell them it is easier to practice when you can see each others’ faces. Meeting face-to-face or through Zoom, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, Facetime, WhatsApp, or Google Duo will be very important

Ensure they understand this will always be your mode of communication

First Meeting:

• • Use this time to gauge their English level to help you prepare for your times together

  • Establish the regular time that works best for both of you

  • Recommended time: once a week for 45-60 minutes

  • Ask them about themselves, and tell them some about you

  • Talk about what the four parts of the interview will be, and ask them what they think they most need to practice

Ensure that they have a copy of their N-400 Application; if they don’t, they can reach out to their immigration lawyer.

If they have not filled out the N-400 Application, they can fill it out on the USCIS website (click HERE for more information) OR they can make an appointment with KRM or Catholic Charities and they will help them through the process.

Ask if they have their interview date yet (can be checked on their USCIS portal)

The book, Citizenship, Passing the Test, is a simple and easy resource to use to help prepare the refugee/immigrant for the civics portion of the test. The book has 10 chapters. You could easily teach a chapter a week.

Give them homework to do before your next time together

Depending on the time you and your mentee are wanting to give will determine how quickly you’ll need to study the materials

Assign homework at the end of each time so they know what to study

Recommended flow:

• • Week 2: Study Civics Questions

  • Week 3: Study Civics Questions

  • Week 4: Study Civics Questions

  • Week 5: Study Civics Questions

  • Week 6: Study Civics Questions (if you decide to use the book resource, it will take a few more weeks of studying)

  • Week 7: Review missed Civics Questions, Reading, and begin the N-400 Application

  • Week 8: Practice Writing and continue studying the N-400 Application

  • Week 9: Review entire N-400 Application

  • Week 10: Create a mock-test of the entire interview

The volunteer should have a copy of the refugee's N-400 Application for Naturalization. If not, then they need to connect with the refugee's immigration lawyer or LFS case manager ASAP.

This is the most difficult part of the test

Study all of the questions not “Xed” out (pages 1-16, 20; this PDF is in the "Citizenship Materials" packet)

Ask the blanks as questions

Be creative in how you ask the questions

They will be tested for:

• • Familiarity with their own application

  • Conversational English skills

  • Understanding of terms/ideas

Two possible sets of civics questions:

• • Set of 100 civics questions for those who applied before December 1st, 2020 or after March 1st, 2021

  • Set of 128 civics questions for those who applied on or after December 1st, 2020 through March 1st, 2021

100 Civics Questions: will be asked up to 10; must get 6 right to pass

128 Civics Questions: will be asked up to 20; must get 12 right to pass

RECOMMENDATION: do the 100 civics questions!

The book, Citizenship, Passing the Test, is a simple and easy resource to use to help prepare the refugee/immigrant for the civics portion of the test. The book has 10 chapters. You could easily teach a chapter a week.

Create your own Reading AND Writing sets of flashcards

They will be asked to read up to 3 sentences; they must read 1 correctly to pass

They will be asked to write up to 3 sentences; they must write 1 correctly to pass

N-400 Application: pick 10-12 questions (focus on dates, important info, questions that are difficult for them, etc.)

Civics: randomly pick 10 questions (stop when they get 6 correct)

Reading: pick 3 reading sentences (stop when they get 1 perfect)

Writing: pick 3 writing sentences (stop when they get 1 perfect)

They will receive communication about their interview on their profile on the USCIS website

They will need to bring all their important documentation (i.e. appointment notice, permanent resident card, all passports, driver’s license, marriage license, selective service registration, etc.)

Their interview should last 20-30 minutes

They will be evaluated on all four components on their first try

They will have a second try to pass any components not passed the first time