Friday, July 31, 2020

USCIS Announces Fee Increase!



The new fee structure, unveiled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is expected to take effect October 2. The cost of online naturalization applications is increasing from $640 to $1,160. There will also be a $50 fee for asylum-seekers.  


Thursday, July 30, 2020

What Does It Mean to Vote by Mail?

 
 
VOANews:

Many U.S. states expect high demand for mail-in absentee ballots in 2020 because voters are concerned about the risk of COVID transmission at crowded polling stations. 

Election officials have security protocols to make sure the ballots are authentic, including special envelopes and signature checks.   

Five U.S. states vote entirely by mail.  

Nearly two-thirds allow citizens to request an absentee ballot for any reason.  

Others require an excuse: active military duty, disability, travel.  

Some worry voting by mail is subject to fraud and error.  

Republicans have traditionally opposed all-mail elections, while Democrats have backed them. 

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 11

    

uscitizenpod:

Summer Citizenship Zoom Class is Tue and Thu 7:00-8:00 pm PDT
Join Zoom Meeting
ID: 597 738 4168
Password: 226317

Direct Link to the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 

Screenshots from the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class:

Civics
Integration

'Good Trouble' Chronicles Civil Right Icon John Lewis' Life



VOANews: 'Good Trouble' Chronicles Civil Right Icon John Lewis' Life

Georgia Democratic congressman, who died July 17th, made history fighting for desegregation and the right to vote

POP QUIZ:


51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?*

55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

23. Name your U.S. Representative.

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 10



uscitizenpod: Citizenship Interview 15--Angelica Mendoza

Summer Citizenship Zoom Class is Tue and Thu 7:00-8:00 pm PDT
Join Zoom Meeting
ID: 597 738 4168
Password: 226317

Direct Link to the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 

Screenshots from the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class:
https://bit.ly/cit-zoom-photos

N-400
Civics
Integration
  • Citizenship Interview Quiz with Angelica Mendoza pdf mp3 video

Monday, July 27, 2020

What's happening with the USCIS Openings? Week 7



Dr. Patricia Hernandez and Jennifer Gagliardi discuss 20 basic USCIS N-400 Part 12 vocabulary terms. Includes a quiz, an exploration of the new USCIS.gov website, new about the Furlough, and so much more!

What's happening with the USCIS Openings? Week 7

Video with audio (1 hour!)
https://bit.ly/uscis-week-7
Video with slides only, no audio (9 min) (Posted 7/26/2020)
https://bit.ly/uscis-week-07-no

2020-07-25 Agenda

1. N-400 Part 12 Picture Vocabulary and Definition Quiz
a. Overview of the Revised N-400 Part 12 bit.ly/n400-p12-interview-intro
b. Intro to the N-400 Part 12 Quiz Picture Vocabulary https://bit.ly/n400-p12-quiz-pix
c. Intro to the N-400 Part 12 Quiz https://bit.ly/n400-p12-quiz-intro

2. USCIS website update
a. https://www.uscis.gov/
b. uscitizenpod video about update: https://bit.ly/new-uscis-gov

3. TEACHER ALERT: USCIS Citizenship Resource Center
a. https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship
b. USCIS Lesson plans have moved! https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/resources-for-educational-programs/educational-products-for-educators-and-program-administrators
c. Teachers: update your links to USCIS lesson plans!

4. USCIS ASC Re-openings and Furlough
a. ASC re-openings: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings
b. 7/23 USCIS Furlough Update from Rep. Peter Welch https://bit.ly/rep-welch-uscis
c. 7/24 Senator Leahy announce that USCIS is postponing USCIS furloughs of 13,00 civil servants
d. Call Congress & the White House to fully fund USCIS!

Saturday, July 25, 2020

US Election Will Likely See Boost in Mail Voting



VOANews: US Election Will Likely See Boost in Mail Voting

While convenient for many, what are the safeguards and risks with voting by mail?

POP QUIZ

USCIS 100:27. In what month do we vote for President?*

USCIS 100:48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

USCIS 100:49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?*

USCIS 100:50. Name one right only for United States citizens.

USCIS 100:54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?*

USCIS 100:55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

Friday, July 24, 2020

USCIS Furlough Update from Rep. Peter Welch

GOOD NEWS!  
The de facto head of USCIS, Joseph Edlow, told Senator Leahy that mass furloughs at the agency—which oversees the nation's legal immigration system—will be postponed from August 3 to August 31.



Northwest Access TV: USCIS Furlough Update from Rep. Peter Welch

Peter Welch speaks at Houghton Park in St. Albans to give an update on the impending furlough of USCIS employees. Recorded on July 22, 2020.

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 9



VOANews: Reenactments Mark 150th Anniversary of US Civil War’s End

Summer Citizenship Zoom Class is Tue and Thu 7:00-8:00 pm PDT
Join Zoom Meeting
ID: 597 738 4168
Password: 226317


Direct Link to the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 

Screenshots from the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class:
https://bit.ly/cit-zoom-photos 

N-400
Civics
    Integration
    • Citizenship Interview Quiz: América Griselda Ayes (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) pdf

    Wednesday, July 22, 2020

    Oral Reading Fluency 28: "Your Vote and Mine" - Build Vocabulary & Fluency



    Jennifer ESL: Oral Reading Fluency 28: "Your Vote and Mine" - Build Vocabulary and Fluency

    Oral Reading Fluency in English with Jennifer playlist
    Develop your fluency by reading aloud. Regular practice will help build your confidence in English. The readings become faster and more challenging.

    Tuesday, July 21, 2020

    Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 8



    VOANews: African Americans Reflect on US Civil War


    Summer Citizenship Zoom Class is Tue and Thu 7:00-8:00 pm PDT
    Join Zoom Meeting
    ID: 597 738 4168
    Password: 226317


    Direct Link to the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 

    Screenshots from the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class:
    https://bit.ly/cit-zoom-photos 

    N-400
    Civics
      Integration

      Monday, July 20, 2020

      What's happening with the USCIS Openings? Week 6



      uscitizenpod: What's happening with the USCIS Openings? Week 6

      • Practice Interview
        • Don’t just say NO!
        • 7 simple definitions  for some new Vocabulary
      • New Citizenship Resource: Voices of Freedom ebook
      • USCIS San Jose Webinar (and more info about USCIS outreach)
      • More info about immigration scams
      • Migration Policy Institute Webinar 
      • Good News!  DACA and ICE Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) announcement


      What's happening with the USCIS Openings? Week 6

      Video with audio (40 min +)
      https://bit.ly/uscis-week-06

      Video with slides only, no audio (4 min)
      https://bit.ly/uscis-week-06-no

      Podcast 
      https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/uscitizenpod/2020-07-18.mp3

      Seven Part 12 simple definitions
      https://bit.ly/uscis-week-06-x

      Watch video: 
      https://bit.ly/uscis-week-04 

      worksheet:  
      https://bit.ly/ez-n400-part12

      N-400 Part 12 playlist (16 videos) 
      https://bit.ly/n400-part12 

      Voices of Freedom Digital Book and Audio 
      http://buymylab.com/accesscode/?page_id=1806 

      Upcoming Local Engagements
      https://www.uscis.gov/outreach/upcoming-local-engagements 

      Good Info about Scams: FTC.gov Fotonovelos

      ftc.gov: Notario scams (English)
      https://bit.ly/ftc-notario-scams

      ftc.gov: Estafas de Notario (Spanish)
      https://bit.ly/ftc-notario-estafa 

      More Info: uscitizenpod’s US scams playlist 
      https://bit.ly/USscams

      07/16 Migration Policy Institute Webinar

      A Rockier Road to U.S. Citizenship? Findings of a Survey on Changing Naturalization Procedures
      https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/changing-uscis-naturalization-procedures

      A Bumpy Path to U.S. Citizenship: A Survey of Changing USCIS Practices (video)
      https://www.migrationpolicy.org/events/bumpy-path-us-citizenship-survey-changing-uscis-practices 

      Thursday, July 16, 2020

      Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 7



      Summer Citizenship Zoom Class is Tue and Thu 7:00-8:00 pm PDT
      Join Zoom Meeting
      ID: 597 738 4168
      Password: 226317

      Direct Link to the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 

      Screenshots from the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class:
      https://bit.ly/cit-zoom-photos 

      N-400
      Civics
        Integration
        • Antonio Vazquez Gonzalez (Guadalajara, Mexico) (pdf

        Wednesday, July 15, 2020

        US Withdraws Planned Visa Restriction for International Students

        GOOD NEWS FOR F1 VISA STUDENTS IN THE US!



        VOA Leaning English: US Withdraws Planned Visa Restriction for International Students

        The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has withdrawn planned visa restrictions for international students. The restrictions would have forced international students to leave the country if their schools held classes online because of the coronavirus crisis.

        The surprise announcement came during a federal court hearing on Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts. Both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had filed the legal action seeking to overturn the rule. (read more)

        Words in This Story

        status quo - n. the way things are now

        exemption - n. freedom from being required to do something

        transfer - v. to move from one school to another

        fall - n. the season between summer and winter

        Tuesday, July 14, 2020

        Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 6



        TED-ED: A 3-minute guide to the Bill of Rights - Belinda Stutzman

        Summer Citizenship Zoom Class is Tue and Thu 7:00-8:00 pm PDT
        Join Zoom Meeting
        ID: 597 738 4168
        Password: 226317

        Direct Link to the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 

        Screenshots from the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class:
        https://bit.ly/cit-zoom-photos 

        N-400
        Civics
        Integration
        • A Quick Review of the Bill of Rights and the N-400 Part 12 plus Civics Questions mp3 and pdf and video (2017)

        Monday, July 13, 2020

        New Rules: Foreign Students Must Leave US if Classes Go Online



        VOA Learning English: New Rules: Foreign Students Must Leave US if Classes Go Online

        International students will be forced to leave the United States or change colleges if their school plans to offer online-only classes later this year.

        The requirement is part of new guidance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The federal agency announced the measures on Monday. They provide additional pressure for universities to reopen as concern grows about the spread of COVID-19 among young adults. read more /  listen /  quiz

        Words in This Story

        fall
        - n. the season between summer and winter : the season when leaves fall from trees

        pandemic - n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

        depart - v. to leave a place especially to start a journey

        transfer - v. to move (someone or something) from one place to another​

        horrifying - v. to cause (someone) to feel horror or shock : to greatly upset and shock (someone)

        outbreak
        - n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease

        campus - n. ​the area and buildings around a university, college, school, etc.​

        tuition - n. ​money that is paid to a school for the right to study there​

        cruelty - n. ​a desire to cause others to suffer : the quality or state of being cruel​

        know no bounds - expression. ​to have no limits


        Saturday, July 11, 2020

        What's happening with the USCIS Openings? Week 5



        uscitizenpod: What's happening with the USCIS Openings? Week 5



        07/11/2020 Agenda:

        1. Quick Comments and Request
        2. Practice Interview
        3. New Citizenship Resources--(Sorry, we skipped it. See below)
        4. 2020 Calendar—before and after COVID-19
        5. USCIS Webinar Seattle plus Migration Policy Institute Webinar
        6. Immigration news headlines
        7. ICE Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) announcement and our response

        New Citizenship Resources

        Voices of Freedom Digital Book and Audio
        http://buymylab.com/accesscode/?page_id=1806

        05/06/2020 COABE webinar: Resources for Online Citizenship Classes
        google slides: https://bit.ly/2020-coabe-cit (UPDATED)

        07/06/2020 COABE: Hit the Deck Running: 2020 Census, Civics, and Citizenship
        google slides: https://bit.ly/2020-coabe-3cs

        News You Can Use

        PBS: The American Experience: The Vote
        video/website: https://bit.ly/wom-vote

        VOANews: New US Citizens Sworn In at Los Angeles Drive Through
        video: https://bit.ly/oath-drivethru

        NPR: How The Pandemic Will Affect This Year's Election
        video: https://bit.ly/pan-vote

        NPR: The Long, Perilous Route Thousands Of Indians Have Risked For A Shot At Life In U.S.
        read/listen: https://bit.ly/indian-migrants

        NYTimes: How ICE Helped Spread the Coronavirus | Coronavirus News
        video: https://bit.ly/ICE-covid

        NPR: Foreign Journalists Working For U.S. Government Broadcasters (VOANews) May Lose Visas
        Read/listen: https://bit.ly/voa-jvisas

        VOA Learning English: Who Is Affected by the US Visa Ban?
        read/listen: https://bit.ly/visas-ban-2020

        VOA Learning English: New Rules: Foreign Students Must Leave US if Classes Go Online
        read/listen: https://bit.ly/online-go-home

        Friday, July 10, 2020

        US Supreme Court Deems Half of Oklahoma a Native American Reservation



        VOANews: US Supreme Court Deems Half of Oklahoma a Native American Reservation

        Decision overturns a tribe member's rape conviction because the location where the crime was committed should have been considered outside the reach of state criminal law

        POP QUIZ:

        USCIS 100:37. What does the judicial branch do?

        USCIS 100:38. What is the highest court in the United States?

        USCIS 100:39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

        USCIS 100:40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

        USCIS 100:41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?

        USCIS 100:42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states? 

        USCIS 100:59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

        USCIS 100:87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.

        Also see: 

        A Citizenship Quiz in Honor of Native American Heritage Month Focus: Recent Native American History and Legislation pdf

        Citizenship Resources for Native American Heritage Month post



        Thursday, July 9, 2020

        Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 5



        uscitizenpod: Bill of Rights (google slides)


        Summer Citizenship Zoom Class is Tue and Thu 7:00-8:00 pm PDT
        Join Zoom Meeting
        ID: 597 738 4168
        Password: 226317

        Direct Link to the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 

        Screenshots from the Summer Citizenship Zoom Class:
        https://bit.ly/cit-zoom-photos 

        N-400
        Civics
        Integration
        • A Quick Review of the Bill of Rights and the N-400 Part 12 plus Civics Questions mp3 and pdf and video (2017)
        Extra Credit
        • ListenAndReadAlong is an AWESOME resource that produces videos that highlights words as they are heard from VOA news reports and features.

          VOA Learning English: What Does the Bill of Rights Say?
          What Do the Amendments in the Bill of Rights Say?
          I
          V
          X

          Wednesday, July 8, 2020

          Laid Off Diversity Visa Holders Struggle During Pandemic



          VOANews: Laid Off Diversity Visa Holders Struggle During Pandemic

          Under The Diversity Visa program tens of thousands of potential immigrants literally rely on the luck of the draw to get the opportunity to legally live and work in the US

          Tuesday, July 7, 2020

          Summer Citizenship Zoom Class 4



          VOA Learning English: The Making of the Constitution


          N-400

          Civics

          Integration
          • A Quick Interview for US Constitution and Citizenship Day (2011) pdf

          Extra Credit