Immigrant Affairs

Apply for U.S. Citizenship! Fall 2024 Information session & Citizenship Clinic Dates

Please plan to attend an information session before going to the Citizenship Clinic. If you have any questions or need any accommodations, please contact Rocío Villalobos via email at rocio.villalobos@austintexas.gov or phone (512-974-7972).

Looking for documents to download for the Citizenship Clinic? 👇🏽

👉🏾 Download flyers for the Fall 2024 Citizenship Clinic in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Burmese here

👉🏾 View and download the N400 Personal Information Worksheet/Hoja de Información Personal here

👉🏾 View and download a list of What to Bring to the Citizenship Clinic/Lo Que Necesita Traer Al Taller here 

Apply for U.S. Citizenship!	¡Solicite la CiudadanÍa Estadounidense!

NỘP ĐƠN XIN NHẬP QUỐC TỊCH HOA KỲ!	အမေရိကန်နိုင်ငံသားခံယူခွင့်ကို လျှောက်ထားပါ။

Information Session 1: 

• When: Monday, September 16th, 2024
• Time: 6pm-6:30pm
• Where:  Ruiz Branch Library, 1600 Grove Blvd, Austin, TX 78741

Information Session 2: 

• When: Thursday, September 26th, 2024 
• Time: 6pm to 6:30pm
• Where: Windsor Park Branch Library, 5833 Westminster Dr, Austin, TX 78723

Information Session 3: 

• When: Saturday, October 5th, 2024
• Time: 11am to 11:30am
• Where: Little Walnut Creek Branch Library, 835 Rundberg Ln, Austin, TX 78758

Information Session 4:

• When: Thursday, October 17th, 2024 
• Time: 6pm to 6:30pm
• Where: Southeast Branch Library, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd, Austin, TX 78744

Citizenship Clinic for Fall 2024: 

• When: Saturday, November 2nd, 2024
• Time: 9am-2pm
• Where: Plumbers & Pipefitters: Local Union 286, located at 814 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78702

In the Fall of 2023, there were 3 information sessions held at libraries throughout Austin. These information sessions were well attended, with 20+ participants at each session. Attendees received information on the citizenship process. Two sessions had Spanish and Vietnamese interpretation, and one session was held in Spanish with English interpretation.

Our Citizenship Clinic in October 2023 had 60+ participants! These participants received one-on-one assistance to complete their N-400 application for naturalization, got resources from the resource fair and many organizations that were there, and participants also had a chance to practice their citizenship interview with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)! 

Looking for English (ESL) classes to help you with your citizenship interview? The Austin Public Library offers ESL classes at several library locations. Check the schedule for English classes here. 

Get help with your Civics Exam! The Austin Public Library and the City of Austin's Equity Office have partnered with the LBJ Presidential Library and the Citizenship Project from the New York Historical Society to provide Citizenship Classes. These classes will help participants gain a foundation for the 100 civics questions that are on the citizenship exam. The Citizenship Classes will help participants prepare for their citizenship interview by practicing reading, recognizing vocabulary, and writing. 

Learn more and sign up or visit The Citizenship Project Registration form here. Fall classes start on September 7th! 

Citizenship Classes	Clases de Ciudadania

Know Your Rights When Interacting with the Police

You always have rights when interacting with the police. The videos and information presented here are intended to educate the community, not provide legal advice. 

To see educational videos on interacting with the police, visit the Office of Police Oversight's website Know Your Rights When Interacting with the Police. 

You Have the Right To Remain Silent

If you are stopped by police, you may be asked to identify yourself. You should give your name, date of birth, and address, but you DO NOT need to answer any additional questions.

To exercise your right to remain silent at any time, you may say: "I wish to remain silent and not answer further questions."

You Do Not Have To Consent to a Search of Your Car

To search your vehicle without probable cause, a police officer must have your consent. You may say: "I do not consent to this search."

Do not attempt to stop an officer from completing their search.

You Have the Right To Leave if You Are Not Being Arrested or Detained

You may say, "Am I free to go?" If you are not being detained, you are free to leave.

Know Your Rights Events

As future events get scheduled, they will be posted here and on the Equity Office's Facebook page. For updates on community events such as upcoming Know Your Rights events, sign up here for our EAT (Equity Action Team) newsletter and for the Immigrant Affairs newsletter. 

You can find more resources for our immigrant communities at https://linktr.ee/atximmigration

Austin is currently being considered for the title and recognition of being Certified Welcoming!

Read the January 5, 2024 memo on Making Austin a Certified Welcoming City. Certified Welcoming is a formal designation for local governments that have created policies and programs reflecting their values and commitment to immigrant inclusion

What is a Certified Welcoming City?  

Certified Welcoming is a formal designation for cities and counties that have created policies and programs reflecting their values and commitment to immigrant inclusion. This innovative program assesses city and county governments on their efforts to include and welcome immigrants in all areas of civic, social, and economic life in their communities.

With a Certified Welcoming designation, communities distinguish their local efforts, build a competitive advantage, and gain access to opportunities to share their welcoming practices on a regional, national, and global stage.

Visit the Certified Welcoming website to learn more!

Please check back for more information! 

This website and information are being developed per Resolution Number 20231214-100, which requested "a policy to assist employees in seeking employment reauthorization or help with adjusting their immigration status, providing resources for employees to naturalize, providing legal support or other resources, and connecting employees with community resources to assist in navigating the US immigration system."

The City of Austin's DACA Liaison Officer is Rocio Villalobos. You can reach Rocio with questions at 512-974-7972 or by email at rocio.villalobos@austintexas.gov

You may also reach out to your HR representative for your department.