Santa Clara Public Library
Home library MenuPathway to Citizenship
Step 1: Determine if you are eligible to apply to become a U.S. citizen.
- At least 18 years old
- Permanent Resident for at least 5 years (3 years if you are married to a U.S. citizen)
- Other eligibility requirements
Step 2: Attend an Information Session.
Resources for citizenship information and education are available at local libraries. The Santa Clara City Library offers ESL classes, practice tests, and classes to help guide residents through the Pathway of Citizenship. There are also several other organizations that offer resources to those applying for naturalization.
Step 3: Prepare the Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) and documents.
Complete Form N-400 to apply for naturalization and provide the required documentation. Download Form N-400 at www.uscis.gov/n-400 or call the USCIS Forms Line at 1-800-870-3676 to request a copy. Collect the required documents listed on the document checklist.
Step 4: Naturalization Interview and Preparing for the Exam.
After submitting the Form N-400 and verification of eligibility, you will receive a notice of receipt and letter for interview. Prepare for the exam with practice tests that are available online, at the Santa Clara City Library, and via naturalization supporting agencies.
Step 5: Oath of Allegiance and Understanding U.S. Citizenship
You are not a U.S. citizen until you take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony. The oath is administered by USCIS at an administrative ceremony or by a judge in a judicial ceremony. Now as a U.S. citizen, you will be showing your commitment to the United States and your loyalty to its Constitution. As a result, you are rewarded with all the rights and privileges that are part of U.S. citizenship.
During your naturalization interview, a USCIS Officer will ask you questions about your application and background. There will also be a English and Civics test, unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver.
To see if you qualify for an exemption or waiver, please visit the USCIS website.
The English test has three components:
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
There are many different resources available to help you prepare for the English test.
Check out Library preparation materials for FREE!
The Santa Clara City Libraries have a wide variety of library materials and databases that can help you prepare for the exam. To access this preparation materials, you will need to have a FREE City of Santa Clara Library Card. To apply for the library card, please visit your local City of Santa Clara Library, fill out the application, and present your government issued identification (drivers license, passport, or green card.)
ESL Conversation & Book Club
Enhance your English Conversation skills in a friendly and comfortable environment. This program is currently unavailable but will be offered soon!
The ESL Book Club is a fun opportunity to practice your English reading, speaking, and listening skills. Join in to discuss award-winning and classic American/English books and meet new people.
English Learning Tools
The Santa Clara City Library can help you! Go to the “Learn English” section of the Languages Pavilion on the second floor of the Central Park Library to find many books, CDs and DVDs that can help you speak, read and write English better.
Mango Languages
Under English Courses on this website, there are 100 free lessons on how to speak English for those who speak Arabic, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.
You can access this resource for FREE at any City of Santa Clara Library or from your home. You need to have a Santa Clara City Library card.
USA Learns is the premier, free website for adults to learn English and study for U.S. citizenship.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Visit USCIS for Educational Products and Study Materials straight from the source. USCIS has preparation materials for both the student and the teacher.
The Civics Test covers U.S. History and Government topics. You can find many different free test and study tools.
Available at the Santa Clara Central Park Library:
Civics and Citizenship Toolkits are available at the Customer Service Desk for check out.
Free Citizenship Test in several different languages at the Citizenship Corner.
Study Guides available FREE to check-out.
Below is a list of community-based organizations dedicated to providing legal assistance, immigration assistance, citizenship assistance, social services, and community education to residents, immigrants, refugees, and citizens. While some concentrate on a certain demographic, the services are open to all.
Governmental Resources
County of Santa Clara Office of Immigrant Relations
2310 North First Street, Suite 100
San Jose, CA 95131
(408) 792-2300
The County of Santa Clara Office of Immigrant Relations promotes events and projects to help Santa Clara County’s immigrants access services and resources, obtain the necessary education and training, and qualify for employment, integration and civic participation. The programs include immigration and citizenship, advocacy, promotion of diversity and cultural understanding and community forums.
Santa Clara County Library - Universal Class
The Library’s Universal Class serves as a guide to achieving citizenship. The course is divided into seven lessons: What Becoming a Citizen Means, The Process of Applying for Citizenship, How to Prepare for the Test, Practice on Reading and Writing English, Civics Test Review, History Test Review, and Geography Test Review. Learn more about the course. A Santa Clara County Library card is needed to access this resource. To apply for a library card, please visit the Library's webpage.
Are you having trouble along your naturalization process? Contact your local Congressman for help.
If you live in Santa Clara, contact Representative Ro Khanna through the "Help with a Federal Agency" online form.
If you live outside of Santa Clara, Find my Congressional Representative.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) - San Jose Office
1450 Coleman Avenue
Santa Clara, California 95050
City of Santa Clara Resources
Santa Clara City Library - Adult Learning Center
The Santa Clara Library offers great resources to help prepare you for the Citizenship Test as well as improve your math, writing, reading, speaking, and grammar skills. To access the resource for free at the library or from your home, please use your Santa Clara City Library card. To apply for a library card, please visit the Library's webpage.
Santa Clara City Library - Mango Languages
If you are interested in improving your English skills, please visit Mango Languages. The Library offers 100 free lessons on how to speak English for those who speak Arabic, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese. The lessons can be found under the English Courses tab. To access the resource for free at the library or from your home, please use your Santa Clara City Library card. To apply for a library card, please visit the Library's webpage.
Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) - Adult Educational Programs
The mission of Santa Clara Adult Education is to “empower adults of all ages and abilities to succeed in an ever-changing world.” It offers a variety of helpful programs, such as Adult High School Diploma, Enrichment classes, GED and Basic Skills Program, and On-line training. In addition to these great programs, the SCUSD also offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, which is available from pre-beginning through advanced levels and includes accent improvement, citizenship, conversation, and grammar. For more information, please call (408) 423-3514.
Community-Based Immigration Services
Asian Americans Community Involvement Center (AACI)
2400 Moorpark Avenue
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 975-2730
AACI’s team of multicultural and multilingual professionals provides an array of services and programs in health, recovery, advocacy, shelter and community.
Asian Law Alliance
991 West Hedding Street, Suite 202
San Jose, CA 95126
(408) 287-9710
The Asian Law Alliance provides individual legal assistance, community legal education, and community advocacy for the Asian Pacific American population of Santa Clara County. Citizenship services are also offered in Vietnamese, Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, Cantonese and Korean.
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County – Immigration Legal Service
2625 Zanker Road, Suite 200
San Jose, CA 95134
(408) 468-0100
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County provides citizenship services in English and Spanish, including assessment of eligibility, application assistance, interview preparation, and referrals to English and citizenship classes at offices in San Jose and Gilroy. It also offers resettlement and retraining services for refugees and asylees, including computer and ESL classes, along with many other free social programs for children, adults and seniors.
Center for Employment Training (CET) – Immigration Services
701 Vine Street
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 534-5360
CET provides services in over 20 different languages and offers immigration, citizenship, and ESL assistance, along with information on citizenship/immigration and risks of applying when one is not eligible. The clients are educated on the process to becoming a U.S. citizen and the curriculum is designed to help participants achieve self-sufficiency, become civic participants, and integrate into the United States.
Ethiopian Community Services
1295 Johnson Avenue
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 297-7638
Ethiopian Community Services provides community services to all Ethiopian refugees, immigrants and citizens within the Santa Clara County.
Family Alliance for Counseling Tools and Resolution (FACTR)
480 North First Street, Suite 226
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 564-5863
FACTR provides counseling, psycho-educational services, and cultural awareness programs for immigrant families and their children, including State Laws pertaining to child protection, domestic violence, education, immigration and other areas.
Indian Community Centre
525 Los Coches Street
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 934-1130
Through its support and referral system, ICC provides information on organizations (both Indian and mainstream) that offer expert services and information in the area of counseling and support. The organization welcomes all without regard to racial, ethnic, regional, religious, political or socio-economic background.
International Rescue Committee
1210 South Bascom Avenue, Suite 227
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 277- 0255
The International Rescue Committee provides refugee resettlement services, information and referral, assistance with family reunification, and various immigration and citizenship assistance. Services are provided in English, Spanish, Tigrinya, Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Cambodian, Hindi, Marathi, Farsi, and Vietnamese.
Japanese-American Citizens League (JACL)
Issei Memorial Building
565 North Fifth Street
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 295-1250
JACL not only secures and maintains the civil right of Japanese Americans and any other group of individuals who may have experience injustice and prejudice, but it also offers educational, civil rights, cultural, community building and social programs.
Korean American Community Services - Silicon Valley
1099 North 4th Street
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 920-9743
KACS provides social, educational, and cultural services for the Korean American community in Santa Clara County and the wider Silicon Valley area. It also assists the elderly, low-income individuals and families, recent immigrants and the youth.
Legal Aid Society of Santa Clara County (LAS)
480 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95103
(408) 998-5200
LAS offers consultation and assistance in immigration related matters, like family reunification, adjustment of status, work permits, political asylum, citizenship and tourist visas. It also provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals who are unable to obtain an access to the judicial system through other avenues.
Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA)
660 Sinclair Drive
San Jose, CA 95116
(408) 326-0200
MACSA provides counseling, educational programs, programs for seniors, prevention and intervention and health and safety.
Portuguese Organization for Social Services and Opportunities (POSSO)
1115 East Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA 95116
(408) 293-0877
POSSO provides information and referral, ESL/citizenship classes and brown bag groceries to low-income individuals and families each week. Moreover, it offers programs regarding immigration and naturalization, legal services, case management and voter registration.
Sacred Heart Community Service
1381 South First Street
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 278-2160
Sacred Heart Community Service provides a broad range of social programs, including assistance with food, housing, utilities, and advocacy. Additionally, citizenship services are also offered in English and Spanish.
Services Immigration Rights and Education Network (SIREN)
1425 Koll Circle, Suite 109
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 453-3003
SIREN provides free and sliding scale citizenship, legalization and advocacy services to the immigrant community in Santa Clara County.
Step Forward Foundation
16264 Church Street #103
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408) 915-8698
Our services include legal counseling on eligibility for immigration benefits, as well as full scope representation for social justice and family based petitions.
United Farm Workers Foundation
437 East Alisal Street
Salinas, CA 93905
(831) 758-2611
To open the doors of opportunity to working people and their communities.
YWCA Silicon Valley
298 S. Sunnyvale Ave. Suite 105
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 749-0793
YWCA Silicon Valley is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Beware of citizenship scams! While many individuals may provide you with immigration services, not all are authorized by the USCIS to do so. The USCIS provides information on how to protect yourself, a list of common immigration services scams, state-by-state information on where you can report an immigration services scam, advice on finding authorized legal help, and information on becoming an authorized legal immigration service provider.
For more detailed information, please visit USCIS.
Avoid the Scams:
Need help finding authorized legal help to answer your questions?
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) has the following lists available:
- Recognized Organizations List (PDF)
- Accredited Representatives List (PDF)
- Organizations and Representatives, Listed by State
Common Scams:
"Notarios Publicos"
Spanish for "Notary Public." A notario public is not authorized to provide you with any legal services related to immigration. Only an attorney or an accredited representative working for the Department of Justice (DOJ)-recognized organization can give you legal advice.
Payments by Phone or Email
USCIS will never ask you to transfer money to an individual. We do not accept Western Union or Paypal as payment for immigration fees. In addition, we will never ask you to pay fees to a person on the phone or by email. You can pay some immigration fees online only if you use myUSCIS.
Winning the Visa Lottery
The U.S. Department of State (State Department) manages the Diversity Visa Program, also known as the Lottery Visa or Green Card Visa. The State Department will never email you about being selected in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
Scam Websites
Some websites claim to be affiliated with USCIS and offer step-by-step guidance on completing a USCIS application or petition. Make sure your information is from uscis.gov or is affiliated with uscis.gov. Make sure the website address ends with .gov. Please remember that we will never ask you to pay to download USCIS forms. The forms are free on the USCIS.gov website.
Job Offers
Beware of companies offering a job from overseas or by email. If you receive a suspicious job offer by email before you leave your country to come to the U.S., it may be a scam, especially if you are asked to pay money to receive a job offer.
Scam Targeting Students
If you are an international student outside of the U.S. and want to come to the U.S. for education, make sure you are applying to an accredited college or university. Look for your school on the Council for Higher Education web page.
Help fight Immigration Scams:
USCIS wants your help fighting back with immigration scams. Use the tools available to empower yourself and help others.
You received a suspicious email, what do you do?
Forward the email to the USCIS: USCIS.Webmaster@uscis.dhs.gov
Did you witness an immigration scam?
Let the Federal Trade Commission know by reporting two ways:
1.) Call 877-FTC-HELP
Congratulations on becoming a U.S. Citizen!
Now that you are a U.S. Citizen, it is the time to take advantage of your rights and responsibilities.
Apply for a U.S. Passport
You can apply for a U.S. passport for yourself or your children under the age of 18 whom have automatically been granted citizenship based on your status. You will need an original and a photocopy of the Form N-550 and Certificate of Naturalization.
Update your Social Security Record
Be prepared to show the Social Security Office your Certificate of Naturalization or your U.S. passport. It is important that your Social Security record is accurate when obtaining a job, collecting Social Security benefits, and receive other government services.
Register to Vote
As a new U.S. citizen, you may register to vote. You can do so by applying in person, by mail, at a public assistance office, or while renewing your driver’s license. Santa Clara County Residents may register at Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. California residents may register at California Secretary of State.
Obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for your children
Children must be lawful permanent residents under the age of 18. It should be noted that they may have automatically been granted citizenship on the day you naturalized.
Sponsor your family members to come to the United States
As a citizen of the United States, you may petition for certain relatives to become lawful permanent residents by obtaining what is often referred to as a “Green Card.” You will need to be able to prove that you have the resources necessary to support your relative(s) in the United States.
You can become a member of a City Board or Commission
Serving on a Board or Commission is an excellent way to give back to the community. Members have the opportunity to serve their fellow citizens and provide guidance and recommendations on specific issues for Council consideration.
For more detailed information, please visit USCIS.