USCIS opens application period for integration grant program

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has opened the application period for the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, which provides funding for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country. As a result of increased congressional appropriations, USCIS will be able to provide up to $25 million in grants, an increase from $20 million in congressional funding last year.

Through this program, USCIS helps to provide integration services to immigrants on their journeys to becoming American citizens. These competitive grant opportunities are open to organizations that prepare immigrants for naturalization and promote civic integration through increased knowledge of English, U.S. history, and civics.

In addition to the traditional programs that fund citizenship and English acquisition classes, the 2023 grants also include opportunities for creative and innovative approaches to preparing lawful permanent residents for naturalization. By adding additional funding opportunities under the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, USCIS seeks to expand availability of high-quality citizenship and integration services throughout the country.

USCIS is now accepting applications for four funding opportunities under the fiscal year 2023 program.

The four funding opportunities include:

-Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services: This grant opportunity will fund public or nonprofit organizations that offer both citizenship instruction and naturalization application services to LPRs. USCIS expects to award 55 organizations up to $300,000 each for two years through this opportunity. Applications are due by July 28, 2023.

-Community and Regional Integration Network Grant: This grant opportunity will provide extended integration services with a focus on individualized programming to certain immigrants, including those who entered the United States under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, were granted asylum, or were admitted or entered the United States as a Cuban or Haitian entrant, to attain the skills and knowledge required for successful citizenship. The program, formerly called the Refugee and Asylee Integration Services Grant, has expanded eligibility to include organizations that serve the following: individuals who were admitted or entered the United States as Cuban or Haitian entrants; individuals admitted on a Special Immigrant Visa; victims of human trafficking and criminal activity; and abused spouses, children, and parents under the Violence Against Women Act. USCIS expects to award up to three public or nonprofit organizations with experience serving vulnerable populations up to $300,000 each for a period of two years through this opportunity. Applications are due by July 28, 2023.

-Regional Hub Program: This grant opportunity is designed to build community and organizational capacity to identify, support, and prepare LPRs for citizenship. To achieve this goal, recipients will help create or expand citizenship networks and provide technical assistance to individual network members that offer citizenship instruction and naturalization application services. Through a hub and spoke funding model, the Regional Hub grant will more holistically support LPRs on the pathway to citizenship and encourage the integration of LPRs into their receiving communities. USCIS anticipates awarding up to four grants of up to $1 million each for a period of two years through this opportunity. Applications are due by July 28, 2023.

-Innovations in Citizenship Preparation Program: Through this grant opportunity, USCIS will fund public, nonprofit, or for-profit organizations that foster creative approaches to preparing LPRs for naturalization and encouraging the civic, linguistic, and cultural integration of immigrants into their communities. While other USCIS funding opportunities support specific citizenship preparation services, the Innovations program invests in initiatives that develop, test, and share creative solutions for overcoming barriers to naturalization and expanding access to citizenship education and preparation services. USCIS expects to award up to 14 organizations up to $250,000 each for a period of two years through this opportunity. Applications are due by July 28, 2023.

Since 2009, the USCIS Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has awarded $132 million through 579 grants to immigrant-serving organizations. These grant recipients have provided citizenship preparation services to more than 300,000 immigrants in 39 states and the District of Columbia. In Fiscal Year 2023, USCIS received support from Congress through appropriations to make these funding opportunities available to communities and expects to announce award recipients in September 2023.

To apply for these funding opportunities, visit www.grants.gov. USCIS encourages applicants to visit www.grants.gov before the application deadline to obtain registration information needed to complete the application process.

For additional information on the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program for fiscal year 2023, visit uscis.gov/grants or email the USCIS Office of Citizenship at citizenshipgrantprogram@uscis.dhs.gov. (USCIS)