Are you ready to naturalize?

Are you one of the 140,000-plus lawful permanent residents living in Michigan who are eligible to naturalize (apply for citizenship) today? If so, you are in luck.

The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, in collaboration with several community partners, will be offering free naturalization screenings, application preparation, and ESL/civics education throughout Southeast Michigan.

There is no better time than right now to learn about or apply for naturalization and become a citizen. Here are ten reasons to apply today:

(1) As a citizen, you will be eligible to vote in the 2014 election
(2) As a citizen, you will be able to obtain a U.S. passport
(3) As a citizen, you will be eligible for federal jobs or run for elected office
(4) As a citizen, you cannot be deported (except for treason)
(5) As a citizen, You can petition for more family members to join you
(6) As a citizen, your permanent resident children (under 18 years old) can immediately become citizens
(7) In 2014, USCIS will likely be doubling the size (to 20 pages!)  of the application for citizenship
(8) Applying could be free because you might qualify for a fee waiver
(9) You may qualify to do the exam in your native language
(10) You can receive free English-language and civics preparation assistance from respected and reputable community partners

For local information on naturalization assistance, please visit www.michiganimmigrant.org or detroitnac.org. You can also call (734) 998-6100 x459.