The New Americans Corners are an initiative in partnership with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Queens Public Library’s 65 locations and its 7 Adult Learning Centers have created dedicated spaces where immigrants can find information and resources to become U.S. citizens.

New Americans Corners Resources

Need to know how to become a U.S. citizen? Every location at Queens Public Library has a New Americans Corner filled with materials and resources to get you started. These include:

  • Have You Considered U.S. Citizenship? (in English, Spanish, and Chinese)
  • Citizenship Resource Center (in English, Spanish, and Chinese)
  • The Naturalization Test
  • 10 Steps to Naturalization
  • The Wrong Help Can Hurt: How to Help Someone Applying for an Immigration Benefit
  • Thinking About Applying for Naturalization? (in English and Spanish)
  • Flyers for Citizenship Preparation and Citizenship Application Programs

Online Resources

Citizenship

  • Diversity Visa Lottery: The State Department offers annually 50,000 permanent resident visas, drawn randomly from applicants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. This website provides information on the program, deadlines, and how to apply.
  • Form N-400, Application for Naturalization: to apply for naturalization, you will need to file this form. You can print it or file online.
  • Citizenship Now! Naturalization Guide: This PDF guide from CUNY Citizenship Now! provides instructions on filling out the citizenship application, information on naturalization test questions, and a list of free immigration resources.
  • National Immigration Legal Services Directory- New York Organizations- Queens County: The National Immigration Legal Services Directory includes immigration legal services providers by state, county, or detention facility. Included here are those that serve residents of Queens County. Only nonprofit organizations that provide free or low-cost immigration legal services are included in this directory.
  • Resources for Learners: a list of weblinks developed by the USCIS Office of Citizenship that provides permanent residents with a one-stop resource for locating citizenship preparation materials and activities.
  • USA Learns: a free website for adults to learn English and prepare for U.S. citizenship.
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Case Status Service Online: Applicants may check their case status, obtain a list of processing dates, or request case updates via email.
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: Lawful Permanent Residence (“Green Card”): USCIS provides information on applying for lawful permanent residence (“green card”) status.
  • Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants: This guide, from USCIS, provides information on topics such as rights, employment, education, housing, learning English, and citizenship. It is also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

Immigration Law

  • National Immigration Law Center (NILC): NILC’s mission is to protect and promote the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their family members.
  • Safe Horizon’s Immigration Law Project: Safe Horizon provides free legal information and advice to domestic violence victims with immigration law-related matters.
  • Sylvia Rivera Law Project: Immigration: Information collected here addresses immigration issues for transgendered and transsexual immigrants, including changing name and gender on immigration documents, applying for asylum based on gender identity discrimination, and marriage recognition.

Local Resources

General Information

  • Crossing the BLVD: This 400 page book portrays the true stories and lives of new immigrants and refugees who live in the most ethnically diverse area in the United States—the borough of Queens. Borrow it from your local library.
  • Immigration…the Changing Face of America: This introduction to American immigration from the Library of Congress focuses on groups that arrived in the greatest numbers during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The site provides links to primary sources available from the Library of Congress' collections.
  • Internet Modern History Sourcebook: US Immigration: This site, from Fordham University, contains links and resources on US immigration, including sections on European immigration, Asian immigration, Latin American immigration, Ellis Island, and opposition to immigration.
  • Life in the USA: This website offers extensive information on topics including culture, food, everyday life, business, education, finances, medical care, and religion in the United States. Also included is Life in the USA Magazine, which features columns on related issues.
  • Living American: This comprehensive guide to living, working, and playing in America is also available in Spanish.
  • Our Documents: This website collects 100 documents that are milestones in American history, with information on why they are important and what their impact has been.

Materials at the Library

Click the links below to find these materials at your local library.

English

Spanish

Chinese

Korean

eBooks

Contact Us

For more information about the New Americans Corners, please contact:

New Americans Program
Queens Public Library
89-11 Merrick Blvd.
Jamaica, NY 11432
718-990-0894 (phone)
718-990-8626 (fax)
napref@queenslibrary.org