CITY OF BOSTON HOSTS 12TH ANNUAL CITIZENSHIP DAY

    (Boston Orange 編譯) 波士頓市長吳弭（Michelle Wu）和移民進步辦公室（MOIA）今（2）日在瑞吉路易斯田徑體育中心（Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center）舉辦2026年入籍公民日（Citizen Day），為符合資格市民提供申請入籍的免費法律援助。

    波士頓市移民進步辦公室從2014年起，和「公民權計劃（Project Citizenship）」合作，提供這入籍門診服務，迄今已為來自115國的3200多人提供相關援助，並幫助1900多民合格移民成為了公民。

    入籍成為美國公民的申請費用，如今已漲至760元。入籍公民日這天，波士頓市府出動了數百名社區志工、法律系學生及義務律師，在現場免費協助民眾填寫申請表，並判斷申請人是否符合豁免申請費資格。

    波士頓市居民，每10人中有一人是歸化公民，符合資格，可以申請成為美國公民的市民，約30,000人。

    凡年滿十八歲，具備基本英文聽說讀寫能力，過去五年內未在美國境外長時間旅行，而且擁有合法永久居留權已五年，或與美國公民結婚滿三年者，都可申請入籍成為美國公民。

    「公民身份計劃」負責篩選申請人，確保登記參加活動者，在當天之內完成申請手續，辦理歸化入籍。相關資格與福利資訊可至官方網站查詢。

CITY OF BOSTON HOSTS 12TH ANNUAL CITIZENSHIP DAY 

Annual clinic provides free legal help to support eligible residents apply for citizenship

BOSTON – Saturday, May 2, 2026 – Mayor Michelle Wu, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA), and Project Citizenship today hosted the City’s annual Citizenship Day at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury. The annual event provides free legal help with citizenship applications for immigrants eligible for naturalization. This event builds on the City’s efforts to make Boston a home for everyone and on its longstanding commitment to connecting residents with services and supporting eligible residents with citizenship applications. 



“For more than a decade, Citizenship Day has helped Boston residents apply for U.S. citizenship at no cost. Now more than ever, naturalization offers an important pathway to stability, opportunity, and a more secure future,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m grateful to the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, Project Citizenship, and the hundreds of volunteers who help make Boston a welcoming home for everyone, no matter where you come from.”

Since 2014, MOIA has partnered with Project Citizenship to host Citizenship Day, New England's largest one-day citizenship clinic. Before this year, the clinic has served over 3,200 people from 115 countries. To date, the event has helped more than 1,900 eligible immigrants become citizens. 

Between legal fees and USCIS application fees, becoming a U.S. citizen can be prohibitively expensive for residents. On Citizenship Day, hundreds of community volunteers, law students, and pro bono attorneys help people complete their citizenship applications for free and determine whether they qualify for a USCIS fee waiver. It currently costs $760 to file a citizenship application. Since the event’s inception, over 2,000 fee waivers have been submitted for qualifying applicants.

“Citizenship can be a life-changing benefit that allows for increased family reunification, stability, and opportunities to become more civically engaged through voting and running for office. We are proud to have sponsored this event for over 12 years,” said Monique Tú Nguyen, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement. 

In Boston, 1 in 10 residents is a naturalized citizen, and about 30,000 residents are eligible for U.S. citizenship. MOIA encourages all eligible immigrants to apply for citizenship. Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, lawful permanent residents for five years or three years if married to a U.S. citizen, able to read, write, and speak basic English, and not have traveled extensively outside the U.S. in the past five years. 

“At a time when many who weren’t born in this country feel especially vulnerable, Boston Citizenship Day honors the important role that immigrants play in our communities,” said Gail Breslow, Executive Director of Project Citizenship. “By providing free legal help, we make sure everyone eligible has access to the benefits and protections of citizenship, as well as the opportunity to participate fully in our democracy.”

Project Citizenship screens applicants to ensure registered participants complete their applications on Citizenship Day and are processed for naturalization.  To learn more about Citizenship Day in Boston, eligibility, and the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen, visit: boston.gov/citizenship.