Citizenship and Immigration
Learn about how to become a U.S. citizen and find information about the naturalization process, including requirements, forms, test, and study guides. Discover services for immigrants such as legal and community aid. Check out our list of resources below for your citizenship and immigration needs. Select a tab to view and expand that set of resources.
Visit the Citizenship Corner on the 2nd floor of the San Mateo Main Library to take free pamphlets, handouts, and study guides, or borrow our citizenship materials with your library card.
| Asian Law Alliance Asian Law Alliance, established in 1977, is a non-profit organization providing equal access to the justice system for Asian Pacific Islander and low-income populations in the Silicon Valley. Their mission is to provide legal counseling, community education and community organizing. They promote self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and a better quality of life for all. | |
| Bay Area Legal Aid Bay Area Legal Aid's San Mateo County Office provides free legal assistance to low-income domestic violence survivors in San Mateo County in the areas of family law, immigration law, housing law, and economic justice law. Bay Area Legal Aid assists in immigration issues faced by domestic violence survivors, such as Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). | |
| Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County Provides legal advice and counsel on civil matters to low income individuals, families and groups. Provide pro-bono immigration services to teen parents and their families who have been victims with assistance and representation on immigration applications such as VAWA, U-visa's, DACA, deportation defense, etc. |
| 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version) Applicants who apply for naturalization on or after October 20, 2025, will now need to study 128 Civics Test questions. If you are 65 years old or older and have been living in the United States as a lawful permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the 20 questions that have been marked with an asterisk (*) found at the end of each question. You may also take the civics test in the language of your choice. | ||
| Citizenship Booklist A list of some of the titles available at Citizenship Corner on the 2nd floor of the San Mateo Main Library. | ||
| One Nation, One People: The USCIS 2025 Civics Test Study Guide The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services civics test study guide. | ||
| | ProCitizen A citizenship prep course containing 100 instructional videos with interactive exercises to prepare new Americans for the Naturalization Test. | |
| Pro Citizen - En Español Use esta base de datos para prepararse para las partes de educacion civica, lectura, y escritura del Examen de Naturalizacion de los Estados Unidos. | ||
| | U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Find study materials and resources to become a U.S. citizen. |
G-1055 | Fee Schedule
Use this form to verify fee information for immigration forms.
G-1651 | Exemption for Paper Fee Payment
Use this form for an exemption of the required electronic payment for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services benefit requests.
I-485 | Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
Use this form to apply for lawful permanent resident status if you are in the United States.
I-589 | Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal
Use this form to apply for asylum in the United States and for withholding of removal (formerly called “withholding of deportation”). You may file for asylum if you are physically in the United States and you are not a U.S. citizen.
I-821 | Application for Temporary Protected Status
If you believe you are an eligible national of a designated country or a person without nationality who last habitually resided in the designated country, use this form to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
I-821D | Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
Use this form to request that we consider a renewal of your deferred action status on a case-by-case basis.
I-912 | Request for Fee Waiver
Use this form to request a fee waiver (or submit a written request) for certain immigration forms and services based on a demonstrated inability to pay.
N-300 | Application to File Declaration of Intention
Use this form if you are a permanent resident and want to declare your intent to become a U.S. citizen.
N-400 | Application for Naturalization
Use this form to apply for U.S. citizenship.
N-470 | Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes
Use this form if you are a lawful permanent resident who must leave the United States for a period of one year or longer for certain employment purposes and you want to preserve your status as an immigrant to pursue naturalization.
N-600 | Application for Certificate of Citizenship
Use this form to apply for a Certificate of Citizenship.
San Mateo County Know Your Rights |
San Mateo County Rapid Response Hotline |
| Immigration Advocates Network: National Immigration Legal Services Directory Find local immigration legal services. The Immigration Advocates Network (IAN) is dedicated to expanding access to immigration legal resources and information through collaboration and technology. |
| Faith in Action Bay Area Community Response Resources Faith in Action's information about the San Mateo County Rapid Response Hotline offering emergency legal support to individuals who are detained and other assistance to their families. |
| Immigration Legal Resource Center (ILRC) Community Resources Provides answers and downloadable tools to those seeking answers regarding the complex world of immigration law. |
| Immigration Legal Resource Center (ILRC) Step-by-Step Family Preparedness Plan A family preparedness toolkit about childcare options available, where to find immigration services in your community, and how to prepare to assert your constitutional rights in the presence of an immigration officer. |
| Rapid Response Hotline If immigration comes to your home, work, or neighborhood, or if there is ICE activity nearby, call the San Mateo County Rapid Response Hotline at (203) 666-4472. Si inmigración viene a su casa, trabajo, o vecindario, o si hay actividad de ICE cerca, llame a la linea de respuesta rapida del Condado de San Mateo al (203) 666-4472 |