_posts/2015-09-21-new-citizenship-resources.md
---
title: New citizenship resources demystify the naturalization process
tags:
- design
- how we work
- agency work
- uscis
authors:
- kate
- jhunter
- rebeccapiazza
- meghana
- ryan
excerpt: "For many people, September conjures up happy memories of heading back to school, new backpack and supplies in tow. For new and aspiring citizens, September has additional significance: It’s when the federal government celebrates Constitution Week, a weeklong observance commemorating the adoption of the U.S. Constitution."
description: "USCIS, with the help of 18F, debuted a suite of new and updated resources for aspiring citizens to learn about the naturalization process."
image: /assets/blog/citizenshipweek/rights-and-responsibilities.jpg
---
For many people, September conjures up happy memories of heading back to
school, new backpack and supplies in tow. For new and aspiring citizens,
September has additional significance: It’s when the federal government
celebrates [Constitution
Week](http://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-welcome-more-36000-citizens-during-annual-constitution-day-and-citizenship-day-celebrations),
a weeklong observance commemorating the adoption of the [U.S.
Constitution](http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html).
Observed Sept. 17–23, Constitution Week is a time devoted to promoting
the study of our nation’s supreme law and recognizing new citizens.
Sept. 17 marked Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, which provides a
time for folks to reflect on the rights and responsibilities that come
along with U.S. citizenship. It’s also a great time for aspiring
citizens to learn more about the naturalization process.
To help promote Constitution Week, we teamed up with the [U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services](http://www.uscis.gov/) (USCIS) to
create new resources to complement existing citizenship-focused content
as part of a national, multilingual [public awareness
campaign](http://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/organizations/citizenship-public-education-and-awareness-campaign)
that launched this summer. Since
last year, 18F has been working with USCIS to develop
[my.uscis.gov](https://my.uscis.gov/), a customer-facing site to help
users navigate their relationship with the agency. The team included
contractors, USCIS, and 18F employees. The resources that were just
announced are only the most recent effort we’ve undertaken together.
Without further ado, here’s a quick rundown of the new and updated
resources just announced by USCIS.
## A new page with general information about naturalization
One of the main insights we took away from our user interviews is that
USCIS customers would like more high-level information about the
naturalization process: What it involves, how long it takes, what
expectations USCIS has of the customer, and so on.
Our goal was to provide a single, easy-to-read reference for customers
who are still deciding whether to apply for citizenship. It was our hope
that, by seeing the steps of the naturalization process outlined,
aspiring citizens might feel more optimistic about the process and more
quickly get started with their applications.
To meet this user need, we created a [What to
expect](https://my.uscis.gov/citizenship/what_to_expect) page. Using
clear, straightforward language, the page describes the main steps in
the naturalization process, offering customers a comprehensive view of
what they’re about to get into.
## A new page that better communicates the rights and responsibilities of citizenship
Another of our goals was to provide USCIS customers with a quick
reference to the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens. [The
Citizenship Resource Center](http://www.uscis.gov/citizenship)
(CRC) already provides some great
in-depth materials, and we drew on these as we built out a [new
marketing page](https://my.uscis.gov/citizenship/information).
If the CRC’s goal is to provide a comprehensive account of all the
rights and responsibilities new citizens should know about, our goal was
to translate that information into a fun, engaging page that would
capture new customers’ attention. Our new, highly visual page links out
to the existing CRC resources, making it easy for customers to quickly
access more detailed information.
*The new USCIS rights and responsibilities page.*
## More study resources for the civics test
If you’re not familiar with the naturalization process, you might not
know that all would-be citizens are required to take a civics test as
part of their application process. The test covers basics of U.S.
history and government, and some of the questions can be difficult for
test takers who haven’t spent time preparing.
To help customers hone their civics knowledge, the CRC provides
[practice civics tests](https://my.uscis.gov/prep/test/civics) in
multiple formats and languages. These practice exams feature questions
from the actual test; customers who study using these practice exams
tend to perform better on the actual exam than those who don’t.
Our updates to the practice test make it even easier for customers to
boost their civics knowledge. Some of these updates include:
- Clearer, more concise questions — we rewrote as much material as possible in plain language.
- Personalization — we now refer to the customer as “you,” which we hope mimics actual, face-to-face conversation.
- More and higher-quality images to accompany the test questions to help visual learners solidify their knowledge.
- An audio component that allows customers to hear recordings of all the test questions.
We built and tested these (and all other) features for mobile, so
customers can practice the civics test whenever it’s most convenient for
them — when they’re waiting in line, on the bus, on lunch break, or
during other spans of spare time. And we’ll continue collecting user
feedback as we develop new features, too, to ensure we’re best meeting
our customers’ needs.
## English or citizenship prep class locator
Last but not least, we introduced [a new
tool](https://my.uscis.gov/findaclass) that will help customers find
community-based English as a Second Language (ESL) resources. Just as
aspiring citizens need to take a civics test, they also have to pass a
brief English test to demonstrate their knowledge.
The class locator makes it easy for customers to find ESL classes and
study groups near them. What’s more, the tool distinguishes between
accredited and non-accredited classes, allowing customers to make the
most informed decision possible. Customers can also use the locator to
find nearby citizenship preparation classes, which will help them
navigate the naturalization process.
*The English and citizenship preparation class locator provides location and
contact information.*
Although participation in ESL classes is by no means required, many
customers take the classes regardless. They’re a great way to practice
conversational English, meet fellow aspiring citizens, and get involved
in the community. Our hope is that, by making it easier for folks to
find these classes, we’re encouraging increased community participation
and inspiring more civic pride.
## There’s more to come
We’re really excited to announce these new resources, and we’re just as
excited for what’s to come. In all of our undertakings with USCIS, our
goal is to create tools, features, and content that’s as informative as
it is engaging, and that’s accessible to the broadest possible customer
base. To achieve this goal, we’ll keep interviewing customers and using
their feedback to help us help them.
***Members of the 18F USCIS project team, including Erica Deahl and Jen
Ehlers, also contributed to this blog post.***