Section 312 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act requires immigrants aspiring for U.S. citizenship
to have a "knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the
history, and of the principles and form of government, of the
United States." Section 451 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002
(Pubic Law 107296) requires U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS), to promote instruction and training on
citizenship rights and responsibilities, including the development
of educational materials. To comply with these requirements, USCIS
developed a citizenship toolkit and training workshops. The toolkit
is provided free to organizations that serve, or that are
interested in serving, immigrants. The toolkit includes immigration
and civics publications, handbooks, multimedia tools and guidance
on how to use these products to help legal permanent residents
integrate into their local communities and American society. Adult
educators and volunteers who work with immigrants may use the
publications, videos and curriculum in the toolkit to teach
American history, civics and citizenship in a classroom setting.
Immigrants may also use the toolkit as a self-study resource to
learn more about the United States and prepare for the
naturalization process. In addition, USCIS provides free training
workshops and conferences for: Adult English as a Second Language
(ESL), Civics and citizenship teachers, volunteers, and
immigrant- serving organizations to enhance their skills in
teaching U.S. history, civics, and the naturalization process to
immigrant students. These training opportunities will include
sessions on the new naturalization test, the naturalization
process, and an overview of the fundamental principles of American
democracy. Individuals and organizations wishing to obtain a
toolkit or training must complete and submit a registration form to
USCIS.
The annual burden hours has
decreased from 1,344 annual burden hours to 382. This is as a
result of an adjustment in the agency estimate of the number of
registrants for the Toolkit from 7,000 to 1,200.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.