US Citizenship Podcast

09/08/2026

Happy International Literacy Day! Here is a citizenship quiz which incorporates the themes of literacy and civics.

09/06/2026

US Postal Museum: Voting by Mail: Civil War to Covid-19 online exhibition and lesson plan explores the history of voting and election mail.

August 24, 2024 - February 23, 2025 Location:  National Stamp Salon in the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery The Voting by Mail: Civil War to Covid-19 / Voto por Correo: De la Guerra Civil al Covid-19 exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, along with this online companion site, expl...

08/24/2026

8/24 11:59 pm EDT Comments about Proposed Fee Hikes Due TODAY

Individuals and organizations, to submit public comments in response to the USCIS proposed rule that would drastically increase naturalization fees. Submission deadline is August 24.

Form N-400 Paper Cost: Rises from $760 to $1,330.

Form N-400 Online Cost: Rises from $710 to $1,280.

USCIS IFR mandating e-filing; waivers still possible.

N-400 paper applications ok; worried about future fee waivers.

And a short public comment can be sent via a direct link at the Action Network: https://actionnetwork.org/campaigns/nationalization-application-fee-increase?source=direct_link&

Information about the fee increase is in this explainer from ILRC and other organizations: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19iJDoNElWhFGz5r65SFdydb32SpmyCXY8HQAFvz-bgw/edit?tab=t.0

Catesol: CA Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages TESOL International Association COABE NALEO Educational Fund National Coalition for Literacy

07/04/2026

So happy that they had a Naturalization Ceremony at Mount Vernon 2026 today! https://youtu.be/641iVVlyyzM?si=CaCIP0-NXB8vTNGM

On the 250th anniversary of American Independence we welcomed 150 o...

07/04/2026

Happy America 250!

The Statue of Liberty is caught between the sublime and the souvenir, our critic Jason Farago explains. Look again: She’s much stranger than you think.

06/24/2026

NPNA just posted news about the Proposed 75% Fee Increases to Naturalization ($760 to $1330) Please see below for further info.

https://mailchi.mp/partnershipfornewamericans.org/citizenship-day-celebrations-18158431?e=c69f78b460

Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to adjust the naturalization fees for the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and the Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings, which allows applican...

06/11/2026

NPR: San Francisco immigration court shuts down, striking at heart of historic advocacy by Ximena Bustillo

CEFR A2-B1 Summary:

The main immigration court in San Francisco has closed. Many immigration judges were fired, retired, or resigned. Because of this, most immigration cases from San Francisco are being moved to another immigration court in Concord, California. The change affects more than 100,000 immigration cases.

The U.S. Department of Justice says the closure will save money and help manage court resources. However, immigration lawyers and advocates are worried that people seeking asylum may face longer travel times, more delays, and greater difficulty attending their hearings.

For many years, the San Francisco immigration court was known for approving asylum cases at a higher rate than many other courts in the United States. Some advocates believe moving cases away from San Francisco could make it harder for asylum seekers to receive legal support and fair access to the court system.

The closure has created uncertainty for immigrants, attorneys, and families. Many people are waiting for new hearing notices and information about where their cases will be heard. Legal experts warn that longer delays could make it more difficult for people to present evidence and testimony in their cases.

See the full details at:

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/10/g-s1-126345/san-franciso-court-immigration-closure-asylum-layoffs

The main San Francisco court was one of the busiest in the country, hearing thousands of cases a year. It was also one of the courts most likely to grant an immigrants' asylum application.

05/27/2026

The 128 Civics Questions Series by uscitizenpod

Links to each civics question's explanation and slide. Videos will be posted in July.

https://www.uscitizenpod.com/2026/05/the-128-civics-questions-series-by.html

created with MS Image Designer, 202605-25 12:45 am by Jennifer GagliardiHere are explanations for each one of the 128 Civics Questions on uscitizenpod.com.  I will work on converting these slides and texts into videos over the summer.  Send comments to [email protected].

05/27/2026

Great resource from The Immigrant Learning Center: Study Guide for Form N-400, Part 9https://www.ilctr.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-Study-Guide-for-Form-N-400.pdf

05/26/2026

NEW 128 CIVICS QUESTIONS RESOURCES:
Today, I posted my last explanation for each one of the 128 Civics Questions on https://www.uscitizenpod.com/. I will work on converting these slides and texts into videos over the summer.

Also starting today, Heather Cox Richardson and friends launched the 250 to 250, a series of one-minute stories of the many people, places, and events that have built our country and remind us of the power of each person to make history. You can find these videos on Youtube, Instagram, and all social media accounts. Because some of the videos use advanced vocabulary and grammar, I will repost CEFR A2-B1 summaries with appropriate 128 Civics questions on uscitizenpod.com

June 5: Bill Bliss and Pearson invite you to a webinar on the new 128-question U.S. civics test and other naturalization interview challenges, and including the new 2026 versions of the Voices of Freedom and Basic Civics courses. At the link, scroll down to register for the June 5 session (1pm ET, 12pm CT, 10am PT). Bring questions and concerns to share during the Q&A. If you can’t attend live, you can register for access to the recorded session.

https://lnkd.in/er7mfBSd
https://events.zoom.us/ev/AtaRuS0w772s2OiXEQ-G-MTFlPCrd-xwyAdp7Fz3HU5I8LSQfqBK~ApTXd38Awr3l6uia9jX_KuwFo_bMO018OM2Dl_k7HEO6aEGdqArF8gYXzA

Citizenship and AI:

If you are interested in providing feedback for ESLvideo: Chattybot Citizenship - 128 Flashcard Practice https://eslvideo.com/cb-us-citizenship.php , please contact Ryan Detwiler [email protected].

Dr. Linh Phung is also looking for feedback on her AI Citizenship Chatbot at https://eduling.chottu.link/us-civics-exam-ltp . There's another course to help learners to practice other interview questions and the reading and writing portions of the exam. It's called U.S. Citizenship: Interview, Reading, and Writing. You can try it here: https://eduling.chottu.link/us-civics-interviewi-reading-writing-ltp . Please contact her at [email protected]

Civics and Citizenship Education discussion groups

Join the TESOL.org ESL Civics and Naturalization Education PLN at https://my.tesol.org/topics/44000/home

And the Catesol: CA Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages CIV (The Civics and Citizenship Education Interest Group) at https://mms.catesol.org/members/forum/topic_list.php?bid=4248573

OTAN U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services