Grants to USA nonprofit organizations, government agencies, Tribes, and IHEs to provide services to vulnerable immigrants. Applicants are advised to complete required registrations well in advance of the deadline. The purpose of this program is to assist the following populations: immigrants who were admitted or entered the United States as refugees, asylees, Cuban or Haitian entrants; individuals admitted on a Special Immigrant Visa; victims of human trafficking and criminal activity; and abused spouses, children, and parents under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Partnerships are encouraged to ensure that the largest array of integration services is available to participants.

OoC is charged with promoting instruction and training on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. USCIS recognizes that naturalization is a key milestone in the civic integration of immigrants. Naturalization requirements, such as knowledge of English and U.S. history and government, encourage civic learning and build a strong foundation upon which immigrants can fully integrate into society. Through preparing for naturalization, immigrants gain tools to become successful citizens and meet their responsibilities as United States citizens.

Certain immigrants, such as those who entered the United States through USCIS’ humanitarian programs, may experience unique challenges with civic, linguistic, economic, cultural, and institutional integration when resettling in the United States, which may impact their progress toward full civic integration. It is critical to provide vulnerable immigrant populations with opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to fully integrate into American society.

The goal of the Community and Regional Integration Network Grant (CARING) funding opportunity is to support organizations providing extended integration services to vulnerable immigrant populations. These integration services build upon, but are not intended to replicate, resettlement services funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Immigrants who entered the United States one of the following categories are eligible for services under this program:

• Refugees;
• Asylees;
• Cuban or Haitian entrants;
• Victims of human trafficking or criminal activity;
• Abused spouses, children, or parents of U.S. citizens; and
• Individuals on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV). 

For a comprehensive list of classes of admission included in this funding opportunity, please see Appendix C of the NOFO in Attached Files below. This grant program strives to promote the long-term civic integration of vulnerable immigrants who have identified naturalization as a goal yet need additional support and instruction to attain it.

Proposed services must include the following three components:

A. Integration Services: Grant recipients will assess each program participant’s integration needs and then formulate individualized integration plans. Grantees will also be responsible for the provision of or referral to integration services, and for monitoring the progress of the integration plans.

B. Citizenship Instruction Services: Grant recipients will offer civics-based literacy instruction, civics-based ESL instruction, and citizenship instruction to provide enrolled immigrants with the skills and knowledge needed to prepare for citizenship.

C. Naturalization Application Services: Within the scope of the authorized practice of immigration law, grant recipients will assist qualified program participants in preparing and submitting a Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, preparing for the naturalization interview, and providing ongoing case management as needed.

For detailed information on the three mandatory program components, see Section C.2, Eligibility Information, in the NOFO in Attached Files below. 

For Allowable Costs, see page 19 of the NOFO in Attached Files below.