A Brazilian Family's American Dream

Luiz is 72 years-old and Adeli 76, their kids became naturalized U.S. citizens, and their three grandchildren were born in the U.S. The now grandparents were eager to become US citizens too, but finances stood in the way. They have been legal U.S. residents since 2014 and about three years ago started thinking about the possibility of applying for citizenship, but never made any progress. Their income was limited and both could not afford to pay the USCIS application fees at once. 

“Our income was limited, and we could not afford to pay all the fees,” Luiz explained. “I try to work as much as I can to generate extra income here, since my only constant source of revenue comes from my retirement from Brazil. Usually, I provide mechanical repair services and deliver online food orders. In the past, I’ve also worked as an Uber driver.” 

Despite their efforts to earn more money as retirees, Luiz and Adeli did not move forward with their applications. Then they heard about OPA’s loan for immigrants.  

“The loan was crucial, it really made a difference for us to move forward with the citizenship plan,” Luiz shared. 

How an Immigration Loan Helped 

After receiving the funds, Luiz immediately processed the citizenship applications and paid for all USCIS fees at once. Within their waiting period repayment took place and upon becoming a citizen Luiz had already paid off the OPA loan and for new immigrant to receive the same financial support. The whole family can be together in the U.S. now, with Luiz and Adeli enjoying their retirement with their grandchildren. 

Through this community lending structure, OPA loans help to clear the path for more immigrants, like Luiz and Adeli, to become U.S. citizens. However, USCIS fees still keep many eligible immigrants from completing their process.  

Becoming a U.S. Citizen

The benefits of becoming a citizen include: 

• Earning more money. The average wage of immigrants who become citizens typically increases by 5% or more nationwide and closer to 8.9% in major cities 
• Paying less when borrowing money. It’s easier to get lower interest rates, instead of the typically higher interest rates offered to noncitizens with payday loans or similar products 
• Taking advantage of US tax laws only available to citizens. For example, citizens are able to leave property in a will to their spouse without a tax penalty 
• Increased employment and home ownership opportunities. Naturalization increased the overall employment rate by 2.2% and homeownership rate by 6.3% 

Achieving the “American dream” includes obtaining citizenship and fully becoming part of American life as a citizen. This benefits both the U.S. economy and our communities, which are more and more made up of mixed-status family members- like the Machado’s. OPA recognizes the importance of citizenship and of investing in immigrants. You can join our mission to remove barriers to citizenship too, learn how to donate or invest to support our mission.