Ciudadanía. Éxito en su entrevista con el C.I.S. (Citizenship: Success in Your C.I.S. Interview)

By staff -- Críticas, 3/15/2007

Aimed specifically at those who qualify for the Spanish-language naturalization interview offered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), this helpful, straightforward video lets viewers determine whether they are exempt from the English-language interview in the first place. (Those 50 or older with at least 20 years as legal permanent residents, or 55 or older with 15 documented years in the United States, have the option of interviewing in their native languages.) Future U.S. citizens are walked through the steps of filling out and submitting the N-400 form, dressing for the interview, and responding effectively to likely questions. An engaging, unpresumptuous host offers practical advice about what to expect and how to react in the USCIS office (“The agent might not pronounce your name right, so you’ve got to be listening carefully for when you’re called”), and introduces seven excerpts of authentic interviews. Each of these segments is followed by a “your turn” activity in which a simulated agent asks authentic questions, pausing for the viewer’s replies. Its interactive component is one of the strengths of this well-conceived learning tool, and the many useful tips it offers will relax interviewees by clearing up some of the uncertainty of an often intimidating process. (It can be encouraging to see that it’s okay to identify the first President as “Jorge Washington” in the interview.) Recommended for all libraries serving residents ages 50 and above.—Bruce Jensen, Spanish in Our Libraries, CA