Naturalization at National Parks!

It has been almost 16 years since I became a naturalized US citizen and I still remember the oath ceremony clearly. Now, some lucky future citizens will have even more memorable experiences as USCIS prepares to hold 16 naturalization ceremonies at national parks on August 25th. 

The partnership between USCIS and NPS (National Parks Service) is in celebration of the 100th anniversary of NPS. USCIS hopes to hold a total of 100 ceremonies in national parks in 2016.

“As we celebrate the 100th birthday of our National Park Service on August 25, 450 new Americans will also celebrate the fulfillment of their dreams of citizenship at some of our nation’s most historic sites. At USCIS, we believe that being an American means understanding and honoring our history and the places the National Park Service is charged to protect.  We look forward to continuing to welcome new U.S. citizens and protecting ‘America's Best Idea’ for the next 100 years.” 
USCIS Director León Rodríguez.

NPS and USCIS have collaborated before, when natualization ceremonies were held at the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Ellis Island and others. The upcoming locations include

• Grand Canyon National Park.
• World War II Memorial, Washington, DC.
• Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, MD.
• Biscayne National Park, Homestead, FL.
• Fort Smith National Historic Site, AR.
• Big Thicket National Preserve in Kountze, TX.
• Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

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Photo from https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

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