Free citizenship classes at Blaine library start April 15

Starting Monday, April 15, the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) is offering a series of free U.S. citizenship classes at the Blaine Library at 610 3rd Street. The classes go from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for five Mondays, ending May 13.

Registration is required, but people can register until April 15 and the classes don’t typically fill up, said Ann McAllen, adult program coordinator for WCLS.

The course is geared towards the U.S. citizenship test’s three components: a 100-question civics test, an interview and a reading and writing component. It covers American history, government and geography, McAllen said.

“I think the class is great for getting people’s confidence up,” she said. “People come in quite nervous and by the end of five weeks they feel a lot more comfortable with taking the test.”

To be eligible to become a U.S. citizen through naturalization, one must have had a permanent resident card for at least five years (three years if their spouse is a U.S. citizen), be 18 years of age or older, read, write and speak in basic English and meet certain other requirements. A detailed list is available at uscis.gov/citizenship/learners/learn-about-naturalization.

Though the test has an English language component, the Blaine class welcomes English learners.

The series of classes is taught in Blaine twice a year and citizenship classes are also taught at other WCLS branch locations and can be found on the library system’s calendar.

To register for the class or learn more, call the Blaine Library at 360/305-3637 or go to wcls.org.