About Us
CIIS was established in the fall of 1998 following the agreement of Francis Cardinal George to have an Irish Immigrant Chaplain work in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
CIIS continues the work of numerous people in Chicago who helped the newly arrived over generations. CIIS responds to the needs of all Irish immigrants in Chicago. A particular feature of Chicago is that immigrants are spread out over a vast area of Chicago and the suburbs, more than 50 miles apart.
We are part of an umbrella group of immigrant organizations, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights and a core member of the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers. We have excellent legal support from the Catholic Legal Immigration Network as well as access to De Paul University Legal Clinic.
Services Offered by CIIS Center
- Visa and sponsorship
- Family based visa petitions
- Adjustment of status petitions
- DV lottery applications, inquiries and workshops
- Problems/delays with USCIS
- Citizenship workshops
- Green card renewals and checking eligibility of status
- Provide advice and information on immigration related matters
- Passport signatures
Referral
- Referral to registered immigration attorneys and specialized legal workers
- Referral to congressmen and senators
- Referral to social services
- Problems with criminal law e.g. DUI
- Problems with deportation
- Procuring arrest records
Education and Employment
- “Returning to Ireland” information
- Tax and Insurance information
- Job networking
We are particularly grateful to the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Irish government and in particular the staff of the Irish Consulate for their support. We also appreciate the dedication and timeless commitment of our hard working committee and set of volunteers.
We are also grateful for the help of both Gaelic Park and the Irish American Heritage Center. We are deeply appreciative of the generosity of those who have donated to the work of CIIS.