Switchboard Blog
Switchboard’s blog posts offer a wide range of insights on the newcomer experience, including practical tips for navigating the resettlement process, resource lists tailored to community needs, case studies about relevant programs, engaging stories of successful integration, and more.
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2025 Changes to the Naturalization Civics Test: What Service Providers Need to Know
On September 18, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a Federal Register Notice announcing implementation of the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test. Starting on October 20, 2025, the test will consist of 20 questions chosen from a pool of 128 rather than 10 questions from a pool of 100 in the 2008 version. Passing…
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This post includes contributions from Saba Imran. We recently published a blog post on Remote Job Readiness Resources for Clients With Online Access. But how are agencies continuing job readiness training when participants don’t have access to technology or lack digital literacy skills? This post includes job readiness resources for supporting clients without online access…
- Carrie Thiele
Photo Credit: A. Oberstadt/IRC The COVID-19 pandemic has caused profound disruption across the globe, including in the U.S. As a result of the crisis, resettlement agencies are seeing a sharp rise in food insecurity due to loss of income, breakdown of social support systems, shortages of food, and complications in accessing existing or additional food…
- Eugenia Gusev
For many providers continuing to serve non-English-speaking clients during the COVID-19 pandemic, language access is a significant challenge. Videoconferencing technology, although far from perfect, can help us provide services without losing all of the human-to-human contact that typically facilitates communication. Below are a few tips for getting started with video remote interpreting (VRI). Choosing the…
- Tamber Hilton
Disclaimer: Please note that this blog was developed several years ago, and as a result, some of the external links may no longer be functional. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you require assistance in gathering additional resources or need further information, we encourage you to fill out a Technical Assistance request…
- Carrie Thiele
The need to create teams of employees who can work together effectively across locations and distances is a growing reality for organizations around the world. It presents a challenge, but it also presents an opportunity. With the right tools, approaches, and habits, individuals and teams working remotely can be even more productive than teams who…
- Mary Jilek
As you may know, in 2019, the IRS announced changes to its Form W-4. These changes will apply to all employee wages in 2020. The W-4 is the IRS form that new employees fill out to let their employers know how much money to withhold from their paychecks for federal taxes. Chances are you may…
- Saba Imran