About

Frequently Asked Questions about One Percent for America

General
Who is One Percent for America (OPA)?

One Percent for America (OPA) is a national nonprofit. Through our unique online platform, OPA empowers every current and future American to lower the barriers to citizenship.   

Our affordable digital platform educates immigrants to complete their citizenship journey and successfully settle into American life. At the same time, our platform gives supporters a channel to lend or donate, provide services, and share knowledge.    

We provide free education and dedicated community support to help build thriving lives in the U.S. for all.

How is One Percent for America financed?

One Percent for America is sponsored by BlueHub Capital, a national nonprofit community finance organization founded in 1985 to address the damage caused by decades of predatory lending practices. Together, we’re unified in our goals: Empower immigrants. Celebrate hard work. Accelerate our nation’s progress.  

We invite supporters from across the country to help lower the barriers to citizenship by investing through a loan, donation, or corporate sponsorship.

Will OPA share my information with the government?

One Percent for America will not share or sell your information to third-parties. Only pertinent information will be shared with our Partners or Sponsors as needed if required to complete a purchase, appointment, or application process that you request through our platform. This includes your bank for account verification when borrowing, and credit card processors for donations and lending.  Please see our privacy policy for details.

How do I contact One Percent for America?

We would love to hear from you.

You can email us at: SupportOPA@onepercentforamerica.org with any questions or feedback.

You can also call customer service at 617-404-9797.
We are available Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 5:00pm (EST).

Our address:
One Percent for America, 10 Malcolm X Blvd, Boston, MA 02119

Supporting
How does lending to OPA work?

People who are interested in lending to One Percent for America can do so by lending money directly on onepercentforamerica.org. Individuals who lend do so for a 24-month period at 0%. At the end of the 24-month period, individuals can decide to renew for another 24 months, donate, or take out money. Lenders will not have the ability to withdraw the money until the end of 24 months.

How does donating to OPA work?

People interested in supporting One Percent for America can do so by donating money directly on onepercentforamerica.org. Individuals who donate can do so on a one-time or monthly basis. Donations are tax-deductible. Individuals who donate will receive a confirmation and donation receipt via email.

I made an online donation, but I did not receive a confirmation or donation receipt via email.

You should have received an email the same day you made your donation. Please check your SPAM folder. If you do not find it there, please email supportOPA@onepercentforamerica.org and we will resend you the information.

OPA Loan
Who is eligible to borrow from OPA?

OPA provides 1% loans to cover the USCIS fees for qualified noncitizen residents with the following statuses and needs:

  • Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs)/Green Card Holders seeking to apply for US citizenship
  • DACA (Dreamers) first time applicants and those seeking renewal 
  • Temporary Protected Status (TPS) first time applicants and those seeking renewal 

Residents of the following states are not currently eligible for One Percent for America Loan; Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Please check back as this will change soon.

How does borrowing from OPA work?

Eligible immigrants seeking citizenship, citizenship certificate, green card, DACA, and TPS renewals will be able to apply for a 1% interest OPA loan directly at www.onepercentforamerica.org/borrow.

You will need to provide your name, email, ACH information for automatic payments (routing and checking account numbers), address and social security number or ITIN, and USCIS A-number.  

Your loan will be approved if:

  • You are able to provide the information listed above
  • You know the EXACT dollar amount you need to pay for your USCIS application fee. Knowing the exact amount needed is critical. If the incorrect amount is sent to USCIS your application could be denied.
  • You can verify your email account by receiving and inputting a secure MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) code
  • We can verify your bank account information. Prepaid accounts are not valid
  • If you pass an OFAC verification which helps to ensure OPA can engage in business with the applicant

What are the benefits of an OPA loan?
OPA loans are designed to help borrowers complete their USCIS applications immediately without worrying about paying the application fee if they do not have funds available. Specific benefits include:

  • Maximum 1% interest loan
  • Online approval in real-time
  • No early repayment penalties
  • No application fees or late fees
  • 12-month repayment schedule
  • Completing the USICS application at once and going into loan repayment while waiting for USCIS to process the application

Please Note: The checks issued cannot be used for any other purpose. You cannot cash this check; it must be mailed directly to USCIS with your
paper application. Checks cannot be used for online applications.

How does a borrower repay an OPA loan?

OPA will draft monthly payments on the 15th day of each month via the borrowers checking account via electronic transfer (ACH). All loans must be paid in full within 1 year of being issued. The payoff of your loan is not dependent on the acceptance or rejection of your application to the USCIS. You can pay more than your minimum monthly payment or pay-off at once without penalties. 

My loan has been approved, when will I receive my check?

Once your loan is approved, it should take approximately 10 business days for you to receive your check in the amount of your loan, via USPS, to the address you listed on your application. If your address changes, please inform us immediately.

Checks are made payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security directly and must be mailed in with your paper application to the USCIS. Checks cannot be used for online applications.

Any misuse of this check, whether deposited or attempted to be used online, constitutes as check fraud and will cause a loan to be reported and canceled.

Partners and Sponsors
How can I or my organization refer borrowers to One Percent for America?

Thank you in advance for your interest and support. Visit onerpercentforamerica/OPA-loan for eligibility requirements and the benefits of an OPA loan for immigrants seeking citizenship. This would be a great starting place for any potential borrowers you would like to refer to learn a bit more about the loans before applying.

How can I and/or my organization learn more about OPA and/or collaborate?

The OPA team looks forward to hearing from you. Whether it is a webinar for your colleagues or clients, an in-person meeting, a phone call, or an invitation to attend an event, we can discuss how to best work together to amplify our aligned work and missions.
For more information please contact our Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager: dzivari@onepercentformamerica.org

How can I refer a client for an OPA loan?

OPA works with partner organizations across the U.S. to ensure that individuals are aware of the 1% interest loan for USCIS application fees. Providers or referral organizations do not have to provide any special documentation; they can simply direct their clients to the OPA website. Contact us if you would like flyers to share with your community.

For more information, please contact our Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager: dzivari@onepercentformamerica.org

How do I become a Partner as Sponsor or Provider?

Becoming a sponsor or provider within OPA’s platform provides a unique opportunity to advance the goals of immigrants all across the country, support immigrants within your entity, and raise the profile of your entity’s commitment to OPA’s mission to unite people across the United States at all stages of citizenship to invest in a resilient, inclusive country and collectively advocate to lower the barriers to citizenship.

Nonprofit organizations and companies who are mission-aligned are welcome to partner with us through sponsorship levels or partner offerings, sharing branded educational materials, one-on-one virtual services, unique subject matter interviews, videos, or events. OPA and its partners work together to curate existing, trusted content and services, and to design innovative solutions across tech, media, and education, that will significantly improve the connection of resources, users, and providers.

For more information, please contact our Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager: dzivari@onepercentformamerica.org.

We’d love to hear from you!

Use this form to contact us with any further questions you have.