Preguntas frecuentes sobre One Percent for America

One Percent for America (OPA) is an independent national 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to reducing financial barriers to U.S. citizenship. As a digital-first organization, we use technology to expand access to opportunity nationwide. Through our innovative pay-it-forward model, we offer 1% interest loans to cover citizenship application fees. As loans are repaid, the funds are reinvested into new loans, creating a cycle of support that strengthens communities.   

But OPA is more than just loans. We're committed to long-term economic empowerment. That's why every loan comes with optional free financial resources for the borrower, helping immigrants build credit and lay a strong financial foundation for the future.   
 

One Percent for America is an affiliate of BlueHub Capital, a national nonprofit community development finance organization focused on building healthy, resilient communities. Together, we share a commitment to long-term economic stability, sustainable communities and inclusive growth.  
 
We welcome support from individuals, organizations, and companies across the country through loans, donations, and sponsorships. Every contribution helps lower the barriers to citizenship and build a more inclusive future.   To learn more about giving to One Percent to America, contact us at giving@onepercentforamerica.org or visit our donation page for more information. 
 

One Percent for America is an independent nonprofit.  We 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. This includes your bank for account verification when borrowing, and credit card processors for donations.  Consulte nuestra política de privacidad para obtener más información.

Nos encantaría saber de usted.   
For information or questions about our 1% Interest Loan  
You can email us at: SupportOPA@onepercentforamerica.org with any questions or feedback.   
 
También puede llamar a Servicio al Cliente al 617-404-9797.   
Estamos disponibles de lunes a viernes de 9:00 a.m. a 5:00 p.m. (EST).   
Our support is available in English and Spanish   

For information or questions about partnering with or donating to OPA, please  
email us at partnership@onepercentforamerica.org with any questions or feedback  
 
Our mailing address:   
One Percent for America
1785 Columbus Avenue, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02119   
 
OPA is a digital-first organization and does not offer in-person or walk-in services.  

One Percent for America's 1% interest loan offers immigrants a convenient financial solution to cover U.S. citizenship application fees. 
Please note: OPA limits borrowers to one active loan per person.  

You are eligible to be a borrower if you:  

• Are 18 or older  
• Live in the U.S.*  
• Contar con número de seguro social  
• Plan to apply for U.S. citizenship (Form N-400 or N-600)  
• Check USCIS’ latest eligibility requirements
• Can provide a co-borrower that meets eligibility requirements 
• Can make monthly minimum payments via U.S. Debit Card  

• Cumplir con los requisitos mínimos de crédito

  * One Percent for America loans are currently available to residents of the following states, with additional states expected to be added soon. If your state is not listed, please check back for updates: California, Florida, New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. 

You are eligible to be a co-borrower if you:  

• Are 18 or older  
• Live in the U.S.*  
• Contar con número de seguro social  
• Are currently employed and able to upload two recent pay stubs  
• Tener una tarjeta de débito de EE. UU.  
• Cumplir con los requisitos mínimos de crédito  
• Can make monthly minimum payments

     * One Percent for America loans are currently available to residents of the following states, with additional states expected to be added soon. If your state is not listed, please check back for updates: California, Florida, New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. 

If you are applying for U.S. citizenship using Form N-400 or N-600, you may be eligible for a 1% interest OPA loan. You can learn more about the loan and apply at www.onepercentforamerica.org/borrow.  
 
Apply in 5 easy steps-  
1.    Borrower Completes Application 
2.    Co-Borrower is Invited to Apply 
3.    Co-Borrower Completes Application 
4.    OPA Approves the Application and Final Documents are Signed 
5.    Loan Funded 
 
Once your application is submitted, approved, and loan documents are signed, your loan funds will be available by a Virtual Payment Card in the Loan Center. You will use your virtual payment card information like a debit card to pay for your citizenship application fee.   
The repayment of your loan begins within 45 days of loan approval.   
 
If you need assistance during the application process, you can contact us by emailing us at supportOPA@onepercentforamerica.org or 617-404-9797 (Mon–Fri, 9 am–5 pm EST)  

OPA loans are designed to help borrowers submit their citizenship applications immediately without worrying about paying the entire fee when submitting an application.  
 
Entre los beneficios específicos se incluyen:   

•    Convenient: The ease of a 100% online application process.     

•    Build Credit History: Take advantage of this opportunity to establish or improve your credit score.   Your on-time payments will be reported to credit bureaus, helping to strengthen your credit profile.  

•    Save Time: Submit your USCIS citizenship application sooner and make monthly loan payments over 12 months while the USCIS citizenship application is being processed.     

•    Save Money: Make monthly payments on time and benefit from our 1% interest rate compared to other financing options like high-interest credit cards or payday loans.    

•    Easy & Flexible Repayment Schedule: A monthly repayment plan via self-pay on a preferred date.     

•    No Prepayment Penalty for Early Payback: Repay the loan early without incurring any penalties and save on interest.     

•    Dedicated Customer Support: Assistance is available in both English and Spanish. Other languages may be available upon request.      

•    Community Impact: Become a member of a nonprofit, community-driven organization that reinvests repayments to support more immigrants on their path to citizenship, fostering a cycle of empowerment and opportunity.    
 

You will need-    

• Your name, address, email, and mobile phone number  
• Your Social Security number  
• Payment information (debit card)  
• To meet minimum credit requirements 
• A co-borrower 
  • Your co-borrower must meet minimum credit requirements and provide recent pay stubs, which helps verify their employment status and ability to share the financial responsibility of the loan.  
  • Your co-borrower’s name, address, email and phone. 
• USCIS Citizenship Application Filing Fee Amount 
  • Loan funds can only be used to pay for your USCIS Form N-400 or N-600 application fee. The loan does not cover legal assistance or any additional immigration-related fees. Please note that USCIS application fees vary depending on whether you apply online or by mail using a paper application, and loan amounts are based on the applicable fee.  
    Your name, address, email, and mobile phone number  

No, not at this time. Each co-borrower must provide the name of their employer and proof of employment by uploading two most recent pay stubs, so self-employed applicants are not eligible.   

No. Borrowers may only have one active OPA loan at a time.    

El préstamo con interés del 1% de OPA es un producto de crédito conjunto. Although the co-borrower does not have access to the loan funds, the borrower and co-borrower share equal financial responsibility for repaying the loan. Ambas partes deben completar las solicitudes de préstamo, cumplir con los requisitos de elegibilidad y estar preparadas para realizar pagos mensuales mínimos. On-time payments can help both borrowers build credit, while missed payments may harm both credit scores.   

Loan repayment begins within 45 days after your loan is approved, with payments due on the 1st of each month.  

You will use a U.S. debit card to make monthly repayments on your loan. You will visit the Loan Center on the first of each month to make your payments. You or your co-borrower can also submit a one-time supplemental or catch-up payment at any time using a U.S. debit card. Both on-time and late payments will be reported to the credit bureaus, so it is important to make payments on time. Reach out to customer service if you anticipate difficulty paying at supportopa@onepercentforamerica.org.

All monthly payment activity is reported to credit bureaus, which may affect your credit score.  
If you are more than 90 days late: Your account is considered in default, which is a breach of your contractual obligation to repay your loan. In this case, the remaining loan balance becomes due immediately and is subject to a 6% interest rate, payable within 30 days of receiving the default notice.

You can find your loan balance by visiting your Loan Center. You can also update your account information and make a payment in your Loan Center.   

Yes. You can cancel your loan as long as your Virtual Payment Card has not been used with USCIS. Once the Virtual Payment Card has been used, the loan cannot be canceled. If your loan is successfully cancelled, you will receive a refund by check of any payments made.   

A Virtual payment card is similar to a debit card. This card will only be issued to the borrower. Virtual payment cards will contain the exact amount of your approved loan.  The card information can be used to pay for your application fees, whether you are paying online or by mail, and can only be used with the USCIS. Your virtual payment card information is available in your Loan Center. 

You can update your contact information in your Loan Center or by contacting customer service.   

Please contact customer service.   
We’re here to help if you have questions.  

• 617-404-9797 (Mon–Fri, 9 am–5 pm EST)  
• supportOPA@onepercentforamerica.org
• Support available in English and Spanish.  

Making your payments on time will positively impact both your credit and your co-borrower’s credit. However, missed payments that cause an account to become 31+ days past due may negatively affect the credit of both you and your co-borrower.  

If your account becomes 90 days past due, it is considered in default, and the loan will be accelerated, and the entire outstanding balance will be subject to a 6% interest rate.  

When you apply for an OPA loan, a hard credit pull is required for the borrower and the  co-borrower. A hard pull, also called a hard inquiry, may cause a small, temporary decrease in the credit score of the person whose credit is checked. This is normal and typically resolves over time.  
 
Having an OPA loan does not automatically prevent you or your co-borrower from taking out other loans. However:  

• Lenders may consider your existing loan balance and payment history when reviewing new loan applications.  
• Making on-time payments on your OPA loan can help boost your credit profile.  
• Late or missed payments could have negative impacts to credit and make it harder to get new credit.  
   
  As long as payments are made on time, the loan should not negatively affect your ability to borrow in the future. In fact, on-time payments can help restore and strengthen your credit profile and credit score.  

Thank you! OPA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible.    
To make a gift online, click here.    
Las donaciones se pueden enviar por correo a:   

One Percent for America c/o BlueHub Capital    
1785 Columbus Avenue, 6th Floor    
Boston, MA 02119    

Your donation helps immigrants overcome the financial barriers to U.S. citizenship.  In other words, it helps them afford the high fees (nearly $800 per person) 

required to submit their citizenship application.  What’s more, because of our unique pay-it-forward approach, your donation keeps working long into the future. As borrowers repay their loans, those funds are reinvested into new loans, creating a powerful, self-sustaining cycle where each immigrant helps the next. You can learn more here.  

Great! Please send an email to giving@onepercentforamerica.org so that we can process the matching donation.    

OPA sends an email receipt shortly after the donation is made; the receipt will come from supportopa@onepercentforamerica.org. Please check your junk email folder. If you still don’t find it, please email giving@onepercentforamerica.org. 

Please reach out to giving@onepercentforamerica.org    

OPA welcomes institutional support through philanthropic grants, program-related investments (PRIs), and sponsorships.  These partnerships play a critical role in helping us scale our loan program and reach more immigrants on their path to citizenship. To learn more about partnership opportunities, please contact us at partnership@onepercentforamerica.org.

We are always seeking partnerships with immigrant-serving organizations, workforce development programs, and businesses that want to expand access to citizenship and financial opportunity. Email us at partnership@onepercentforamerica.org.

As a first step, we recommend sending them the link to our 1% Interest Citizenship Loan program. If they still have questions, they can reach out to our customer service team.     
If you’re interested in sharing this resource more broadly within your community, please get in touch with our partnership team so we can learn more about your needs. We’re happy to provide materials and resources that you can distribute.      
 

The 1% loan is a unique and mutually beneficial option to add to your current suite of employee benefits. Our customizable program provides your eligible employees (and their family members) access to 1% interest loans for citizenship application fees. The program includes a suite of options including co-branded employee materials, in-person or virtual information sessions, and data and impact reporting to help you track engagement. To get started, contact us at partnership@onepercentforamerica.org.

While it is possible, OPA is extremely selective regarding any products or services we promote to our borrower community. Please send us an email with more information about your offering and we will reach out if there is a fit: partnership@onepercentforamerica.org