Infinity Federal Credit Union launched today a new loan program designed specifically to meet the needs of Maine residents aspiring to become citizens of the United States.
President and CEO Elizabeth Hayes announced the “Bridge to Citizenship” loan program at the ribbon-cutting for the credit union’s new branch office at 29 Baxter Boulevard in Portland’s Back Cove.
“At Infinity Federal Credit Union, we celebrate diversity of experience, perspective and ideas in the work we do and the people we serve,” Hayes said in a news release. “We are fortunate to have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives and to have committed employees who are passionate about keeping people a step ahead. That is the key to our success.”
Hayes noted that Infinity FCU has team members who speak many of the languages of Maine’s immigrant population, including Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Azeri, French, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, Russian, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Hindi, Punjabi, and Bengali.
The credit union, in partnership with Portland Adult Education, also will be hiring new employees who speak multiple languages.
The “Bridge to Citizenship” personal loan program is designed to cover the cost of becoming a U.S. citizen while also establishing a positive credit history. The loans will have flexible terms and applicants must show a pay stub, a government identification card and evidence of their non-citizen status.
According to the credit union, the loans can be used for:
- Green card and naturalizations
- Petitions and travel expenses for alien relatives
- Related legal fees and asylum costs.
New Portland location open for business
At the opening of the new branch, Hayes presented $1,000 checks to new community partners, Community Financial Literacy and the Catholic Charities Maine Office of Refugee Services.
The downtown Portland branch is Infinity FCU’s fourth, in addition to locations in Arundel, Bangor and Westbrook. The new full-service branch offers drive-up service and a 24-hour ATM.
Infinity FCU is Maine’s first credit union and has been serving its members since 1921, initially as the Telephone Workers Credit Union of Maine, then as Telco of New England FCU.