Q: My immigrant visa has just been issued. What can I do to prepare myself for a life in the U.S.?
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released a highly informative booklet for new immigrants moving to the United States entitled Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants. The Embassy recommends you read the guide thoroughly to learn about establishing yourself in the U.S. The guide can be found at http://uscis.gov/graphics/citizenship/welcomeguide/index.htm. Below is a description of some of the information contained in the guide.
Rights and Responsibilities as a Permanent Resident: This section reminds new immigrants that they must obey all the laws of the United States and explains what a legal permanent resident must do to maintain his/her residence status if he/she is temporarily outside the United States. The guide also informs new residents that they are allowed to petition for certain family members to become permanent residents.
Finding jobs in the United States: One of the first things most immigrants want to do upon arriving in the United States is to find a job. There is a section in the guide that explains where to look for jobs, how to write a resume and prepare for an interview, and what to expect when hired for a job. The guide also gives a brief description of rights enjoyed in the United States – for example, federal law prohibits discrimination due to immigrant status.
Your Children in the United States: A section in the guide discusses educational options for your children, how schools are organized in the United States, and how to register a child for school.
How to become a U.S. citizen: This section of the guide explains the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen and shows the reader how to begin the process of naturalization.
Other Information: In addition to the above, the guide also contains information on healthcare, places to live, learning English, and U.S. history.
“Ask the Consul” is a weekly column from the U.S. Embassy answering questions about U.S. immigration law and visa issues. If you have a general question about visa policy please email it to us at AskGeorge@state.gov. We select questions each week and publish the answers in Stabroek News and on our website at http://georgetown.usembassy.gov/guyana/ask_con.html. For more information about visas please see http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov or http://georgetown.usembassy.gov/.
Other than the questions we select, we DO NOT respond to questions sent to Ask the Consul. Please contact the visa inquiries unit (email visageorge@state.gov or call 225-7965 between 8 am- 4 pm Monday through Friday) if you have questions about a specific case.
