New Immigrant ResourcesResources for New Immigrants
The United States has a long history of welcoming immigrants from all over the world. We value the contributions of immigrants, who continue to enrich this country and preserve its legacy as a land of freedom and opportunity. Though we are a nation of diverse cultures and backgrounds, we are bound by our shared history, the common civic values set forth in our founding documents, and the English language.
USCIS is committed to helping immigrants successfully integrate into American civic culture. Through the landmark publication Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants, USCIS offers a comprehensive guide containing practical information to help immigrants settle into everyday life in the United States, as well as basic civics information that introduces new immigrants to the U.S. system of government. Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants is available online in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese. New permanent residents can request a free copy of the guide in English (Form M-618), Spanish (Form M-618-S), or Chinese (Form M-618-C) from the USCIS Forms Line by calling 1-800-870-3676.
USCIS Community Relations
Building Partnerships, Building Communities
Through its Community Relations Officers (CROs), the USCIS Community Relations program develops and maintains collaborative relationships with immigrant-serving organizations, such as community-based organizations, English as a Second Language instructors, Civics instructors, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders who interact with immigrants. Our goal is to educate our constituency about USCIS policies, products, and programs and to dialogue with them to identify areas where community feedback might better inform USCIS decision makers. As an integral part of the USCIS Office of Communications, the Community Relations Program has 25 Community Relations Officers who develop partnerships with their communities nationwide.
Local Office
Local offices handle scheduled interviews on non-asylum related applications.
Local offices also provide limited information and customer services that supplement those we provide through our website and by phone. We recommend you consider the convenient service options we offer by web and by phone before you take the time to go to a local office for service. If you do need to go to one of our local offices, to serve you better most of them provide in-person services by appointment. To minimize your wait time, we recommend you make an appointment before you go. You'll find more information about appointments below and in our individual office profiles.
Services before you file
We recommend you use our website or call customer service for these kinds of services. The services we provide in our local offices primarily deal with problems relating to applications and petitions that have already been filed and which we have not been able to resolve through our website or by phone.
Filing services
Most applications must be e-filed or filed by mail at our Service Centers or National Benefit Center.
A very small number of applications are filed direct at one of our local offices. Follow the instructions on the application or petition form. If it says file at your local USCIS office, use the locator below to find your local office and see whether to file there by mail or in-person.
Services after you file
For services on a case after you file, we recommend you use our website or call customer service. You can check processing times for the kind of case you filed to get a sense of how long processing will take. If you believe there is a problem with your case, if you move or need other service, we offer a variety of Case Services while a case is pending or after it is completed. Just call customer service.
Appointments
Appointments we make
We may schedule an appointment at a local office or Application Support Center (ASC) if we need to interview you, or as we otherwise process your case. It is important that you make every effort to make that appointment. Not appearing will at least delay your case. It may mean certain processing steps will have to be repeated. It may also affect eligibility for benefits, and could mean we will have to deny the application or petition.
If an emergency prevents you from making your appointment, follow the instructions on the appointment notice. For local office appointments you can call customer service and request rescheduling, but we will not guarantee that we will agree to reschedule your case, or that rescheduling will not significantly affect your case.
Appointments you can make
Our local offices provide filing services for a limited range of applications. To serve you better most offer appointments to file those applications that their profile indicates should be filed there in person. To minimize your wait time, and given the length of time and process involved in filing, we recommend you make an appointment before you go. You can find more information about appointments in our individual local office profiles.
Our local offices also provide limited information and customer services that supplement those we provide through our website and by phone. We recommend you consider the convenient service options we offer by web and by phone before you take the time to go to a local office for service. If you receive a notice from us asking that you go to a local office for service, or decide you do need to go to one of our local offices for service, to serve you better most of them provide in-person services by appointment. To minimize your wait time, we recommend you make an appointment before you go.
Education & Resources
USCIS offers a variety of resources for immigrants and the organizations that serve them. For immigrants, USCIS focuses on two key points on the immigrant’s journey towards civic integration: when they first become permanent residents and when they are ready to begin the formal naturalization process.
Newly arrived immigrants will find important settlement information under the “Resources for New Immigrants” link to the left. Here, immigrants can download the comprehensive orientation guide, Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants available in 13 languages. Welcome to the United States provides practical information to help immigrants settle into everyday life in the United States, as well as basic civics information that introduces new immigrants to the U.S. system of government.
Those already on the path to naturalization can find important civic learning materials under “Civics and Citizenship Study Materials.” These educational resources are designed to help immigrants prepare for the naturalization test while also inspiring further civic learning. Permanent residents can use the materials as study tools and educators can adapt each of the materials for use in the classroom. Some of these products include:
Civics Flash Cards: The Civics Flash Cards contain sample U.S. history and government questions and answers. Immigrants applying for naturalization can use these flash cards as a study tool to prepare for the naturalization test and teachers and volunteers can use these flash cards in the classroom.
Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons: This booklet provides short lessons, based on each of the civics questions on the naturalization test. This additional information is intended to help naturalization applicants gain a deeper understanding of U.S. history and government as they prepare to become citizens. The booklet is available in both English and Spanish.
Sample U.S. History and Government Questions: A list of sample U.S. history and government questions for naturalization test preparation. This document is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
USCIS is also committed to supporting the resource needs of public libraries, as they are often a gateway to information for the immigrant community. In 2006, USCIS and the Office of Citizenship released its first nationwide report on the important resources public libraries provide to immigrants. The report, entitled Library Services for Immigrants: A Report on Current Practices, identified best practices and provided additional suggestions for public libraries interested in improving services to immigrants. Based on these findings, USCIS and the Office of Citizenship will develop initiatives to support the role of public libraries in promoting immigrant civic literacy. This information can be found under “Resources for Public Libraries.”
Visa Resources
The Immigration and Nationality Act as amended over the years, provides the basic framework for regulating the flow of visitors, workers and immigrants to the United States. The last major overhaul of the immigration system was the Immigration Act of 1990. This Act provides most of the still-current immigrant and nonimmigrant classification and numerical ceilings (subsequent legislation has added new classifications and/or amended existing ones -- but the basic framework remains largely the same as in 1990).
These pages are intended for public information purposes only. They are not intended to provide links to all the information and forms needed to apply for and take advantage of one of these classifications/visas. However, it is instructive to record in one place the variety of classifications and visas that make up the U.S. immigration system today. Please note: The State Department is the entity of the U.S. Government that is chiefly responsible for determining eligibility and issuing visas for entry to the US. Visas are notissued through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Visit the Department of State's website for visa information.
Asylum Resources
Welcome to the Asylum Resource Information Center. Here you will find information about our role, our publications, how to access our publications, and other questions that you might have relating to asylum resources.
What publications are available to the public?
We produce a number of publications that are available for downloading at our RIC Country Information Pages. Most are available in their entirety in Adobe Acrobat PDF files. The exceptions are Master Exhibits and Information Packets which are compilations of open source documents and only have the Table of Contents available.
Can you conduct research for me?
Our mission is to serve the Asylum Officer Corps and DHS. We do not have the resources to conduct research for the general public or private attorneys.
Country Information Pages
We provide access to all our work products, including our formal responses to queries by Asylum Officers, arranged by region with countries in each region arranged alphabetically. In addition to any papers or query responses, the Country Information Page contains links to country and human rights information from other key sources.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Establishes a legislative basis for allowing a group of persons temporary refuge in the United States. Under a provision of the Immigration Act of 1990, the Secretary of Homeland Security may designate nationals of a foreign state to be eligible for TPS with a finding that conditions in that country pose a danger to personal safety due to ongoing armed conflict or an environmental disaster. Grants of TPS are initially made for periods of 6 to 18 months and may be extended depending on the situation. Removal proceedings are suspended against aliens while they are in Temporary Protected Status.
Temporary Worker
An alien coming to the United States to work for a temporary period of time. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and the Immigration Act of 1990, as well as other legislation, revised existing classes and created new classes of nonimmigrant admission. Nonimmigrant temporary worker classes of admission are as follows:
H-1A - registered nurses (valid from 10/1/1990 through 9/30/1995);
H-1B - workers with "specialty occupations" admitted on the basis of professional education, skills, and/or equivalent experience;
H-1C - registered nurses to work in areas with a shortage of health professionals under the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of 1999;
H-2A - temporary agricultural workers coming to the United States to perform agricultural services or labor of a temporary or seasonal nature when authorized workers are unavailable in the United States;
H-2B - temporary non-agricultural workers coming to the United States to perform temporary services or labor if unemployed persons capable of performing the service or labor cannot be found in the United States;
H-3 - aliens coming temporarily to the United States as trainees, other than to receive graduate medical education or training;
O-1, O-2, O-3 - temporary workers with extraordinary ability or achievement in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; those entering solely for the purpose of accompanying and assisting such workers; and their spouses and children;
P-1, P-2, P-3, P-4 - athletes and entertainers at an internationally recognized level of performance; artists and entertainers under a reciprocal exchange program; artists and entertainers under a program that is "culturally unique"; and their spouses and children;
Q-1, Q-2, Q-3 - participants in international cultural exchange programs; participants in the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program; and spouses and children of Irish Peace Process participants;
R-1, R-2 - temporary workers to perform work in religious occupations and their spouses and children.
See other sections of this Glossary for definitions of Exchange Visitor, Intracompany Transferee, and U.S.-Canada or North American Free-Trade Agreement classes of nonimmigrant admission.
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