Welcome to the United States A Guide for New Immigrants

Welcome to the United States

A Guide for New Immigrants

M-618 (rev. 09/15)

Welcome to the United States

A Guide for New Immigrants

U.S. GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL EDITION NOTICE

This is the Official U.S. Government edition of this publication and is herein identified to certify its authenticity. Use of the ISBN 978-0-16-092967-0 is for U.S. Government Publishing Office Official Editions only. The Superintendent of Documents of the U.S. Government Publishing Office requests that any reprinted edition clearly be labeled as a copy of the authentic work with a new ISBN.

The information presented in Welcome to the United States:A Guide for New Immigrants is considered public information and may be distributed or copied without alteration unless otherwise specified. The citation should be:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Citizenship, Welcome to the United States:A Guide for New Immigrants, Washington, DC, 2015.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has purchased the right to use many of the images in Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants. USCIS is licensed to use these images on a non-exclusive and non-transferable basis. All other rights to the images, including without limitation and copyright, are retained by the owner of the images. These images are not in the public domain and may not be used except as they appear as part of this guide.

This guide contains information on a variety of topics that are not within the jurisdiction of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/USCIS. If you have a question about a non-DHS/USCIS issue, please refer directly to the responsible agency or organization for the most current information. This information is correct at the time of printing, however, it may change in the future.

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ISBN 978-0-16-092967-0

Table of Contents

Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Federal Departments and Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 The United States Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Federal Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Contact USCIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Where to Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 USCIS Online Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Permanent Resident . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Your Rights and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Maintaining Your Permanent Resident Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 If You Are a Conditional Permanent Resident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Finding Legal Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Consequences of Criminal Behavior for Permanent Residents . . . . . . . . . .24

Getting Settled in the United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Get a Social Security Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Find a Place to Live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Look for a Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Child Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Taking Care of Your Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Personal Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Paying Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Protect Yourself and Your Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Understanding Education and Health Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Education in the United States. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Higher Education: Colleges and Universities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Adult Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Learn English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Health Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Other Federal Benefits Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

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