Jordi Soto-Phipps
Marilyn B. Fontana
English 1010-51
27 October 2011

U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services. "How Do I Help My Relative Become a U.S.
Permanent Resident." U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Department.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Aug. 2008. Web. October 2011. http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Resources/A1en.pdf The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a customer guide for U.S. citizen’s that are trying to help their relative(s) become a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Part A1 of the I Am a U.S. Citizen guide is three pages long and provides directions and assistance for those attempting to help their relatives obtain a “green card.” The guide is broken into sections titled with a question and each section gives an answer to the question and in most cases gives examples as well.
The questions, serving as sections in the guide, involve the steps and potentially special circumstances that are involved in helping a relative achieve U.S. residency. The guide is read clearly and makes an attempt to answer any possible questions by using the most frequently asked ones. The answers provide directions on what to do and give an example for clarity. In some cases there are more than one example for multiple circumstances. The purpose of the guide is not only to educate, but also to assist.
The audience is mainly intended for those who are interested in helping a relative(s) of theirs to acquire U.S. residency. Other potential audience members may include the immigrant themselves, or employers that may be trying to get workers over from another country. Those interested often times will be in different situations or circumstances. By using examples that involve these potentially different circumstances, the guide is able to reach out to a wider audience. The speaker of the guide is the USCIS as a whole. This is made obvious by a sentence used in the second section that states, “If we approve it…” These are the rules and guidelines of the USCIS for successful, legal immigration that the reader must follow.
The cover of the document is small as it only covers about a third of the page. In all black and white, the cover sends a message of seriousness and organization. An edited picture that features the U.S. flag in the background and the statue of liberty in the foreground graces the entire left side of the cover. Those U.S. icons are used to not only symbolize the U.S. nation but also the pride of the country or more specifically, pride in being a U.S. citizen. All the way across, at the very top of the right side, lies the title in what is the largest print on the page, “I am a U.S. Citizen.” This was made so large and evident because it emphasizes the main idea of the guide: U.S. citizenship. Directly underneath the title in smaller print, still large enough to be the second largest print on the page lays the sub-title, “How do I…Help My Relative Become a U.S. Permanent Resident?” This sub-title just elaborates on the title to offer a more clear description of what is to come. The bottom of the right side includes the USCIS logo and name along with the legal name of the form (M-555) and the issue date (August 2008). On the bottom left corner of the left side of the page lies the section, number, and section title: A1: Customer Guide. The cover serves as a thesis in that, by looking at it, the reader can tell what the majority of the paper will include.
To start the immigration process, the citizen must file the I-130 form, Petition of Alien Residence. This form establishes the relationship between the U.S. citizen and the immigrant that he or she is trying to help. Once the USCIS approves the I-130 form, the relative will be placed on a waiting list, in line to find out whether he or she is eligible for immigration. If he or she is deemed eligible for immigration then the their relative, the U.S. citizen, must file the I-864 form, Affidavit of Support. This file means that the U.S. citizen agrees to be the immigrant’s financial sponsor. This is because the I-130 is only for the immigrant to enter the United States legally, but they are still not allowed to live or work in the United States. Once the immigrant is in the United States legally, they will be able to file the I-485 form, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. This form enables the immigrant to adjust their status to a lawful permanent resident.
While the process was made clear, it may not be that easy for everyone because of the different circumstances that apply to many. Some of the more frequent situations were included in the guide as examples. They use the examples in attempt to clear any confusion no matter the cause. The examples are there for those confused by the difficult-to-understand steps, which is common with government information, and also for those thinking, “Well, my situation is different. What if…?” The USICS understands it is difficult to understand government text and that not everyone is in the same situation. Using examples enables the USCIS to use their own words, hence making the transition from government text to their own text in order to relate further to the reader. The USCIS was able to include three main situations, but also zero in on those circumstances. What about my relative’s family? This situation is in regards to whether or not the relative, that the U.S. citizen filed the I-130 for, is able to bring their family members with them. How do I file? This involves this process for filing in the event that the U.S. citizen’s relative is already legally in the United States and also if the relative lives in another country. The latter of the two is most often the case. What if I filed a petition for a relative when I was a permanent resident, but I am now a U.S. citizen? This is rare, but sometimes rather than a U.S. citizen being the one petitioning for his or her relative’s visa, he or she is only a permanent resident that is in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. This circumstance is a little more extreme because it goes deeper: a circumstance within another circumstance. If by chance the person is only a permanent resident of the U.S being the first one and then if the permanent resident becomes a citizen while waiting for a decision on the petition being the second. This is important because if a permanent resident is the one petitioning for the visa, he or she must wait for the USCIS to review the file and make a decision. On the other hand if a U.S. citizen files the I-130, the relative(s) will immediately have visas available to them.
The USCIS strives to be as helpful as possible. They offer all of the steps necessary to help a relative become a lawful U.S. resident. They also offer some alternative steps that apply to those who have special situations. In addition to that they offer further assistance on the last page. The last page includes three helpful boxes. The top box offers a review or reminder of the key forms mentioned in the guide and the form’s purpose. The second box offers the USCIS’ helpful resources which includes their website, the customer service phone number, and even includes a customer service phone numbers for those with impaired hearing. The third and final box offers contact information for other U.S. Government services. This box includes websites and phone numbers for General Information, New Immigrants, and the U.S. Department of State.
The organization of the guide establishes a sense of professionalism and clarity. The explanatory tone mixed with the conveniently organized sections enable the reader to find what he or she is looking for in a timely fashion in an easy to understand manner. To cover every possible detail of such a complex immigration law, whose rules and regulations that can vary depending on a person’s situation, is not possible. This is why the USCIS’ guide features the basic steps as well as the most common situations. They understand that they cannot pinpoint every person’s particular situation while still including the basic guidelines, which results in their disclaimer on the back, “This guide provides basic information to help you become generally familiar with our rules and procedures…Immigration law can be complex, and it is impossible to describe every aspect of the process…” The disclaimer also goes on to say that the interested party may wish to be represented by a licensed attorney or by a nonprofit agency.
The USCIS publishes this guide with the purpose to educate the interested party with the rules and procedures necessary to accomplish his or her goal. If and when changes are made in the procedure to help a relative become a U.S. permanent resident, a new guide will be issued. This most recent guide was issued in August of 2008 and includes any changes made since the one prior. In the case that the interested party needs further assistance, the USCIS makes that available to them through their website and customer service. This just makes evident that the USCIS is doing as much as they can to make this process as easy as possible by attempting to get rid of any possible confusion and offering further assistance in the case that someone is still confused or has questions. In summary, the USCIS make this guide very helpful and accessible.