Silver Spring Immigration Green Card Brochure - International ...

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE IMMIGRATION SERVICES
How Do I Get a Green Card

How Do I Get a Green Card
The International Rescue Committee (IRC)
responds to the world’s worst humanitarian
crises and helps people to survive and rebuild
their lives. At work in over 40 countries and 22
U.S. cities to restore safety, dignity and hope,
the IRC leads the way from harm to home.
The IRC in Silver Spring aims to provide effective
resettlement services to refugees and asylees.
Our goal is to help refugees adjust to life in
the United States and begin to lead self-reliant
sufficient and productive lives in their new country.
Our immigration services are accredited by the
U.S. Department of Justice Board of Immigration
Appeals, and our staff is fully qualified to
provide high-quality assistance at low cost.
Please call our Immigration Specialist to
schedule a consultation:
Tel: +1 301 562 8633
The IRC will provide an interpreter (if available)
with prior arrangement.
The IRC in Silver Spring
8719 Colesville Road, 3rd Floor
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: +1 301 562 8633
From Harm to Home | Rescue.org
What is a Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card”)
A permanent resident card (or “Green Card”) allows individuals
to permanently live and work in the U.S..
Refugees are required by law to apply for lawful permanent
resident status one year after arriving in the United States.
Asylees are not required to apply for lawful permanent resident
status one year after being granted asylum but are encouraged
to do so.
Why should I apply for a Green Card
A Green Card protects your lawful permanent immigration
status and brings you one step closer to U.S. citizenship.
Lawful permanent residents may also petition for spouses and
unmarried children to join them in the U.S.
How can I get a Green Card
The IRC provides the following Green Card and other
related services:
Eligibility consultation
Change of address (AR-11)
Application for permanent resident status
(adjustment of status) (Form I-485)
Application to renew or replace Permanent Resident
Card (Form I-90)
Replacement of lost I-94 arrival/departure record
(Form I-102)
Application for travel document (Form I-131)
Application for work authorization (Form I-765)
Representation at appointments with the United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
(if available)
Assistance with USCIS fee waiver applications
(Form I-912) and immigration loans (if available)
Assistance with language translation and interpretation
(if available)

How do I ensure I will be eligible to apply for
a Green Card
Keep all of your documents safe.
Keep records of all the places you have lived
and worked for the last five years.
Keep copies of all immigration and travel
documents.
Keep copies of medical and vaccination records.
Make only truthful statements to government officials
and on official government forms, and obey all laws.
Share all relevant information (including any arrests
or legal problems) with the immigration specialist
Must I undergo a medical exam and get vaccinated
Refugees need a record of vaccination (Form I-693) signed by
a medical doctor who has been designated as a civil surgeon.
Vaccination records can be obtained from the local Health
Department. Asylees and other applicants must submit a fully
completed Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination
Record (Form I-693) signed by a civil surgeon.
When you go to the civil surgeon, make sure you bring all of
your medical and vaccination records. The doctor will complete
and sign the report and seal it in an envelope. DO NOT open
the envelope but bring it to the IRC for submission with the
green card application.
The appointment with the civil surgeon can vary in price
depending on the vaccinations you need and other factors.
Insurance may not cover the cost of this examination
and/or vaccinations.
How do I apply for a Green Card
Complete an Application to Register Permanent
Residence or Adjust Immigrant Status (Form I-485)
and Biographic Information Sheet (Form G-325A).
You will need to include supporting documents
and evidence.
After you file the application, USCIS will send you
a receipt notice. Save the receipt: it will tell you
what to expect.
USCIS will notify you of the time and location of
your biometrics appointment, where you will be
fingerprinted and photographed.
USCIS will review your application, a process that
can take up to six months. If your application is
approved, USCIS will send your Green Card to you
by U.S. mail.
IMPORTANT: If your address changes after your application
is submitted, you MUST inform USCIS and the IRC.
Call the IRC for Help
The IRC can help you gather all of the appropriate
documents you will need to apply for your Green Card.
Refugees and asylees should set up an appointment with
the IRC 11 months after they arrive in the United States to
discuss their immigration options. Call or visit the office for
an initial consultation.
Please contact the IRC for more information about civil
surgeons and Green Card medical exam and vaccination
requirements.

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE IMMIGRATION SERVICES
From Harm to Home | Rescue.org