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On March 1, 2003, services formerly
provided by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
transitioned into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
under U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). In
support of the DHS overall mission, the priorities of the
USCIS are to promote national security, continue to eliminate
immigration case backlogs, and improve customer services. The
USCIS will continue efforts to fundamentally transform and
improve the delivery of immigration and citizenship services.
Created as a separate bureau by the
Homeland Security Act of 2002, USCIS allows the DHS to improve
the administration of benefits and immigration services for
applicants by exclusively focusing on immigration and
citizenship services. This new Bureau includes approximately
15,000 employees and contractors, and is headed by the
Director of USCIS, who reports directly to the Deputy
Secretary for Homeland Security.
If you’re a citizen of a foreign country,
in most cases you’ll need a visa to enter the United States.
A visa doesn’t permit entry to the U.S., however. A visa
simply indicates that a U.S. consular officer at an American
embassy or consulate has reviewed your application, and that
the officer has determined you’re eligible to enter the
country for a specific purpose. Consular affairs are the
responsibility of the U.S. Department of State.
A visa allows you to travel to the United
States as far as the port of entry (airport or land border
crossing) and ask the immigration officer to allow you to
enter the country. Only the immigration officer has the
authority to permit you to enter the United States. He or she
decides how long you can stay for any particular visit.
Immigration matters are the responsibility of the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security.
There are two categories of U.S. visas:
immigrant and non-immigrant.
Immigrant visas are for people who intend
to live permanently in the U.S. Non-immigrant visas are for
people with permanent residence outside the U.S. but who wish
to be in the U.S. on a temporary basis – for tourism,
medical treatment, business, temporary work or study.
USA Country Information
The USA is the fourth largest country in
the world, in terms of area, and the third largest country, in
terms of population. There are 50 states covering an area of 4
million square miles with a population of more than 281
million. The density of population greatly varies, depending
on where you are in the country.
The US is the world's foremost economic and
military power. It is also a major source of entertainment:
American TV, Hollywood films, jazz, blues, rock and rap music
are primary ingredients in global popular culture.
Ethnic and racial diversity - the 'melting
pot' - is celebrated as a core element of the American
ideology. The 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed racial and other
discrimination, but race continues to be a live issue. The
ongoing debate includes topics such as affirmative-action
programs - intended to remedy past discrimination - and
housing segregation.
The US originated in a revolution, which
separated it from the British Crown. The constitution, drafted
in 1787, established a federal system with a division of
powers even at the central level, which, uniquely among modern
nation-states, has remained unchanged in form since its
inception.
The early settlers came predominantly from
the British Isles. Slaves from Africa joined them
involuntarily in a second wave. Millions of Europeans
constituted a third stage of immigration. Today, Asians from
the Pacific Rim and Hispanics from the Americas are seeking
what their predecessors wanted: political freedom and
prosperity. This shift is reflected in America's interests
abroad, which are now less European in focus than ever before.
American foreign policy has often mixed the
idealism of its "mission" with elements of
self-interest. The latter is exemplified in its international
record on the environment, which has attracted criticism, and
the need to maintain energy supplies, in which the US is not
self-sufficient.
English is spoken in different ways
depending on the area of the country. Accents can vary from
the sharp fast-paced speech of New York to the slow-paced
drawl of Mississippi. Americans are eager to help you learn
the language, so you need not hesitate in asking them to
correct your speech and answer your questions. Apart from
this, cassettes are available to understand and learn the
language. Watching television will also help a lot in learning
the US English.
Lifestyles vary greatly. It is very formal
in the west when compared to the east, while in the north it
is more casual than in the south. In the south the lifestyle
is more religious and traditional, mainly focusing on the
family. In the east and west coast it is new, varying and
trendy.
Food styles and menu offerings vary greatly
from place to place, largely depending on the culture of the
original settlers in that area. For example, while food in
Texas has a strong Mexican flavor, food in Louisiana has a
Cajun or French Flavor. The recipes of the Scandinavian
settlers are still maintained in far northern States, while in
Northern California the cuisine has an Asian flavor.
Weather observations are taken with respect
to time. By Convention, weather scientists use the twenty-four
hour clock, and use one time zone, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
This time is also known as Universal Time (UTC). To convert to
local time, you must know the time difference between GMT and
local time for both standard time and summertime (daylight
savings time). Not all states use daylight savings time in the
summer.
Daylight Saving Time, for the US and its
territories, is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam,
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Eastern Time Zone portion
of the State of Indiana, and the state of Arizona. Navajo
Nation participates in the Daylight Saving Time policy, due to
its large size and location in three states.
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