The Green Card Lottery is a congressionally mandated immigration program which issues 50,000 green cards to people every year.
With a green card, an immigrant can live and work in the United States for as long as they so choose.
This program provides people with a unique opportunity to be able to come to the U.S. without a job offer and to build their new lives afresh.
In many ways, the Green Card Lottery is a symbol of the history of opportunity afforded to immigrants coming to America.
There are not many limitations of the kinds of jobs that a person can get in the U.S. as long as they have a green card. Since immigrants do not need to get an Employment Authorization document for every job they get, they can switch from job to job with relative ease.
Establishing Qualifications
Many immigrants bring experience and education with them when they immigrate to the United States and being able to communicate this to potential employers is an important part of preparing for a job search.
Diplomas and degrees that immigrants have earned outside of the U.S. should be at hand and it may be a good idea to have these documents certified by an educational equivalency evaluation organization.
Immigrants should also maintain a record of past employment, such as dates of employment, contact information for the companies, duties performed at that particular job and the job title.
Being able to produce letters of recommendation from former employers or teachers will also greatly help immigrants find work.
All of this information should be accumulated and listed in a resume, which potential employees will then provide to employers.
Getting a Job
There are many different resources available to people in the United States for getting a job.
Being able to support oneself and one’s family after immigration is important as the government is reluctant to support new immigrants with social service programs.
Below is a list of some of the more common ways to find a job in the U.S.:
- Newspaper want ads. In the advertising section of most local newspapers, one can find many local companies looking for workers. Often, these employers have specific instructions for applying for a job.
- Employment agencies. Some companies will offer to help immigrants find jobs for a nominal finder’s fee.
- Online job searching. The Internet can be a great resource for finding jobs and there are many different websites dedicated to connecting the right employee to the right job.
- Networking. Whether online or in real time, networking is one of the most effective ways to get employment. People looking for jobs are much more likely to get employed if they can get someone to speak well of them.
One of the final steps of getting a job is attending an interview. During this step, potential employees and employers will meet to determine if the job is right for them.
The Land of Opportunity
The United States has a very diverse economy and newcomers can find jobs in every sector of the economy.
In the past 50 years, the U.S. has transferred from a more industrial economy to a service based one and it is in this sector that the majority of jobs remain.