Winning the Green Card lottery and obtaining an immigrant visa to enter the United States is not a simple task. You would have taken a lot of efforts to enter the lottery program and winning the lottery shows that you are lucky enough to immigrate to the United States. All the winners of the lottery are not selected for immigrant visas; only the qualified individuals are issued immigrant visas. The immigrant visa will be issued to you with six months validity, before which you must enter the United States and obtain a Green Card.
As a new immigrant in the United States, you will not be assisted by the US government in terms of finding jobs or housing and you will be on your own. Finding a job in the United States is the most important thing for many new immigrants. You can choose a state to live and you can also find a job anywhere in the United States. While finding jobs, remember that you will not be hired in offices that hire only US citizens. Most US employers require a proof of your legal status, such as a Green Card, in the United States. Initially you may use your passport, with the temporary I-551 stamp, as a proof of your lawful status in the United States until you get a Green Card. With that you may be able to find jobs.
As a new immigrant, you can find employment opportunities through your friends or relatives who are already in the United States. The US Federal Government has developed many resources for new immigrants who do not have friends or relatives in the United States, to help them find jobs. Hence you can make use of such resources to get employed in America.
Before you enter the United States, it is better to get to know well about the nation and its states. Most new immigrants get settled in California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, Alaska, Washington D.C. and Florida. These states are common among immigrants because there are ample job opportunities for new immigrants here. New immigrants with IT background may easily find jobs in Silicon Valley which is a cybercity located in Northern California. Immigrants with no work experience may initially find jobs in restaurant chains such as Domino’s Pizza, McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, etc. These chain restaurants are found in almost all the states, and a new immigrant with a 12 year primary and secondary education may find a job in one of these restaurants.
People who have relatives to sponsor them for permanent resident status in the United States may not have difficulties in finding housing and in finding jobs because the sponsoring relative will guide the new immigrant. But the Green Card lottery winners may find it difficult when they enter the United States, as they may not have a finalized plan in terms of housing and employment. They can make use of the resources that are offered by the Federal government to overcome their difficulties. There are certain community organizations in America that help the new immigrants to find housing initially.