After moving to the USA, many important matters can be dealt with online without going to a government office in person. Official websites help you obtain documents, file tax returns, get information about social programmes, check your immigration status and use state or city services.
The American system of government services is different from the one many countries are used to, though. There is no single universal portal that handles absolutely everything. Federal bodies have their own websites, and each state may have separate digital platforms of its own.
The official portal of the US government
The main starting point for finding federal government services is USA.gov. The portal gathers information about the various government bodies and services. Through it you can find details on taxes, social programmes, passports, immigration, health care, driving documents and other matters.
If you do not know which government body deals with your question, USA.gov can be a good first step towards finding the information you need. USA.gov — the official portal of the US government [→ https://www.usa.gov/]
USCIS immigration services
For immigrants one of the most important resources is the website of USCIS — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. On the official USCIS site you can find information about forms, immigration procedures, citizenship, work permits and other matters connected with immigration status.
The site also has tools for checking the status of individual applications and finding information about procedures. It matters that you use the official USCIS resource, because there are a great many sites online that look governmental but are commercial intermediaries. USCIS — the official website of the US immigration service [→ https://www.uscis.gov/]
Checking the status of an immigration application
If you have already filed an application with USCIS, you can check its status online through the official service. This normally uses the case number given in the documents you received after filing.
It is better to check directly through USCIS rather than through third-party sites. That way you get the information from the official source and reduce the risk of handing personal data to services you do not know. Check a USCIS case status [→ https://egov.uscis.gov/]
The IRS website
Tax matters go through the IRS — Internal Revenue Service. On the official IRS site you can find information about federal taxes, tax forms, filing deadlines, tax credits and other obligations.
The IRS online services also give access to certain information about your tax account and let you carry out some transactions remotely. IRS — the official tax service of the USA [→ https://www.irs.gov/]
Obtaining tax documents
If you need tax documents or information about returns you filed earlier, some of it can be obtained through the IRS online services. That can be especially useful when applying for a loan, renting a home or preparing documents for various financial procedures.
When dealing with tax information, be particularly careful about the security of your account and never give your login details to anyone else.
Social Security
Social insurance is handled by the Social Security Administration (SSA). On the SSA site you can find information about the Social Security number, benefits, retirement payments and other services.
For many immigrants the first important matter is applying for or receiving a Social Security Number (SSN). Once you have the number, you may also need to create an online account to reach certain services. Social Security Administration [→ https://www.ssa.gov/]
Medicare and health programmes
The federal resource Medicare.gov is intended above all for information about the Medicare programme and the medical services connected with it.
For younger immigrants Medicare is not usually the main option for health insurance, but it is useful to know the official resource, especially if there are elderly relatives in the family. Medicare.gov — the official Medicare resource [→ https://www.medicare.gov/]
Health insurance and Healthcare.gov
For information about health insurance there is also the official federal portal HealthCare.gov. On it you can look at coverage options, learn the Marketplace rules and check which options are available depending on your situation and your state.
Insurance terms can differ substantially, so before taking out a policy it is important to look at the requirements for your own state. HealthCare.gov — the official health insurance portal [→ https://www.healthcare.gov/]
The DMV and driving documents
In the USA driving licences are issued at state level. There is therefore no universal federal DMV for everyone in the country. Each state has its own agency responsible for driving licences, vehicle registration and other transport matters. In California this is the Department of Motor Vehicles, and in New York it is the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. So when you move, look for the official DMV site of your own state.
Checking the driving requirements. On the DMV site you can usually find information about:
- getting a driving licence;
- taking the tests;
- the documents you need;
- booking an appointment;
- registering a vehicle;
- replacing or renewing a licence;
- the rules for new residents of the state.
The requirements can differ a great deal between states, so do not rely on information from another region.
State government services
Besides the federal sites, every immigrant should find the official portal of their own state. Such sites may offer services to do with state taxes, driving documents, business registration, social programmes, licences and other matters. Many states, for example, use domains ending in .gov. That is one sign that you are on a government resource, though the domain alone does not remove the need to check the address of the site.
Local government services
Some matters are handled even more locally, at city or county level. Municipal websites can give information about parking, utilities, local taxes, permits, the registration of certain activities and other services.
If you have moved recently, it is worth finding the official site not only of your state but of your city or county.
The Department of State website
The U.S. Department of State deals with a wide range of international and consular matters. Its site is useful when looking into US passports, visas, consular services, international travel and documents.
For someone who is not yet a US citizen, it is especially important to understand the difference between federal bodies: immigration matters inside the country and consular matters abroad can belong to different government agencies. U.S. Department of State [→ https://www.state.gov/]
Filing government forms electronically
Many government bodies let you fill in forms and send documents online. That makes the process much simpler, but before sending anything you should check the requirements for the form carefully and make sure you are using the current version of the document. Do not download important forms from sites you do not know. It is better to get them straight from the official website of the government body concerned.
How to tell an official site from a fraudulent one. After moving, it is especially important to learn to tell government resources from commercial services. In the USA official government sites often use the .gov domain. Fraudsters can, however, create sites with similar names, advertising and design. Before you enter passport details, an SSN, banking information or an immigration case number, check the address of the site in your browser.
If a site offers to charge you for a government form you can obtain free of charge, or promises a guaranteed outcome in an immigration case, be careful.
Do not give out your SSN unnecessarily
The Social Security Number is sensitive personal information. Do not enter an SSN on sites you do not know or send it to people who cannot explain why they need it. When using government services, make sure you are on the official resource and that the connection is secure.
Creating online accounts
Many government bodies let you create a personal online account. Once registered, you can receive notifications, check the status of applications, view the documents available to you or manage certain services.
For such accounts it is advisable to use unique passwords and two-factor authentication where it is available. Why it matters to keep electronic documents. After filing documents online, keep the confirmation of submission, the case number, the emails and any other notifications.
It is better to have a separate folder on your computer or in secure cloud storage for government documents. That is especially useful if, several months later, you need to confirm the date you filed an application or provide a case number.
What to install and bookmark after you move
In the first weeks after moving it is enough to save a handful of key resources:
- USA.gov — finding federal government services;
- USCIS.gov — immigration matters;
- IRS.gov — federal taxes;
- SSA.gov — Social Security;
- Healthcare.gov — health insurance;
- your state's DMV site — driving licences and vehicles;
- your state's official portal — local government services;
- your city or county site — municipal matters.
That set will let you find official information quickly instead of looking for government services through random websites.
Government online services make life considerably easier after a move to the USA. Many procedures can be started, or completed in full, over the internet without going to a government office in person.
The main thing is to understand which agency is responsible for which matter. Federal procedures go through federal bodies, while driving licences, some taxes and many everyday services are regulated at state or local government level.
Use official sites, check the page address carefully and do not give personal data to services you do not know. That will help you avoid fraud and unnecessary expense.
End of the article.
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