additional resources

Government websites

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
This is the official site of USCIS, and provides a wealth of information on what forms  and fees are required for particular applications.

U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs:
http://travel.state.gov/
This site provides information on types of visas and information on the processing of visas by the Department of State, including by U.S. consular staff.

Visa Bulletin:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html
This page on the Department of State website provides links to the most recent Visa Bulletin.  The Visa Bulletin includes the most current available information on the status of visa processing for family- and employment-based visas.

Office of Foreign Labor Certification:
http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/
This is the official site of the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification, and provides information on the requirements to obtain labor conditions approvals and labor certifications for various types of employment-based visas.

Nonprofit organizations

Nationalities Service Center:
http://nationalitiesservice.org/
A nonprofit organization serving immigrants and refugees in the Greater Philadelphia area.

HIAS & Council, Migration Service of Philadelphia:
http://hiaspa.org/
Another nonprofit organization serving low-income immigrants and refugees in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition:
http://paimmigrant.org/
A coalition of Pennsylvania organizations advocating for immigrant rights.

Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC):
http://www.pirclaw.org/
PIRC is a nonprofit legal services organization founded in 1996 in the aftermath of the Golden Venture catastrophe, and today serves foreign nationals held in detention in York County Prison and other detention centers in Pennsylvania.

Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition (SEAMAAC):
http://seamaac.org/
SEAMAAC's mission is to support Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees to adjust and thrive in the Philadelphia area.

Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
http://www.searac.org/
A national resource center for Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans focusing on issues such as immigration, education, and civic engagement.

Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians
http://welcomingcenter.org/
A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping new immigrants succeed in Pennsylvania by connecting them with economic opportunities.

Other sites of interest

A Village Called Versailles
http://avillagecalledversailles.com/
A documentary by director S. Leo Chiang about a Vietnamese American community in New Orleans that came together in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to successfully protest the proposed location of a new landfill in their neighborhood. It spotlights a vibrant immigrant community that has managed to hold on to its cultural traditions in the United States.