USCIS Stops Sending ‘Welcome to America’ Green Card Pack - Newsweek
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) appears to have stopped mailing its “Welcome to the United States” guide with new green cards.
Multiple people said in a recent Reddit thread that their cards arrived without the booklet. When Newsweek asked USCIS about the apparent change, it said the information was “readily available online” in its Citizenship Resource Center.
The guide, formally titled Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants, provides new permanent residents with information about settling in the country, their rights and responsibilities and the path to citizenship.
Douglas S. Pierce, a former USCIS supervisor who retired in late 2025, told Newsweek that the agency appeared to have stopped mailing the guide as part of a longer-term effort to cut printing, postage and storage costs by moving materials online.
“USCIS has been moving more and more—as has the government in general—toward providing this information online in PDF formats that those who wish to can download and access as they wish,” Pierce said.
In August, the Department of Homeland Security introduced a rule allowing USCIS to require electronic submission of forms that have been available for online filing for at least 180 days. The agency said the initiative would reduce its reliance on physical processing facilities and produce “substantial cost savings and greater efficiency.”
USCIS had already moved the H-1B process further online. In 2024, it launched organizational accounts and online filing for associated petitions, saying the changes would make the H-1B process electronic from registration through its final decision and transmission to the State Department.
Pierce said the move away from printed materials reduces printing and mailing costs, along with the expense of purchasing and storing large quantities of publications. He said USCIS had made a similar change to welcome packets previously handed out at naturalization ceremonies.
“The M-617 still exists, in online format at USCIS’ website, as do the welcome packets for newly naturalized citizens,” he said.
The guide serves as a practical handbook for people beginning life as lawful permanent residents. It explains how to obtain a Social Security number, find work and housing, access health care, manage finances and enroll children in school.
It also outlines permanent residents’ rights and legal responsibilities, including paying taxes, obeying federal, state and local laws, carrying proof of immigration status and notifying USCIS of a change of address. The guide explains circumstances that could jeopardize a person’s status and advises immigrants on avoiding fraud and finding authorized legal assistance.
A section introduces the naturalization process, including general eligibility requirements and the English and civics tests. The guide also directs newcomers to government agencies and community organizations that can help them settle in the United States.
There is no evidence that the apparent change to the welcome guide is connected to the Trump administration’s broader immigration policies.
Since returning to office in January 2025, President Donald Trump has made stricter immigration enforcement a central priority. An early executive order directed federal agencies to increase detention and removals, restrict the use of humanitarian parole and resume the “Remain in Mexico” program.
USCIS has separately expanded its screening of people applying for immigration benefits. The agency announced enhanced vetting measures and established a new center focused on identifying fraud, national security threats and public safety concerns.
Those policy changes affect how applications are reviewed, while the guide’s apparent move online concerns how information is delivered to people who have already been granted permanent residence.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Dave Siminoff.
