How to be Supportive of Immigrants Going Through the Immigration Process

Immigration is a stressful time, not just for the immigrant but for other family members too. Read on further to learn how to be supportive towards the immigrant in your family or circle of friends who is still going through the immigration process.

Don’t Belittle Their Fears

One of the most important things that anyone can do is to avoid belittling the fears of an immigrant who is still going through the immigration process. It is easily done. They come to you worried about what to wear to their next immigration interview and you brush aside their concerns or they are worried in case they accidentally sent their immigration form to the wrong service centre. These are valid concerns and should not be belittled as if they are not important. The point is that these concerns may be of absolutely no concern to you, but to the immigrant, these are a top priority to them at the moment.

Don’t Joke About Deportation

Deportation is such an ugly word. The word conjures up images of illegal immigrants being sent back to their home countries in shame. But the truth of the matter is that even legal immigrants can be deported if they do not watch their step. Deportation is not just reserved for people who commit marriage fraud or try to bypass immigration laws in some other way. Failure to comply with even some of the simplest of immigration requirements can result in deportation. Joking about deportation will not endear you to your friend or relative. It will only create a distance between you.

Offer Practical Assistance

Now that we have covered some important things to avoid doing or saying, we can turn our attention to how to help immigrants who are going through the immigration process. Immigrants will at times need some practical assistance, even if all it entails is going through their immigration form with them to check for accuracy and completeness. What about offering to pet sit while your friend or relative attends their immigration interview? This can be a great help to pet owners who must attend to immigration matters but do not have the time to search for a professional pet sitter.

Listen

Immigration is not the most exiting of topics to many people. But for immigrants going through the process, they will at times need to talk and unburden themselves. Listen to what is said, but do not think that you must always provide a “solution”. Sometimes there is no solution that you will be able to provide. That will come with time and from USCIS.

Showing support to immigrants can really give them a more positive outlook on their situation, and give them reason to hope.