U.S. Orientation Center - Documentation

ABOUT US - Fact Sheet

The U.S. Orientation Center (USOC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping immigrants and students who have received their U.S. visas as they prepare for new lives in the United States. It is registered as a tax-exempt organization with the internal Revenue Service under code section 501(c)(3).

The founder of the program, Joyce Yeung, realized there were many agencies helping people get visas to the United States, but very few that helped visa-holders understand the full complexities of moving to the country. So in 1999, USOC, previously known as U.S. Immigrant Transition Center, began hosting seminars with the aim of helping those who are making a longer-term stay in the United States

The seminars are free of charge and cover a wide variety of information vital to the newcomers. Invitations are given to those who have received U.S.-bound visas and attendance is voluntary. A representative from the Embassy or Consulate of the U.S. opens each seminar, followed by a panel of professionals who present and discuss various relevant topics. These volunteers are usually a group of U.S. expatriates or those who have a solid understanding of U.S. related issues and share their expertise and experiences with the audience. The topics covered in the seminar include:

Since its inception, USOC has hosted over 100 seminars in Hong Kong and various cities in China including Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Wuhan, as well as in Taiwan with over 25,000 attendees receiving our advice and assistance. The success of these seminars has also opened doors at international schools in Taipei and Hong Kong. Plans are underway to host these seminars in more cities throughout China as well as other Asian nations.

USOC is supported purely by donations from the public as well as U.S. corporations. It is free of commercial messages which allows speakers and participants to focus completely on the topic of preparing for life in the United States.

For a detailed listing of USOC activities in your city, or should you have any queries, please contact us via email at usorientationcenter@gmail.com. Thank you.

FOUNDER’S UPDATES:

As of January 1, 2008, founder, Joyce Yeung retired after 17 years of working in a Vice President position with Wells Fargo Bank. She headed the International Personal Banking Department in Hong Kong and expanded Wells Fargo’s presence in Asia through her business development strategies. Joyce’s primary reason for deciding to take an early retirement was to allow her the opportunity to pursue her goals in the non-profit sector doing work she is very passionate about.

In 2000, Joyce started the U.S. Orientation Center (USOC) in San Francisco as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN # 94-3351798. USOC's main goal is to help immigrants and students coming to the U.S. by conducting pre-departure seminars on how to manage the transition; deal with practical matters such as pre-tax planning and banking; and adjust to the culture. Joyce wanted to devote more time to USOC while also taking on a new project in which she has set up a China-based NGO to help the visually-impaired. And thus, the organization "Insight" was founded.

The initial funding for Insight comes from Joyce and three of her close friends. As Insight is still in the early stages of development, the organization would like to reach out and request for donations or contributions in order for Insight to fulfill its mission of developing employment opportunities for the blind or visually-impaired. Part of the services Insight provides is computer-based training and as there is a current shortage of computers available at Insight, donations of computers as well as any software and equipment which could assist in training programs, would be welcomed and appreciated.

For more information on Insight and its mission, please visit www.insight4vision.com (coming soon)