Casa Guatemala USA by BIHD
Casa Guatemala USA is a specialized program of the Binational Institute of Human Development (BIHD) created to support Guatemalan immigrants living in the United States and their families in Guatemala through immigration, legal, civil, economic, social, cultural, and binational assistance.
The Guatemalan community has become one of the most important immigrant populations in the United States. Like many immigrant communities, Guatemalans come seeking safety, opportunity, family reunification, economic stability, and a better future for their children. However, the Guatemalan experience also has its own unique history and challenges. For many years, Guatemala has faced political instability, governmental problems, poverty, violence, displacement, and the long term consequences of internal armed conflict and guerrilla war. These realities have deeply affected families, communities, migration patterns, and the legal needs of Guatemalans living in the United States.
Casa Guatemala USA recognizes that Guatemalan immigrants share many challenges with Mexican and other Latin American immigrant communities, but they also face specific needs because of Guatemala’s history, its close geographic relationship to the United States through Mexico, and the difficult migration journey that many Guatemalans experience before reaching this country. Many Guatemalan families in the U.S. remain closely connected to their relatives, property, legal matters, civil documents, and responsibilities in Guatemala.
For that reason, Casa Guatemala USA serves as a binational bridge between Guatemalans in the United States and their families and institutions in Guatemala. The program was created to help Guatemalan nationals stabilize their lives in the United States, protect their legal rights, resolve immigration and documentation challenges, develop economic opportunities, and maintain a meaningful connection with their country of origin.
Immigration and Legal Representation
One of the most important priorities of Casa Guatemala USA is immigration assistance and legal representation. Many Guatemalan immigrants face complex immigration challenges, including family separation, removal proceedings, asylum-related matters, humanitarian relief, work authorization, consular processing, and family petitions. Through BIHD’s Immigration and Legal Center, Casa Guatemala USA connects Guatemalan nationals with trusted immigration support designed to evaluate each case with seriousness, honesty, and cultural understanding.
Services may include family petitions, adjustment of status, removal defense, asylum-related matters when applicable, U visas, VAWA, waivers, consular process guidance, work authorization assistance, and other immigration services depending on each person’s eligibility and individual circumstances.
Civil Registry Documents and Identity Support
Casa Guatemala USA assists Guatemalan nationals with guidance related to official documents from Guatemala, including civil registry records and certifications from the Registro Nacional de las Personas de la República de Guatemala (RENAP). These documents can be essential for immigration cases, family petitions, marriage, divorce, inheritance matters, identification, and other legal or administrative processes in the United States and Guatemala.
These services may include support with birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce records, death certificates, civil registry corrections, and other official Guatemalan documentation needed by individuals and families living abroad.
Legal and Administrative Matters in Guatemala
Many Guatemalans living in the United States continue to face legal, civil, family, property, labor, administrative, or inheritance matters in Guatemala. Casa Guatemala USA helps families understand and coordinate these matters through legal professionals and binational support when they need assistance with issues connected to Guatemala.
Services may include legal guidance in civil, family, administrative, constitutional, criminal, labor, and international matters related to Guatemala; documents issued abroad that must take legal effect in Guatemala; powers of attorney and mandates; property transactions; verification of real estate records; inheritance matters; donations; business issues; pending taxes; fraud-related concerns; and other legal needs affecting Guatemalan families across borders.
Family Support and Binational Services
Casa Guatemala USA supports Guatemalan families whose lives are divided between the United States and Guatemala. Many families need help with documents, family law issues, children’s matters, property concerns, reunification efforts, or coordination with relatives and institutions in Guatemala. The program helps families navigate these processes with clarity, bilingual support, and respect for their cultural and family realities.
Small Business Development and Economic Empowerment
Guatemalan immigrants contribute significantly to the U.S. economy as workers, entrepreneurs, contractors, vendors, and small business owners. Through BIHD’s business development and economic empowerment programs, Casa Guatemala USA helps Guatemalan entrepreneurs start, formalize, manage, and grow their businesses in the United States.
Services may include business planning, entrepreneurship training, marketing guidance, financial literacy, tax education, business registration support, access to resources, and guidance for small and medium-sized businesses. Casa Guatemala USA also supports conversations and opportunities related to business development and cooperative initiatives connected to Guatemala when appropriate.
Community Integration, Education, and Cultural Identity
Casa Guatemala USA promotes the full integration of Guatemalan immigrants into American society while honoring their cultural identity, history, values, and roots. The program supports community education, civic participation, cultural pride, family stability, and access to information that helps Guatemalan immigrants better understand systems in the United States.
Its purpose is not only to provide services, but also to strengthen the voice, dignity, confidence, and participation of Guatemalan nationals in the social, economic, cultural, and civic life of the United States.
Our Mission
The mission of Casa Guatemala USA is to strengthen the integral development of Guatemalan nationals living in the United States through actions that promote personal development, family stability, legal protection, economic opportunity, and successful integration into American society.
Casa Guatemala USA seeks to become a trusted bridge for Guatemalan immigrants and their families in both countries, helping them address their needs in the United States and Guatemala within an environment of trust, inclusion, solidarity, respect, and binational participation.
Our Philosophy
Casa Guatemala USA is guided by a spirit of solidarity, justice, knowledge, responsibility, participation, and respect. We believe in defending, empowering, and supporting Guatemalan immigrants as they transform their lives, protect their families, preserve their cultural identity, and build a stronger future in the United States and Guatemala.
Casa Guatemala USA is more than a program of services. It is a binational platform of protection, identity, legal support, economic development, family continuity, and community empowerment, created to serve Guatemalan immigrants in the United States and their loved ones in Guatemala with dignity, professionalism, and cultural understanding.
Contact Casa Guatemala USA
For more information about Casa Guatemala USA and its services, please visit our website at www.casaguatemala.org or contact the Binational Institute of Human Development (BIHD) directly.
Binational Institute of Human Development
Chicago, IL. USA
2751 W 16th ST., Chicago, IL 60608
Email: info@binationalinstitute.com
Tel: 312-867-0631
Fax: 312-854-2866
Office in Guatemala:
0 Avenida 2-15, Zona 1
Salcajá, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
WhatsApp: +502-5841-2663
Guatemala Office Tel: +502-6870-84