According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, persons being deported may transfer their assets from the United States to Guyana. However, if their assets were seized in connection with a criminal conviction, they would no longer be available to the individual.

"In instances where the assets are not free of encumbrances, they cannot be transferred from the United States", the ministry said.

Further, the U.S. Department of State has advised that deportees can receive Social Security retirement and disability benefits. However, for wives, widows and children of deportees to receive dependent and survivor benefits in Guyana, the deportees had to have been living in the U.S. for a minimum of five years.

The ministry said that since the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown does not stock Social Security application forms, an individual who desires to file a claim for benefits will have to contact the embassy to make a written statement.

It said the statement must express the intent to claim Social Security benefits, contain a Social Security number, be date stamped by the embassy and sent to the Social Security Administration, Division of International Operations, P.O. Box 17769, Baltimore, Maryland 21232-7769, USA.

The ministry said that eligibility for Social Security benefits requires a minimum of 40 quarters of covered work and that individuals are normally eligible to obtain their benefits when they reach the age of 67 years.

"In view of the interest that has been shown with regard to the Government of Guyana's efforts to ensure that those who are deported from the U.S. obtain their assets and other benefits, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to provide (this) information which should be of interest to the deportees and to all concerned Guyanese", the ministry said.