The U.S. is a great place to live!
The United States is the land of freedom and opportunities, where you and your family can have a better future. Ranked the #1 economy in the world, the U.S. offers more work opportunities, great education choices, better healthcare, natural beauty, and travel possibilities than any other country in the world. After you apply to the Green Card Lottery and are selected, you and your family can enjoy all these of benefits and live in this safe and prosperous country.
This guide provides you with some key tips for moving to the United States and essential background information about the country and its deep and historical connections to immigrants. Continue reading below and click on the appropriate links to learn more on the topics that interest you.
There are many details that you need to keep in mind before you move to the U.S. such as leaving your own house in your own country; improving your English if you are not sufficiently fluent; planning for temporary accommodation when you first arrive to the U.S. (if you don’t have friends or family with whom to stay); arriving with proper clothing depending on the state that you have chosen to be your new home; and buying adapters for your electronics if you come from a country that has different power plugs and sockets than the U.S.
It is very important that you choose the right state in which to live if you are not reuniting with relatives or friends in the U.S. Our “Land of Dreams and Opportunities” is composed of 50 very different states that offer new immigrants different types of climates, cultures, and job opportunities. From the dry and hot desert climates of Arizona and New Mexico in the American Southwest with abundant job opportunities in the tourism and leisure industry; to the wet and cool weather of New York and Connecticut in the Northeast with plenty of work opportunities in finance, technology, media, and entertainment. The opportunities presented by each U.S. state are diverse, and all offer a wide range of opportunities to new immigrants.
With a very low unemployment rate in the U.S., finding a job is not a difficult task and depends on your skills and experience. There are many industries like finance, tourism, sanitation, gastronomy, information technology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, education, farming, food processing, and health services in high need of immigrant workers. Salaries are higher in the U.S. than in most countries for specialized workers, as of 2021, ranging from $112,000 per year for a pharmacy manager to a high of $352,000 per year for a cardiologist. Also, most U.S. companies offer great benefits packages that include paid time off for up to 6 weeks, contributions to your retirement fund, health and life insurance, childcare, and travel benefits.
The U.S. is a country rich in history, culture, and heritage. This is reflected in the country’s traditional holidays, which reaffirm all the glory of this great nation. From Martin Luther King Jr. Day that celebrates the birthday of one of the most iconic pro-equality and human rights activists in the country; to Memorial Day honoring the memory of those who lost their lives to protect the freedom of the U.S.; to Independence Day (July 4th) commemorating the declaration of independence from British rule; to the family get-together holiday of Thanksgiving that reminds us of the first pilgrims who arrived in the country and their joint feast of thanks with Native Americans to celebrate the success of their harvests. These national holidays represent the United States as a country of family, unity, diversity, and inclusion. And you should know about them before you come to the U.S.!
Any immigrant coming to the U.S. looking for a better life for themselves and their family can also dream about their American-born son or daughter sitting in the highest offices in the country. Why? Because there are several presidents and vice presidents with foreign-born parents in recent times and history. From the current Vice President at the time of this writing, Kamala Harris, whose parents were born in India and Jamaica, to former President Donald Trump, whose mother came from Scotland, to former President Barack Obama whose father was born in Kenya, their parents immigrated to the “Land of Dreams and Opportunities” looking for a better future. Their descendants became world leaders and held some of the most powerful positions of power on the planet.
Traditionally, immigrants not only have contributed to the growth and prosperity of the United States, but there are also many immigrants who changed American history based on their contributions to the country and the world. From Sergey Brin, originally from Russia, who co-founded Google at only 25 years old, which went on to become the world’s most used search engine; to Hamdi Ulukaya a modest Turkish man of Kurdish origin who arrived in the U.S. at only 22 years old, learned English and founded Chobani, now the biggest yogurt company in the world; to Madeleine Albright who emigrated from her native Czech Republic with her family when she was 11 years old and became a U.S. citizen by the age of 20 and later became the first woman in U.S. history to become Secretary of State. The United States offers endless possibilities to immigrants who want a better future and are willing to work hard for it.
Although applying to the Green Card Lottery gives you the chance get a Diversity Visa that allows you to legally live, work, and study permanently in the U.S. for you and your immediate family, there are other U.S. visas that can give you the same rights, but only temporarily: from a tourist visa (B2) that gives you the right to visit friends and family in the U.S. or travel around the country for up to 90 days (note that some countries do not need to apply for tourists visas under the visa waiver program); to the H-1B sponsored visa that allows a certain number of workers per year in specialty occupations to work and live in the country for up to 3 years; to a student visa, F or M depending on the type of educational institution, that allows international students to live and study in the country for the length of their studies. The U.S. Government offers different ways to remain temporarily in the country, but only one, the Green Card Lottery, can provide you with a visa that will allow you to live in this country permanently and eventually become a U.S. citizen with all the rights and benefits that come with that honor.
If you are interested in living and working in the United States, read the rest of our immigration guide to start getting ready for your journey to the “Land of Dreams and Opportunities!” And remember: apply today to the Green Card Lottery for your best chance of obtaining your U.S. visa!
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