In July 2022, CNBC.com released the results of its evaluation of the US states with the best environments for business. Each of the 50 states was assessed based on 88 measures that were grouped into 10 larger categories. The 10 major categories were: workforce; infrastructure; cost of doing business; economy; health, life, and inclusion; innovation and technology; business friendliness; cost of living; access to capital; and education. Each states could receive a maximum score of 2,500 points and a “letter grade” was also given for each of the 10 major categories (A = Excellent, B = Very Good, C = Satisfactory, D = Below Average, and F = Failure). According to the evaluation, the top 10 best states for business in 2022 are: #1 North Carolina, #2 Washington, #3 Virginia, #4 Colorado, #5 Texas, #6 Tennessee, #7 Nebraska, #8 Utah, #9 Minnesota, and #10 Georgia. The top state for business, North Carolina, also came in 1st place for its economy and received the following grades for each category: economy = A+; innovation and technology = A+; cost of living = A; education = B+; workforce = B+; cost of doing business = B; infrastructure = B-; cost of living = C+; business friendliness = C; and health, life and inclusion = C-. The report also noted that North Carolina has a very low unemployment rate of 3.4 percent (May 2022); the maximum corporate tax rate is only 2.5 percent; and the maximum state income tax rate for individuals is just 4.99 percent. To read more and see the ranking of all 50 states, click here!

One of the most prized benefits that US Permanent Residents enjoy is the opportunity to become an American citizen. As a Permanent Resident of the United States (i.e., a Green Card holder), you have most of the same benefits possessed by American citizens. For example, you can live in any of the 50 states, work in the US legally, attend educational programs, buy a home, start a business, travel to and from the USA, etc. There are additional benefits, however, that you can receive once you become an American citizen. For example, an American citizen can receive a US passport, which can make it easier to travel the world. When you become an American citizen, your children also have the opportunity to receive US citizenship. American citizens can vote in elections as well as run for political office (except President of the United States). Many naturalized American citizens have become members of the US Congress and a famous immigrant actor from Austria became the governor of California. Although Green Card holders can legally work in the USA, there are some jobs that only American citizens can apply for, such as certain government jobs. Furthermore, an American citizen cannot be deported. In order to become an American citizen, a Green Card holder must generally be at least 18 years of age and must have lived in the USA at least five years (only three years in some cases). Another requirement is to have basic knowledge about US history and government. An immigrant is not required to know the English language to become a US Permanent Resident, however, an immigrant must demonstrate that he or she can read, write, speak and understand English to become an American citizen. To read more, click here!

The US State Department has released the official results of the DV-2023 Green Card Lottery, revealing how many people were selected as winners in each of the eligible countries. According to the government report, there were 119,262 winners selected from the 9,570,291 applicants who participated in the DV-2023 Lottery which was held earlier in 2022. These “selectees” now have the opportunity to continue the application process for one of the 55,000 US Diversity Immigrant Visas and Permanent Resident Green Cards that are authorized to be issued between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023. The DV-2023 winners must next file the Form DS-260 with the US State Department’s Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), so the consular interview can be scheduled. Some of the countries with the most DV-2023 winners include Afghanistan (2,724), Albania (2,001), Algeria (5,526), Armenia (3,525), Australia (461), Cameroon (2,392), Cuba (1,358), Democratic Republic of Congo (4,385), Ecuador (466), Egypt (5,529), Fiji (1,718), Georgia (2,071), Germany (512), Ghana (3,398), Iran (5,506), Iraq (1,300), Jordan (937), Kazakhstan (1,908), Kenya (3,417), Kyrgyzstan (2,846), Liberia (1,221), Morocco (4,469), Nepal (3,808), Peru (1,191), Russia (5,505), Saudi Arabia (658), Somalia (1,541), Sri Lanka (2,019), Sudan (4,863), Tajikistan (2,485), Thailand (685), Turkey (3,383), Uganda (1,044), Ukraine (3,808, Uzbekistan (5,511), and Yemen (2,807) – among many others. To read more (see Section D.), click here!

A key motivation for immigration to the United States is the desire of immigrants for their children to be more successful than they were. According to a study by two professors, one from Princeton University and the other from Stanford University, there is a historical trend for the children of immigrants living in the USA to be more successful than their parents. The professors examined data from 1980 to 2022 and also from 1880 to 1940 and found that in both time periods, the children of immigrants achieved greater upward mobility than the children of parents who were born in the United States. They also discovered that the children of immigrants from poor countries outperformed the children of parents born in the US from similar poor backgrounds. The professors explained that the major reason why the children of immigrants living in the USA are generally successful is because immigrant parents are more likely to settle in locations in the United States that have more opportunities for upward mobility (for example, where there are a lot of jobs available), while parents born in the US tend to remain where they are. In other words, geography matters – where a child is raised has an impact on the opportunities he or she will have in life. To read more, click here!

A recent report reveals which industries are currently the most popular with US job seekers. Research conducted in June 2022 by the ResumeBuilder website gathered responses from 1,000 US job seekers in the 18-54 age range to find out where people want to work in America right now. Based on the results of that research, the 10 industries that are the most popular with US job seekers are: #1 Advertising and Marketing; #2 Information Technology and Computers; #3 Healthcare; #4 Business and Finance; #5 Retail; #6 Food and Hospitality; #7 Education; #8 Arts and Entertainment; #9 Office and Administrative Support; and #10 Community and Social Services. The same survey also discovered that 32% of respondents prefer to work in-person at their place of employment; 31% would rather work from home; and 23% want a hybrid arrangement. To read more, click here!

Whether you are visiting or living in California, you will discover many incredible things to see and do in America’s most populous state. One of the most beautiful places to travel to in California is the Monterey Peninsula, where you can watch the waves crash against the rocks and see deer on the seaside golf courses as you take a scenic drive through Pebble Beach on 17-Mile Drive (be sure to take some nice photos of the iconic Lone Cypress). From Pebble Beach, it is a short drive to the neighboring town of Carmel, where you can visit art galleries, shop, dine at restaurants and relax in the sun at Carmel Beach. In the City of Monterey, be sure to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium which is located on Cannery Row and take a stroll along the Fisherman’s Wharf where you will find several seafood restaurants and shops. Depending on what part of California you are in, you can enjoy the thrill rides at one or more of the Golden State’s many amusement parks, such as Great America in Santa Clara, Disneyland in Anaheim, Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Universal Studios in Los Angeles, and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia. A must-see place to visit in California is Yosemite National Park, where El Capitan and Half Dome rise high above the pine-covered Yosemite Valley as towering waterfalls feed the tranquil Merced River. In San Francisco, you will want to go to Pier 39, Chinatown, North Beach, Alcatraz and drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to the town of Sausalito where you will enjoy an amazing view of the “city by the bay.” Not far away, you can visit the Napa Valley wine country and see giant redwoods soar high into the sky. When you are in Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the USA, you will want to see the Chinese Theater and Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios and City Walk, Beverly Hills, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the Santa Monica Pier. Points of interest in San Diego include Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park and nearby La Jolla Beach. To read more, click here!

The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released its yearly forecast for US employment and estimates that an additional 11.9 million people will be working in the USA by the end of this decade. Many of these US jobs have high salaries and are expected to experience strong growth. One of the top jobs in America for the next several years is Software Developer, which has a median salary of $120,730 per year (2021) and is forecast to have around 409,500 US job openings this decade. It is also anticipated that about 226,300 General Managers and Operations Managers will be hired between 2020 and 2030 (median salary in 2021 = $97,970). Another rapidly-growing occupation is Registered Nurse, which pays a median annual salary of $77,600 (2021) and is forecast to generate 276,800 new jobs in the USA in the coming years. Approximately 118,200 Financial Managers will be hired by the end of this decade and they earn (2021) a median yearly salary of $131,710. To read about more top jobs in the USA, click here!

According to a a Forbes.com report published on April 18, 2022, the number of immigrants who became billionaires after moving to the USA has reached a record high. The report reveals that 92 people from 35 countries became billionaires after immigrating to the United States. The largest number of immigrant billionaires living in the USA came from Israel (ten); followed by eight from Canada; seven from China; seven from India; six from Germany; five from France; four from Hungary; and four from Taiwan. One of the immigrants who became a billionaire while living in America is Elon Musk of SpaceX and Tesla, currently the world’s wealthiest person ($219 billion), who is from South Africa and Canada. Another self-made billionaire living in the USA is Sergei Brin of Google, who immigrated to the US from Russia and is worth around $107 billion. Dagmar Dolby of Dolby Laboratories came to America from Germany and she and her family are worth about $4.6 billion. The CEO and Founder of Zoom Video Communications, Eric Yuan, is originally from China and is worth approximately $5.2 billion. Pierre Omidyar of eBay and PayPal immigrated to the United States from France and is estimated to be worth $11.3 billion. Jan Koum of WhatsApp is worth around $9.8 billion and originally from Ukraine. Another foreign-born billionaire who got rich in America is Jerry Yang of Yahoo who is from Taiwan and is estimated to be worth $2.7 billion. Eren Ozmen is originally from Turkey and she earned her $2.6 billion in aerospace. Tope Awotona moved to America from Nigeria and made his $1.4 billion fortune in software. Of course, most people who immigrate to the United States don’t become millionaires or billionaires, however, they all have the opportunity to live the American Dream and to enjoy success. To read about more immigrant billionaires living in the US, click here!

Immigration to the United States rebounded to pre-pandemic levels during 2021, according to a report published by the Pew Research Center on April 4, 2022. In the last quarter of the 2021 fiscal year (July-September 2021) there were approximately 282,000 US Permanent Resident Green Cards issued to immigrants, which was the most since April-June 2017. Around 105,000 US Green Cards were granted to new immigrants, while about 177,000 Green Cards were issued to foreign nationals already living in the USA as temporary residents (known as adjustment of status). Temporary foreign workers relocating to the USA climbed to 542,000 during the final quarter of Fiscal Year 2021, while the number of international students moving to the US increased substantially to 501,000. To read more, click here!

The US Department of Labor reported on April 1, 2022, that an additional 431,000 people were working in America during March. This robust increase of jobs in the USA dropped the national unemployment rate to just 3.6 percent for March, down from a very low 3.8 percent in February when 678,000 US jobs were filled. The Labor Department also reported that average hourly wages for people working in America increased 5.6 percent during the last 12 months, rising to an average of $31.73 per hour. Strong US job growth has occurred for 15 months in a row, averaging about 400,000 new jobs per month during the past year. US employment in the construction industry increased by 19,000 workers in March, while 25,000 hotel workers were hired, 38,000 manufacturing jobs were added, and 61,000 workers were hired by restaurants and bars. To read more, click here!