When people think of good-paying jobs in the USA, careers requiring a university degree often come to mind, however, a recent report shows that many “blue collar” jobs also have high salaries. An analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics identified 30 US jobs in the blue-collar sector that have median salaries above $58,000 per year. Many of these top-paying working class occupations are in the energy industry or law enforcement field. For example, there are 6,280 nuclear power plant operators working in the USA who earn a median annual salary of $94,350, while America’s 33,920 non-nuclear power plant operators make a median salary of $79,610 per year. The 103,450 criminal investigators and police detectives in the US receive a median yearly income of $81,920, while the 661,330 patrol officers working for police and sheriff departments across the country earn a median salary of $61,380 annually. The United States has 131,690 aircraft mechanics and they get paid a median yearly salary of $62,920. To read more, click here!

It can be challenging to start a business, particularly if you are a new immigrant living in America. Nonetheless, immigrants or their children have founded 45% of all Fortune 500 companies and created thousands of jobs in the USA. Famous examples include Amazon, Apple, Google and Tesla – among many others. Of course, many immigrants establish smaller family businesses in America as well, such as local restaurants, markets and specialty shops. A successful immigrant entrepreneur from Russia has shared seven tips for new immigrants living in the USA who want to launch their own startup companies. She recommends that immigrant entrepreneurs: think big; constantly promote themselves; seek a local adviser; feel free to ask for help; conduct their own research; focus on the advantages they have; and be bold, courageous and persistent. To read more, click here!

On July 30, 2019, US News & World Report published its ranking of the best hospitals in the United States for 2019-2020. People who live in America have access to some of the most advanced medical care in the world. In fact, thousands of individuals from other countries travel to the US each year to receive cutting-edge treatments and quality healthcare. Although hospitals in the United States generally provide a high level of care, some hospitals are better than others for overall healthcare and certain hospitals offer the very best treatments for particular medical conditions (e.g., cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.) or patient populations (e.g., pediatrics, geriatrics, etc.). US News & World Report evaluated almost every hospital across the country according to various measures and ranked the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) as the best hospital in America. Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston came in 2nd place, followed by #3 Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. The Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio) placed 4th in the country. To read more, click here!

People who live in the USA, whether American citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents, have the opportunity to open their own business. In fact, many of the world’s largest companies have been started by immigrants living in America. Entrepreneurs often face a variety of challenges when they launch a new business, however, there are some states where the conditions are more conducive to success. For example, a new study published in July 2019 ranked all 50 states according to 26 factors that are considered favorable for entrepreneurs and scored each state on a scale of 0-100. Texas was ranked the best state to live in the USA for entrepreneurs in 2019. The other top 10 states for startups according to the assessment are: #2 Utah, #3 Georgia, #4 North Dakota, #5 Oklahoma, #6 Florida, #7 Arizona, #8 California, #9 Montana, and #10 Colorado. To read more, click here!

Each wave of immigration to the United States has brought with it newcomers who possess the strong desire to create a better life. Their determination to succeed and hard work in America have brought great benefits to both the immigrants and their new country which they have helped to build. Much of the success enjoyed by immigrants living in America can be attributed to their habits and values, which have allowed many of them to become prosperous entrepreneurs without getting deep into debt. Between 1996 and 2016, immigrants living in the US started businesses at a higher rate than individuals born in the United States. Statistics also reveal that immigrants or the children of immigrants started 40% of all Fortune 500 companies in America. A common habit that many immigrant entrepreneurs share is a reluctance to take out large loans in order to start their own business. Instead, they work hard, save their money, and then launch a small business that grows and prospers, due in large part to the habits and values they brought with them to America. To read the full article, click here!

An immigrant living in the US state of Florida received her American citizenship in a special ceremony held in Miami on June 14, 2019. This was an extra special occasion for this immigrant from Haiti, since she was able to become an American citizen during the Flag Day national holiday and because she is 103-years-old! After living in the USA with a Permanent Resident Green Card for more than 15 years, she decided it was time to take the next step and become a US citizen. Her family and friends who attended the naturalization ceremony said they were overjoyed about this accomplishment. This is a reminder to immigrants of all ages that a person is never too old to experience the American Dream! To read more, click here!

America is known as a land of opportunity, where an immigrant can arrive with few resources and go “from rags to riches” through determination and hard work. According to Forbes, many of the most successful women living in the USA are immigrants who made millions after moving to America. One woman from Barbados immigrated to the United States and launched a successful music and fashion career, which has earned her a net worth of $600 million. Another woman relocated to the US from Romania and initially worked at a beauty salon, but quit that job three years later to open her own company. Today, her cosmetics firm is worth more than $3 billion and this immigrant entrepreneur has a net worth of $1.2 billion. After a South Korean couple immigrated to the United States, the wife found employment as a hairdresser, while her husband worked at three different jobs. They managed to save up $11,000 to open a small clothing store and now have a thriving business with more than 815 stores and a yearly revenue of $3.5 billion. The wife’s net worth is estimated at $1.5 billion. Forbes reports that several of the richest women living in the USA are immigrants from countries such as Barbados, Canada, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Morocco, Myanmar, Romania, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. To read the full article, click here!

The United States is one of the most generous countries on Earth, not only in terms of the billions of dollars in humanitarian aid provided annually by the US government to help people around the world, but also as measured by the generosity of millions of individual Americans. In fact, a report released in June 2019 reveals that there has been a significant increase in the generosity expressed by individuals living in the USA during the past year. A US Census Bureau survey of approximately 100,000 adults living in the USA found that 30.3% of adults living in America volunteered their time at least once in a 12 month period to help others, which was a 6% increase compared with one year earlier. It was also reported that 77.4 million people living in the USA volunteered 6.9 billion hours worth about $167 billion USD in 2017. People living in the US state of Utah had the highest percentage of volunteers, women volunteered at slightly higher rates than men, and “Generation X” was the biggest age group for volunteers. Some of the top volunteer activities in the USA include fundraising, collecting and distributing food and clothing, mentoring youth, and tutoring. To read more, click here!

On June 3, 2019, the US-based Pew Research Center published a report that examines immigrants living in the USA. The research and charts in the report show data about US immigration over different periods of time. One of the interactive graphs displays the rates of immigration to the United States, from the 2.2 million foreign-born residents in 1850 to the 44.4 million immigrants living in the US in 2017. The report reveals that in 2017, 72.2% of immigrants had been living in the USA for at least 10 years, while 27.8% had been in the United States less than a decade. In 2017, 13.7% of the US population was foreign-born and an additional 12.0% were born in the USA with at least one immigrant parent. Facts about educational attainment showed that 17.8% of immigrant have a Bachelor’s Degree, while another 13.4% possess a graduate degree (2017). Where immigrants are arriving from, the various age ranges, top languages spoken, and other facts are also provided in the report. To read the full article, click here!

When you immigrate to the United States, you will need to find a place to stay, but deciding on the best city for you and your family to live in the USA can be a challenge. US News & World Report evaluated cities all across America based on different indexes which included the job market, housing affordability, quality of life, desirability, and net migration. The 125 best cities to live in America during 2019 include each city’s overall ranking and information about the population (including the average age), unemployment rate, average yearly salary, median home price, median rent per month, average temperatures, average rainfall each year, and the average worker commute time. To read the full article, click here!