The New Year of 2021 is here and with it comes new opportunities for US employment and a higher standard of living in America following the challenges of the previous year. Joseph Biden will become the new president of the United States on January 20, 2021, and he is expected to promote a more positive message and agenda for America, including favorable US immigration policies. More people are working in the USA as the world’s largest economy continues to bounce back from the disruptions caused by the global pandemic. Millions of people living in America are being vaccinated against the novel coronavirus and there is hope for a much better year and future. Whether you are living in the USA and want to start a new career or you are preparing for immigration to the United States and want to find work in America, there is a brand new report that you won’t want to miss. On January 11, 2021, US News & World Report published its ranking of the best jobs in America for 2021. This extensive report has a lot a useful information about various types of jobs in the USA, including details about the occupation, its median yearly salary, the educational requirements, and how to find US employment in that career. Furthermore, for each of the top occupations listed, there is a section where you can view and apply for current US job openings! Of course, you must have a legal right to work in America, such as possessing a US Green Card or a temporary work visa. According to the report, the best construction jobs in the USA and their median annual salaries include #1 construction manager ($95,260), #2 plumber ($55,160, and #3 electrician ($56,180) among others. The top engineering jobs in America and their median yearly salaries include #1 mechanical engineer ($88,430), #2 cartographer ($65,470), and #3 petroleum engineer ($137,720) to name a few. The best US jobs in sales and marketing along with their median salaries per year are #1 marketing manager ($136,850), #2 insurance sales agent ($50,940), and #3 sales manager ($126,640) and more. The leading careers in the USA for the technology sector and their yearly salaries include #1 software developer ($107,510), #2 data scientist ($94,280), and #3 IT manager ($146,360) as well as other US jobs in this key sector. To read about more top jobs in the USA, click here!

American employers are looking for workers who possess not only ‘hard skills’ such as experience using computers or operating machines, but they also seek employees with certain ‘soft skills’ that contribute to success in any career field. Three of the best soft skills to have are problem-solving abilities, integrity and kindness, as well as “going the extra mile” by achieving more than what is expected of you. If you don’t possess one or more of these US job skills, the good news is that they can be developed over time. Problem-solving skills require an individual to be self-sufficient, and yet, know when it’s time to ask for help. Being able to compromise and manage conflict effectively are also crucial in problem-solving. Everyone desires and deserves respect in the workplace, whether they are fellow employees, customers or vendors. Having integrity and showing kindness to others are crucial for social relationships both inside and outside of the workplace. Employees who learn fast and do more than what is expected (“going the extra mile”) will soon be noticed and are more likely to advance in their career than a worker who only does the minimum. To read more, click here!

No matter where they come from or what challenges they face, immigrants living in the USA have all of the ingredients necessary for success. Immigrants are strong, resilient, determined individuals who bring new ideas with them when they leave their country of origin and move to America. They overcome obstacles such as language barriers or cultural difference and advance forward to find (or create) opportunities. In fact, when immigrants are confronted with various hurdles that appear to work against them, they figure out unique ways to jump over those hurdles to achieve the American Dream. Did you know that immigrants living in the USA are twice as likely to start a business as people born in the United States. After moving to America from Germany, an immigrant named Levi Strauss settled in New York City for a while and then traveled to San Francisco where he helped to found the famous blue jean company that bears his name. Elon Musk grew up in South Africa and was an international student in Canada before relocating to the USA , graduating university and founding SpaceX. Another immigrant, Eric Yuan, tried for years to get a visa to the US, but he didn’t give up and was ultimately successful in moving to America where he established Zoom, which has given him a net worth estimated at more than $20 billion USD. These are only three examples of immigrants who had the drive to succeed in the land of opportunity and if they can make in America, anyone can! To read more, click here!

When people immigrate to the United States, they not only receive many benefits, but they also give back to their new country. Immigrants start businesses that create new jobs in the USA; they stimulate innovation with their fresh perspectives; immigrants become some of America’s top leaders in government, academia, business, sports, entertainment and other fields; and they make new discoveries that expand knowledge and enhance society. One of many examples that could be given of the significant contributions that immigrants make to America and to the world is in science and medicine. For example, immigrants living in the USA account for around 15% of the country’s population, yet, they have received a disproportionate amount of the Nobel Prizes awarded to Americans for chemistry, physics and medicine. From 1901 to 2020, 35% of Nobel Prizes given to Americans for chemistry, physics and medicine were awarded to immigrants living in the United States. Since 1901, immigrants have been honored with 35% of the Nobel Prizes awarded to Americans for chemistry, 36% for physics and 33% for medicine. When the Nobel Prize winners were announced in October 2020, foreign-born Americans were once again among those honored. After moving to America from Germany, Reinhard Genzel became a professor of astronomy and physics at the University of California at Berkeley. In 2020, Professor Genzel shared the Nobel Prize for Physics with American-born Professor Andrea Ghez of UCLA and British Professor Roger Penrose of Oxford University for their research related to black holes. To read more, click here!

On June 17, 2020, a special, albeit unique, ceremony was held in Detroit, Michigan, were dozens of Green Card holders took the oath to become an American citizen – without even leaving their cars! Immigrants living in the USA are still becoming American citizens despite the COVID-19 pandemic, however, US immigration judges and other officials have needed to be creative in planning ceremonies that incorporate social distancing and other safety measures. Since the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit was temporarily closed as a precaution, the American citizenship ceremony was held by “drive-thru” in the court’s parking garage. Dozens of Green Card holders from Albania, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Iran, Lithuania, Mexico and Ukraine drove themselves and their family members to a certain location in the courthouse parking garage, all wearing protective masks, rolled down their window, raised their hand, and the US immigration judge, wearing a face shield, administered the oath to become an American citizen. Although having a drive-thru ceremony was not exactly how these immigrants had envisioned receiving their US citizenship, they were, nonetheless, very happy to become American citizens and now have all of the rights and benefits that naturalized US citizens are entitled to. For example, some of the newly naturalized American citizens said they look forward to voting in the November 2020 presidential election. Similar drive-thru American citizenship ceremonies have also been held in Phoenix, San Diego and other US cities so that Green Card holders who have been living in the USA at least five years and satisfied all of the criteria can receive their US citizenship, while at the same time avoid large gatherings of people as would normally occur at such events. To read more, click here!

The United States began the New Year of 2020 with very good economic news, as the Department of Labor reported that 225,000 US jobs were created during January 2020. America’s growing economy also started the New Year with an extremely low unemployment rate of just 3.6% (the lowest in five decades), according to Labor Department data. Furthermore, the average hourly wage for people working in the USA increased by a healthy 3.1% between January 2019 and January 2020. Strong economic growth has been producing new jobs in America for a record 112 months in a row (the longest economic expansion in US history) and this is expected to continue in the months ahead. More than 10 full years of US job creation, however, has resulted in a shortage of workers across the country in various business sectors, including highly-skilled workers and also low-skilled workers. To read more, click here!

Results of the 2019 InterNations Expat Insider Survey has found that the best city to live and work in America is Miami, Florida. Over 20,000 expat workers were surveyed in 187 countries and the 82 top cities in the world were identified where foreign workers were the most satisfied. The survey discovered that 75% of expats feel at home living in Miami and 70% think the locals are friendly. Houston (Texas) was rated by expats as the #2 best city to live and work in the USA, followed by #3 Chicago (Illinois), #4 Boston (Massachusetts), #5 New York City (New York), #6 Los Angeles (California), and #7 San Francisco (California). To read more, click here!

The United States is a land of opportunity for immigrants from around the world. Immigrants living in the USA not only enjoy the freedom to pursue the American Dream as they define it, but immigrants also make valuable contributions to society that help to make the United States the greatest country on Earth. For example, an immigrant from Pakistan opened a successful restaurant in Washington, DC, after moving to America and he has been contributing to society by feeding any poor or homeless person who requests his help (he gave away 16,000 free meals in 2018). A Kurdish immigrant from Turkey had the opportunity to relocate to the US and has since opened seven popular pizza restaurants in New York. This generous immigrant entrepreneur has been distributing food and clothing to those in need and is referred to with affection as the “pizza guy” by homeless people he has helped. Inspiring stories about US immigration are not limited only to newcomers. A national Gallup poll conducted in June 2019 found that 76% of the people living in the USA think that US immigration is good for the country. This overwhelming support for US immigration is demonstrated by a woman in Arizona who has provided immigrants with food and shelter in her own home. To read more, click here!

A young man from Uzbekistan had the opportunity to move to America as an international student in 2003, improve his English language skills, work at various jobs in the USA and go on to launch his own successful business that in 2019 has $20 million in revenue and 200,000 customers. He believes that his immigrant background is the secret to his success as an entrepreneur who is living the American Dream. The three reasons that he says immigrants living in the USA flourish as entrepreneurs is because they have developed patience and resilience on their journey; they are frugal with their finances; and they have an understanding of different cultures which can help them access international markets. To read more, click here!

According to a report published by the Brookings Institution think-tank on December 9, 2019, the majority of all US job growth in the innovation and technology sector is taking place in just five major metropolitan areas. During the past 14 years, 90% of US job creation in the high-tech field has taken place in the San Francisco Bay, San Jose, San Diego, Seattle and Boston metro areas. Since jobs in the US technology sector tend to have high salaries, there has also been increased prosperity in these five metro areas. Consequently, skilled foreign professionals who want to find work in the US technology field may want to search for employment in one of these top innovation hubs. To read more, click here!