There are over one million advertisements posted for information technology jobs in the USA, but not enough workers to fill them all. Despite the economic disruptions cause by Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, the unemployment rate for computer professionals in the United States was a very low 2.3% as of February 2021, which is actually lower than than in January 2020 (3.0 percent) before the start of the pandemic. During the time period of February 8, 2021, to March 7, 2021, there were 378,197 US job postings for software developers or software quality assurance analysts and testers; 101,737 US job vacancies for computer systems analysts; 101,153 advertisements for network and computer system administrators; 67,995 information security analysts needed; job openings for 61,621 computer and information systems managers; 37,058 US job ads for electrical engineers; 26,241 roles available for computer programmers; and 21,767 computer and information research scientist jobs in the USA advertised; plus thousands of other US job opportunities available in the IT sector. Unfortunately, there are not enough H-1B temporary US work visas issued each year to bring in a sufficient number of skilled foreign workers to help fill all of these US job openings in various computer occupations. Another way for skilled foreign workers and their families to work in the USA legally is to be granted a US Permanent Resident Green Card through the Green Card Lottery Program. To read more, click here!

New research from the National Immigration Forum supports President Biden’s efforts to increase US immigration levels. Some of the reasons given for boosting US immigration levels include a rapidly-aging American population; growing numbers of “baby boomer” generation workers retiring from the labor force; rising life expectancy; falling fertility rates; and shortages of workers for US jobs in information technology, healthcare, agriculture and other industries. According to the report, “Immigrants are well-positioned to fill critical shortages, whether in the labor market or the country’s demographic composition.” Recent research from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) also supports raising US immigration levels, because of the positive impact immigrants have on the economy and the creation of new jobs in America. An economics professor in Florida, who was previously an economist at the Federal Reserve in Atlanta, has stated that US immigration is strongly associated with growing employment in the United States in metro and rural counties. Immigrants are especially beneficial to rural areas of the US where the population has been declining as more residents move to the cities. Immigrants can help rural populations to grow or stabilize and they fill jobs that allow local businesses to expand. To read more, click here!

The new President of the United States, Joseph Biden, has taken several measures in support of US immigration during his first days and weeks in The White House. On his first day in office, President Biden signed an Executive Order that cancelled former President Trump’s travel ban for individuals from several mostly-Muslim majority countries. The new US president also signed an Executive Order on February 24, 2021, which ended former President Trump’s temporary suspension on issuing new Green Cards which he had ordered because of the economic disruptions caused by the global pandemic. Trump’s Green Card suspension was originally set to expire on December 31, 2020, but the former president extended it until March 31, 2021. When President Biden ended the Green Card suspension, he said that Trump’s policy restricting US immigration did not serve the interests of the United States and that American businesses need talent from around the world. Another indicator of President Biden’s support for US immigration is his proposal contained in the new Immigration Reform Bill he sent to Congress to increase the number of Diversity Visas and Green Cards authorized to be issued each year from 55,000 to 80,000. The Immigration Reform Bill will, of course, have to be passed into law before the proposed increase in Diversity Visas can occur. Now that the Democrats, who tend to be more supportive of immigration and immigrants, control both houses of Congress and The White House, there is a good chance that positive US immigration reform can take place in the near future. To read more, click here!

When an immigrant becomes a Permanent Resident of the United States through the US Green Card Lottery, one of the many benefits they enjoy is the opportunity to open their own business in America. Although many entrepreneurs start a new business completely from scratch, another way to become a business owner in the USA is to purchase a franchise business. An advantage of buying a franchise business, rather than starting a business on your own from scratch, is that a franchise business is already established and has a track record for its performance which can be reviewed. Other advantages of franchises are that they often come with support from the corporate office, they have brand name recognition, and much of the marketing is done (and paid for) by the corporate headquarters. If you are interested in purchasing a franchise business after you immigrate to the US, then you may want to read Entrepreneur magazine’s ranking of 500 top franchise businesses, which it published on January 19, 2021. In their 2021 ranking, you can read a summary about each franchise; find out how much it costs to purchase the franchise; learn about potential financing options; read about training and support; and other useful information. To read more about the top 500 franchise business opportunities in the US, click here!

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!