US Immigration
The United States offers a wealth of opportunities for people who are willing to work hard to achieve their goals. The country is founded on immigrant labor and has a long history of welcoming new immigrants to enrich the country.
America is more than twice the size of the European Union, with a population of 306 million people, over ten million new immigrants moved to the US in the past ten years alone.
The US has special ties with the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other NATO members, as well as close business ties with Canada and Mexico.
Facts about the US
- Figures from the US Census Bureau put the average household income in 2007 at $50,233.
- There are 759 cars per 1,000 inhabitants - almost double that of the EU.
- State and local governments operate education, children are required to start school at six and finish when they are between sixteen and eighteen.
- The average life expectancy is 77.8 years, one year short of Western Europe.
- Recent immigration from Asia and Latin America has added to the diverse melting pot.
- Americans watch more TV than any other country in the world, averaging 5 hours per day.
US immigration is governed by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is a branch of the Department of Homeland Security.
USCIS promotes national security through processing immigrant visa applications as well as managing other immigration tasks, such as granting permanent citizenship or permanent residence.
In order to become a lawful permanent resident you must hold a Permanent Resident Card for at least five consecutive years and have no trips out of the US lasting longer than 10 days. If during that time marriage to a US citizen takes place, eligibility will be shortened to three years.
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