There are currently over 500,000 immigrants applying to come to the United States to live or work on a permanent basis. This is due to the vast benefits that come with living and working in the USA. In this article, we would be looking at the cost of immigrating to the USA.
You probably have thought of how much it would take to immigrate to the USA. When we looked at a total sum, this could range from as low as $5,000 up to $15,000. On average people are spending close to $10,000.
Having a plan in mind is very important if you are going to be moving to the United States. In this article, we are going to carefully itemize everything you need to know about all expenses that have to do with immigrating to the USA.
J-1 Program
One thing to note though is that the J-1 program happens to be one of the cheapest routes to take. The J-1 program is set up for international immigrants looking to travel and gain experience in the USA.
It helps foreigners able to come to the USA to work in various fields such as research, teaching, and other job-related field that could enhance and showcase their skills.
Feature of this category of visa can be seen below:
- Helps immigrants participate in training programs between 12 to 18 months
- Get a social security number
- Get a driver’s license
To qualify for this program, you must be well over the age of 18 years and must have completed a bachelor’s degree in an accredited university outside the US.
Now back to the cost of immigrating to the USA, we would be looking at some of the costs involved in moving to the USA.
USCIS Cost of immigrating to the USA
The USCIS is called the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. This is a body that works with the issuing of visas and documents relating to immigrating to the USA.
They are sub-categorized under homeland security and if you intend on immigrating to the USA, you would need to pay certain USCIS fees and fill out certain forms as part of your application.
Immigration Lawyer’s Cost
If you are thinking of moving to the USA, you would have to consult a lawyer that can help you navigate all legal aspect more quickly. This however is not a must but can come in handy as it speeds up your application procedures.
The average fees for immigration lawyers can range from $2,000 to $4,000 depending on the type of visa you are applying for.
These fees however can go as high as up to $10,000 in some rare cases or when there is any legal action taken against you in the USA.
There is also what is called the petition fee. This fee can be divided into various categories depending on the type of petition you are making.
If it is the family-based petition, this usually costs around $700 to $2,000, and for an employer-based petition, this could cost around $800 to $2,500.
Medical Evaluation Costs
One of the more important costs you cannot exclude is the medical evaluation cost. Each person immigrating to the USA cannot avoid paying this.
You would be required to undergo extensive medical checkups and vaccinations before you can enter the United States.
The average cost for an extensive medical checkup and vaccination is around $1,000.
Permanent Resident Fees
This type of fee can also be called the naturalization fee. The average cost for a naturalization fee is between $600 and $800.
Those who are obligated by these fees are those who are above the age of 14 years and under the age of 70 years.
These people would be required to pay the sum of at least $700 to obtain permanent resident status.
Further Information
Now that you have a clear understanding of the various cost of immigrating to the USA, it is best to make certain preparations in order to not be caught off guard.
Another important thing to note is that if you have a negative immigration history or there is some type of conflict in your past, you would be required to submit further documents or enlist the assistance of a legal representative.
This however is not likely to happen if you have a clean record in your home country. More importantly, to avoid most of the hassle that comes with immigrating to the USA, you can take some of the more temporary routes like the J-1 visa or the F-1 visa.
After you have worked in the USA for quite some time, you can then proceed to apply for a more permanent visa or green card.
Visit the USCIS government official website for more detailed information on immigrating to the USA.