USA
The United States is a favourite destination of people wanting to emigrate there. It boasts nearly every kind of landscape and the world's most ethnically diverse population. Its increasing popularity as a holiday destination has created a very high demand to live there permanently.
USA...employment
The work ethic is strong in the United States and most people feel that they are personally responsible for their own success. As a result, workers are more mobile and labour costs more flexible than Europe. The standard of living of most Americans is among the highest in the world.
There are fairly wide differences in average incomes between States, and in the rates of welfare and other payments to those in need, and these differences have tended to increase in recent years. There are also considerable price differences between various States, and between cities and rural areas. In a country where distances are vast and public transport limited or non-existent, many items that may be deemed luxuries in other countries (such as telephone and car) are absolute necessities.
Employees receive fewer 'fringe benefits' than in many European countries; for example, in most companies, only a travelling salesman will be provided with a car. However, employees are often able to choose their own 'basket' of benefits. Business people are expected to dress smartly even though there is much less formality than in, say Europe. Dress codes vary depending on the industry sector; some companies have adopted the casual look on Fridays and out-of-town offices may allow more casual dress than those in city centres. Appointments should be made in good time and business cards will be exchanged. It is discourteous to be late for a business meeting.
Business negotiations are generally conducted between people of equivalent educational, social and financial standing. However business culture is very varied depending on the nature of the company; for instance, there are differences if the company is a multinational; or if it is a small American concern. Many Americans in particularities or industry work very long hours and expect to remain in contact with their company even when at home or on vacation. Most people get only two weeks vacation a year, with a maximum of four weeks for those in senior positions or after a long service.
Companies in the US are much more ready to dismiss employees who do not perform well or whose job no longer fits in after a reorganisation. In turn, Americans are far more mobile and flexible in their approach to work than in many other countries. Vertical reporting lines are more important than relationships with peers which can be extremely competitive. Hierarchies are well defined and status depends on power, which in turn is defied by the amount of business the job-holder controls. The bottom-line and the overt, and sometimes aggressive, pursuit of profit, both company and personal are hallmarks of American business. Generally, there is a positive, go-getting attitude with the expectation that nothing is impossible.
The importance of corporate culture is growing and conforming to company culture in the larger firms is important. Job titles are considered extremely important since these define status and the perks that go with the position.
USA...geography
The United States of America is a federal republic of 50 states and the District of Columbia. Forty-eight of the states occupy most of the southern half of the North American continent, bounded by Canada in the north, mostly along the 49th parallel and the Great Lakes, and Mexico in the South, partly along the Rio Grande, and lying between the Atlantic (E), the Gulf of Mexico (SE) and the Pacific (W). The 49th and the largest state is Alaska which lies north-west of Canada and is separated from Russia by the Bering Strait. The 50th state is Hawaii, a group of four major islands and four smaller ones in the mid-Pacific.
The country covers a total area, including inland water, of 9.37 million square kilometers making it the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). The USA also administers more than 2,000 islands, islets, atolls and cays in the Pacific and the Caribbean, and currently, the Panama Canal Zone. The USA is a country of great mountain ranges, vast plains and long rivers. Its highest point is Mount McKinley in Alaska 6,187 meters and its lowest is in Death Valley, California (90m below sea level).
The area may be divided into seven physical regions:
• The Atlantic coastal plain, which continues along the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf coastal plain
• The Appalachian Mountains, running NE-SW from the St. Lawrence River of the Gulf plain
• West of the Appalachians is the great lowland region of the central plain and the Missouri-Mississippi system, rising in to the west of the Great Plains
• North of the lowland central plain is the Great Lakes region, an extension of the Laurentian Plateau of Canada
• In the west, the Great Plains rise to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, which extend north to south from Canada to the Sierra Madre in Mexico
• West of the Rockies is the region of basins and plateaux, with the Colombia Plateau in the north and the Colorado Plateau in the South Salt Lake, Death Valley and other tracts of desert
• The Pacific region consist of two N-S mountain belts: the Cascade Range which continues in the south as the Sierra Nevada and, further west, the Coast Range which in many parts slopes steeply down the ocean; between the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Range is the narrow, discontinuous rift valley, the Central Valley of California; the San Andreas Fault runs through California which suffers from occasional earthquakes of varying magnitude.
Climate USA
Because of its great extent and varied topography, climate conditions in the USA vary enormously. In general, however, the climate is severe in winter, except in the south, the San Francisco area and Hawaii, and tropical or subtropical in summer, except in the extreme north-east, along the Pacific Coast as far as San Francisco, and in Alaska. New England: winters are very cold, especially in the northern states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Heavy snowfalls are usual and temperatures drop to 18C from mid December to late February. Summers are usually comfortable, with afternoon temperatures averaging 27C in July, and hot, humid days are rare.
New York and middle Atlantic states: the region has a continental climate of cold winters and hot summers in the north, and mild winters and hotter summers in the south. Northern New York often has heavy snow in winter. New York City's average minimum temperature in January and February is -4C, its maximum July temperature, averages 28C, with high humidity.
The Midwest: the climate is continental, with cold winters and hot summers. Rainfall averages 635mm to 890mm a year. The South: The climate is humid and subtropical with annual rainfall between 1,125mm and 1,525mm. Florida has many thunderstorms during the summer months and hurricanes and tornadoes of varying severity occur between July and October.
Further north in the mountains, temperatures are lower and Kentucky has short cold winters with some snow. The South West: the climate varies from subtropical on the coast to dry continental inland. Rainfall is generally light. Average minimum temperature in January in Dallas, Texas is 20C and average maximum July temperature is 35C.
The Mountain States: the climate of the whole region is dry continental, with cold winters and hot summers, temperatures decreasing as one moves farther north. Rainfall is under 25mm a year in the Arizona desert and is rarely more than 250mm a year except in Wyoming. Wyoming and Montana experience heavy snow in winter. The average January minimum in Las Vegas, Nevada, is 0.6C, with average July maximum of 41C The West Coast: the region has a very varied climate. In Oregon and Washington west of the Cascades, it is temperate with annual rainfall over 1,775mm. East of the Cascades, it is dry continental, with 250-500mm of rainfall annually. Northern
California is cool, wet and often foggy whilst southern California has a Mediterranean climate with abundant sunshine, summer drought, and rainfall chiefly in winter.
Alaska: the arctic region is polar in climate, with long cold winters and short cool summers. However, the southern coastal (and inhabited) areas seldom get zero (Centigrade) weather; average winter temperature at Anchorage is 1.5C and in Juneau 4.5C. Inland, the temperatures falls below zero for short periods. Fairbanks regularly has extremely low winter temperatures but can be very hot in summer. Summer temperatures (from mid-May to September) range from 13-22C.
Sport
The most popular sports are baseball (both as a spectator and as a participant), American football, basketball and volleyball.
Athletics, golf, tennis, boxing, and horse racing are also widely followed and there are facilities for every other sport, from deep-sea fishing to hang-gliding.
Entertainment
The country affords every kind of interest to residents and visitors alike, from winter sports to tropical beaches. Natural wonders include the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and the hotly protected national parks of the north-west and Florida; in fact, the 40 national parks cover 1% of the total land area. Man-made marvels range from New York skyline to Disneyland.
Museums and art galleries contain many of the world's treasures and there are many places of interest to students of American history, from Boston, Jamestown and the other early settlements on the eastern seaboard to Basin Street, Nob Hill and Hollywood.
The USA has over 1,200 symphony orchestras, several famous opera companies, lively theatre with travelling companies visiting even the smaller towns, and some of the world's best jazz, folk and popular music groups. City nightlife varies from State to State. Hotel desk clerks are the best source of information, advice, and tickets for business travellers. Tickets to popular events are usually difficult to obtain.
Americans are very keen on self-improvement and will join evening classes where a large number of subjects is offered.
Housing
Accommodation is usually either a flat (condominium) in the centre of town or a house / bungalow with garden (yard) in the suburbs, the choice depending on personal preference, family circumstances, proximity to the place of work etc.
Most property is let unfurnished, although a fully fitted kitchen equipped with appliances including a washer and dryer would normally be included. Apartment blocks have a laundry room with large washing and drying machines which are coin-operated, and a swimming pool.
Rented furnished accommodation will include a wide range of modern household appliances, and all will have central heating air-conditioning units.
Education
Education is still largely the concern of the individual states and practices and polices differ throughout the country. Standards of education, particularly in inner cities, are causing concern and steps are being taken to institute a standard national curriculum. Across the country there are 2,000 'magnet' schools providing specialist curriculum, firm discipline or high academic standards; 13 of these schools are concentrated in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The organisation and curricula of private schools (many of which are Roman Catholic or other religious foundations) are similar to those of the state (public) schools, although administration differs.
The school usually runs from September until early June. Most states have kindergartens, after which they common pattern of organisation includes elementary school (grades one to six), junior high school (grades seven to nine) and senior high school (grades ten to twelve).
USA Culture
Americans are extremely generous and hospitable people and welcome newcomers into their community. However, expatriates should realise that in a country so huge, with such a diverse population, customs vary. Among academics and intellectuals, ethnic and religious origins are usually ignored. The United States is not a classless society and status is as important as anywhere in Europe, although Americans take pride in publicly downgrading the importance of status. A wife automatically carries the same status as her husband.
Whilst alcoholic drinks may be offered at business and social gatherings, many Americans do not drink. Smoking has become a minority habit and is prohibited in virtually all commercial and pubic buildings, on public transport and including, in New York City, many restaurants and all the sports stadiums and zoos. In the Eastern States, especially, people tend to be more formal and smart dress is excepted at high-quality restaurants. This contrasts with California where a much more casual dress-code operates.
Around 75% of the population is Caucasian (white, of European descent) and 2% black (mainly of African descent), the latter being most numerous in the south-eastern states, the 'deep south'; the exception is Chicago where almost 40% are black. There are about 1.4. million indigenous Native American Indians, settled largely in 'reservations' in the western states and Eskimo (Inuit) and Aleut in Alaska. There are many Spanish speaking communities: Mexicans in the south-west, Cubans in the south east and Puerto Ricans in
New York City; Hispanics make up around 10% of the total population and over 25% in California. Chicago has the fastest growing Hispanic population and a booming Asian population; over 40,000 Japanese nationals live in the city.
Although the United States is one of the most populous nations in the world, the density of population overall is relatively moderate at about 26 persons per square kilometre. Vast areas are sparsely populated, particularly Alaska, and Dakotas, Wyoming and Montana.
Obtaining a USA Visa
US immigration legislation can be bewildering for would-be migrants. You are faced with over 100 different kinds of visa to choose from - only one of which is likely to be exactly right for you! Furthermore, most classes of visa are restricted by a quota, which limits the number of people thatwill be accepted each year. The US permanent residence visa is known as the "Green Card", which identifies the holder as a permanent resident of the US. Green Cards in certain categories can be obtained fairly quickly. In other categories, even if you have the strongest qualifications possible, it can still take months or years to obtain one because of quotas.
You can qualify for a Green Card through employment, although all categories are limited by quotas. You will need a job offer from a US employer and the correct background in terms of experience, training and education for the job you have been offered. The US government will also need to be satisfied that there are no qualified American workers available and willing to take the specific job that has been offered to you. Certain occupations - such as Nursing - may have special categories of visas which lead to Green Cards.
Your country of origin may make you eligible for getting a Green Card through the "lottery", a category that was introduced to encourage ethnic diversity in the US population. Or you could qualify for a Green Card through investment, if you are prepared to invest funds in creating a new US business or expanding one that already exists. If you have family connections with the US, this will certainly help your visa application. We will fully explore this possibility on your behalf.
But a Green Card is not the only route to a new life in the US. It may be best to obtain a temporary visa first and then reconsider your long-term objectives once you are in the USA. You can then make a Green Card application if you want to stay permanently. There are numerous kinds of non-immigrant, or temporary, visas. Unlike Green Cards, which are identical once allocated, temporary visas differ from each other in the benefits they offer, as well as how long they last. Most importantly, your application will be processed much faster if your intention is not to take up permanent residence right from the start. Their dependent on your personal circumstances, we may be able to identify other routes to gaining entry to the US, even if you do not wish to work.
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