The beginning of the year is precisely the time when people start putting into practice the planning necessary to achieve the goals set in December, whether it’s buying a property, a vehicle, getting married, having a child, traveling, or even moving to another country, still buoyed by the spirit and emotion of the New Year.
Approximately 4.2 million Brazilians already enjoy the reality of living abroad, according to estimates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and thousands more are expected to make this move in the coming decades. The intention to experience a new life in another country, to learn about a new culture, has been part of the goals of many Brazilians and will certainly be a dream that many will realize in the coming years.
According to data from the Itamaraty, the USA remains the most chosen country by Brazilians to live in, with 1.9 million people, ahead of Portugal, with 275,000 people, and Paraguay, with 245,000 people. These numbers increase every year for various reasons, such as studying or providing quality education for those with children, learning a new culture, or having more peace and security, for example.
In Brazil, living the “American dream” will continue to be a life goal to be achieved. Last year, due to the elections, there was a boom in the search for information on immigration visas by people interested in leaving the country for various reasons, including concerns about political and economic instability. At D4U Immigration, a consultancy specializing in immigration to the USA and Europe, there was a 33% increase in closed contracts and 100% more inquiries about immigration compared to the period before the elections. This trend is expected to continue in 2023.
In addition to dissatisfaction with the political landscape and uncertainty about other sectors that support Brazil’s economy, other reasons continue to fuel the desire to live in the USA. Although some economists warn that the North American country will enter a recession this year, and inflation and interest rates will continue to rise, the recovery speed of the world’s leading power is expected to be swift and will not affect the job market. On the contrary, it continues to grow.
For those who wish to work professionally in the USA, the opportunities are numerous, especially for those in areas with a labor shortage. In December alone, the USA created 223,000 jobs, reducing the unemployment rate from 3.7% to 3.5%. Nevertheless, official data from the country’s Bureau of Labor Statistics show that about 8.3 million positions are expected to be generated between 2021 and 2031 to be filled in American companies, and therefore, immigrating there will increasingly be an option for Brazilians. Only the healthcare (see how to work in nursing in the USA) and social assistance sectors are expected to add 2.6 million jobs.
In addition to health, the areas of engineering, technology, law and aerospace will continue to be responsible for the most attractive salaries, since they fall within the segments that seek specialized professionals and are therefore classified as being of national interest to the US. Due to the low supply of professionals in the US with the specializations required, these professionals are highly sought-after and have high salaries, some positions with annual salaries in the 200 thousand dollar range.
To apply for an opportunity to immigrate to the USA and be able to build and enjoy quality of life in every sense, Brazilians need to meet certain requirements, such as a degree, at least five years’ experience in their field and validate their diploma depending on the field of training, as well as other requirements to be accepted as a permanent resident, i.e. to obtain a permanent residence visa (known as a green card), which can be extended to family members. Another viable route is through investor visawhich does not necessarily have to be a high-investment visa.
For this year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that 197,000 work visas will be available, exceeding the estimated annual quota of 140,000 permits. Like any dream, immigrating to the USA requires planning and hiring specialized services that will provide all the necessary support so that by the end of 2023, this dream is on the list of achievements.
But it’s not only in American lands that many people have sought better life opportunities; moving to Dubai has also been an option.
Sources:
Employment Situation Summary. US. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
Employment Projections 2021-2031. US. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf
Employment Projections 2021-2031. US. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf
Fiscal Year 2023 Employment-Based Adjustment of Status FAQs. U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/fiscal-year-2023-employment-based-adjustment-of-status-faqs
