According to comprehensive reports from Worldway: Although the United States is a relatively young nation, its continuous innovation and research and development have secured its position as a global leader across various industries and fields. Consequently, a highly developed society brings with it high-end social welfare. Below, Worldway introduces you to the advanced social welfare, security systems, education systems, and entrepreneurial environment of the United States.
I. Freedom to Travel to 150 Countries, Free from Visa Hassles
The U.S. passport enjoys the highest global privilege—visa-free travel to more than 150 countries worldwide. Currently, holding a Chinese passport requires applying for a visa or entry permit for almost any country in the world, including the Chinese Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. Beyond the costs and waiting times associated with visa applications, one must inevitably deal with the tedious preparation of invitation letters, financial guarantees, and other documents. Furthermore, one must purchase flight tickets and book hotels before even obtaining the visa, leading to a series of troubles and potential financial losses from rescheduling flights or itineraries. In the 21st century, as global interactions become increasingly frequent and the world has become like a small village, who wouldn't want a passport that allows for free travel without the obstacles of visas?
II. Sound and Comprehensive Social Welfare
The U.S. social welfare system is quite comprehensive. While it may not be a universal welfare system like those in some European countries, it provides thorough care for citizens and immigrants in all aspects. Those who have lost the ability to work and the poor can always receive government relief, ensuring basic living standards and providing everyone with a sense of security. Therefore, some say that a bad person can become a good person in the United States.
1. Work Insurance
(1) Unemployment Insurance, (2) Workers' Compensation, (3) State Disability Insurance, (4) Public Assistance
2. Living Subsidies
(1) Food Stamps, (2) Low-cost or free meals provided by schools, (3) Home Energy Assistance Program, (4) Low-cost public housing
3. Medical Assistance
(1) Medical subsidies, (2) In-home care programs, (3) Welfare for pregnant women and children
4. Pension
III. Sound and Complete Security System
The United States has a sound security system where everyone's safety, life, and property are protected—car insurance, home insurance, life insurance, fire insurance, flood insurance, etc. Many of these are mandatory for beneficiaries, which can prevent personal bankruptcy and protect the interests of victims in accidents. Furthermore, the North American insurance system has been established over a long period with layers of protection. Taking home insurance as an example, new homes are insured by the builder, but every builder must not only buy insurance for themselves but also for every client. In the event that the builder goes bankrupt, the insurance company replaces the builder to provide compensation.
IV. High-Quality and Diverse Education System
In the United States, every child can attend college if they wish. The admission standards for ordinary universities are very low, making it almost impossible to turn anyone away; only private universities and tuition for foreign students are relatively expensive. If attending a state university, everyone can afford it, and there are various types of student loans and financial aid available. Many prestigious schools like Harvard and Yale provide tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships and grants annually to impoverished students with excellent grades and special talents to attract talent. In the United States, there are only people who do not want to go to college, not people who cannot afford to go to college.
V. Ideal and Superior Entrepreneurial Environment
Entrepreneurship is a channel for many immigrants to realize the American Dream, and the United States is the country with the most perfect conditions for various business activities. It is home to global corporate centers and one of the most ideal places for rapidly growing small companies to start and thrive. To improve global competitiveness, the United States has adopted many investment-encouraging policies, such as providing long-term low-interest or interest-free loans, and offering labor, investment, and training services. For companies investing in non-central areas, remote regions, and economic development zones, the U.S. government also provides special preferential policies. At the same time, the United States has high-quality labor resources, with high-quality employees from all over the world who speak multiple languages. Various education and training programs sponsored and organized by the government continuously provide sufficient human resources for the emerging economy.
VI. Superior Natural Environment
The United States is a gift bestowed upon Americans by nature. With two oceans flanking a continent, it is vast and rich in resources, uniquely endowed by nature. Few foreigners who have lived in the United States do not marvel at the vastness and fertility of this land—its mainland area is 9.37 million square kilometers, 4,500 kilometers long from east to west and 2,700 kilometers wide from north to south. It borders Canada to the north, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, it has a coastline of 22,680 kilometers, with the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans serving as natural barriers for U.S. territorial security. The natural environment in the United States is extremely well-protected; it is sparsely populated, vast, and has few natural disasters or man-made calamities, and even fewer destructive wars. Since the American Civil War, there has been no war on the mainland, leaving Americans with more free space and precious resources for migration, development, and utilization. Americans can be said to be uniquely blessed and fortunate in obtaining abundant natural resources. In addition, Americans' respect for nature and life, strong environmental awareness, and effective environmental work have truly made the United States a place suitable for entrepreneurial development and living.
Immigration is undoubtedly a major proposition in one's life journey. Perhaps you choose to immigrate to the United States so that your young children can receive the best education in the world and stand at the forefront of the starting line of life in the world's highest-quality education system; perhaps you choose to immigrate to the United States so that your elderly parents can enjoy the best medical environment in the United States, and enjoy the world's most advanced medical equipment and the best medicines at low or even free costs. Immigrating to the United States will be an inevitable trend in your hesitation.
People of any nationality can obtain citizenship by birth if they have children in the United States. In recent years, many pregnant women in China have spent hundreds of thousands to give birth in the United States.
The United States is indeed very good to the elderly, children, and the disabled. Some say that the elderly in the United States have entered communism in advance, and I think this is true. No wonder so many people come to the United States and stay; if the welfare were not good, would people risk coming here?
What are the benefits of holding a U.S. Green Card?
1. Tuition: Before the age of 18, all primary and secondary schools in the United States implement compulsory education, which is zero tuition (except for private boarding schools). For college (including graduate and doctoral students), you only pay local tuition. Taking California as an example, for a mid-level California public university, foreign students pay more than $15,000 in tuition per year, while "locals" only pay about $2,000 in tuition per year at a California State University.
2. Scholarships: For ordinary Chinese people who intend to apply for U.S. university scholarships, they can only compete with outstanding people from all over the world for a very limited number of scholarships open to foreigners. But for those with a Green Card, the scope of scholarships they can enjoy far exceeds what a foreigner can apply for. This is because many U.S. scholarship-granting institutions limit scholarships to "Americans" (those with U.S. permanent residency).
3. Student Loans: Green Card holders over the age of 18 can apply for various types of student loans in the year they receive their Green Card. For example, when attending an excellent private U.S. university, the annual tuition is as high as about $30,000. When a Green Card holder wants to study for a two-year master's degree, they can take out a loan of $60,000 to $70,000 at once. You do not have to repay the loan if you cannot find a job after graduation. After finding a job, you can pay it off in installments over the years, usually only using one-fifth to one-tenth of your salary to repay the loan each month.
4. Immediate Family Benefits: Once a Green Card holder marries a foreign national, they can apply for a Green Card for their spouse and their spouse's unmarried children under 21.
5. Government Help in Finding Jobs: The U.S. government has special agencies to help citizens find jobs for free. Green Card holders only need to register their skills, expertise, and interests with this department, and the department will find jobs for them for free. At the same time, the department also provides free training in basic skills (such as computers, English, etc.) for job seekers to assist them in employment.
6. Employment Freedom: There are no restrictions on Green Card holders working in the United States. To protect the interests of its own citizens, many jobs in the United States (high-tech, biochemical, military research, production, security work, etc.) are not open to foreigners, even if foreigners possess the corresponding knowledge and expertise. This situation makes foreign students in a very unequal competitive position with American students when looking for jobs after graduation. Green Card holders do not need to worry; they can change from the "disadvantaged side" to the "advantaged side."
7. Retirement Benefits: After accumulating ten years of tax records (the bottom line is a tax payment of about $50 per month), you can receive a pension issued by the U.S. federal government for life after retirement (usually at age 65) ($1,000 to $1,200 per month). For many immigrants, the number of years they receive a pension is longer than the number of years they worked and paid taxes.
8. Unemployment Relief: If the applicant, spouse, or even children do not have a job after obtaining a Green Card, the government will find you a job for free. After having six months of tax records, you can go to the relevant local U.S. department to report unemployment and receive government relief (the amount ranges from $400 to $1,200 per month).
9. Life Insurance and Funds: Green Card holders can enjoy some life insurance and fund-linked insurance types that are not available in China but only in the United States, allowing them to have more income after retirement.
10. Elderly Medical Insurance: Medical expenses in the United States are quite high, but any "low-income" Green Card holder (no tax record required) can apply for a "Medical Card" after retirement, and holding this card means no longer paying for any medical treatment. This can completely relieve the worries of elderly people suffering from illnesses. For those who are not low-income, as long as they have accumulated ten years of tax records, they only need to pay a small insurance premium after retirement, and they do not have to bear the medical expenses themselves.
11. Housing Subsidies: Green Card holders can apply to purchase low-income elderly apartment housing after retirement. You can purchase housing built with state subsidies in the United States for your own use for about 35% of the market price.
12. Government Subsidies: If a Green Card holder has not accumulated ten years of tax records before retirement, as long as they become a U.S. citizen, the government will directly issue living subsidies (over $700 per month) after retirement (age 65). You can still enjoy this money even if you do not live in the United States.
13. In the future, if you meet the relevant conditions, you can be naturalized as a U.S. citizen. Benefits---Family immigration (including spouse and children under 21) saves huge study abroad expenses:
Children with Green Cards can attend public primary and secondary schools in the United States for free; attending prestigious public universities allows them to enjoy low in-state tuition and various scholarships, and they can freely find jobs after graduation, which is a shortcut for children (under 21) to study in the United States:
● Public primary and secondary education---completely free, with school bus pick-up and drop-off.
● Undergraduate and graduate education---low tuition, potentially saving a huge amount of over $100,000 in tuition!
● Scholarships---eligible to apply for a wide variety of small or large scholarships aimed only at U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
● Student loans---Green Card holders over 18 can apply for various types of student loans in the year they receive their Green Card. You do not have to repay the loan if you cannot find a job after graduation. After finding a job, you can pay it off in installments over the years, usually only using one-fifth to one-tenth of your salary to repay the loan each month.
● Finding a job---Green Card status makes it easier to find an ideal job than student status, and there are fewer hardships caused by status, making it easier to enter the mainstream American society.
If children are 21 years old and are already studying in the United States, they can act as applicants in the United States (using parental gift investment) and directly submit Form I-485 to the immigration bureau to obtain a conditional Green Card, and they can also enjoy the above-mentioned benefits.
Worldway Editor
