Checking the requirements for migrating to the United States and the methods of getting a residence permit in the US
The United States is the fourth largest country in the world in terms of size. With a population of about 325 million, it ranks third in the world. The United States is one of the most popular countries in the world. Many people are looking for a way to migrate to the United States, but do not know how to do it. Of course, it should be noted that for migrating and getting a residence permit in the United States, everything depends on personal circumstances, age, education, required capital, and so on. You can apply to migrate to the United States through various methods such as education, work, investment, marriage, birth and asylum seeking, each one of these methods has its own conditions, and in the following we will talk about these methods and the cost of migration to the United States.
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Topics reviewed in this article:
- The cost of studying in the United States
- The cost of labor migration to the United States
- The costs of migrating to the United States through investment
- The costs of getting a residence permit in the US by marrying an American citizen
- The cost of migrating to the United States through the birth of a child
- The cost of asylum seeking in the United States

The cost of studying in the United States
The education method is one of the most popular methods for people to immigrate to the United States. In fact, it can be said that a fast way to migrate to the United States is the method of education. You can apply for schools and universities at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels in the United States. The student visas in the US are generally known as F1 (for schools, universities and seminars), M1 (technical disciplines) and J1 (research opportunity), these visas will be issued to the main applicant according to the type of application.
Education in American schools begins at the age of six. Education for students under the age of 18 in the United States is divided into two parts, elementary and high school, which after completing 12 years of study they can enter the university.
The education in university starts with a bachelor’s degree, and applicants are required to provide a language certificate, some of these universities require IELTS 6 and others a TOEFL with a score of 73. In order to enter the university, the student must take the SAT exam and earn the required points to be able to enroll in the bachelor’s degree. Bachelor’s degree in the United States lasts for 4 years. The student will also be allowed to work part-time.
In order to study for a master’s degree, the applicant must provide a 4-year bachelor’s degree. The duration of a master’s degree in the United States is between 1.5 to 2 years. Some universities require an IELTS 6.5 and others a TOEFL with a score of 79.
To study for a PhD degree in the United States, you must first try to find a supervisor and provide a strong academic resume and proposal. Also you must at least have an IELTS 7 language certificate.
While the United States is the world’s most popular destination for international students, it is also one of the most expensive options. You need to check all the facts about the costs of migration before making a decision. The costs of migrating to the United States through education are presented in the table below.
| Average costs at US universities | ||||
| Public two-year colleges | Public four-year colleges (in-state fees) | Public four-year colleges (out-of-state fees) | Private non-profit four-year colleges | |
| Tuition and other fees | 3،660 dollars | 10،230 dollars | 26290 dollars | 35830 dollars |
| Room and board | 8،660 dollars | 11،140 dollars | 11،140 dollars | 12،680 dollars |
| Total (per year) | 12320 dollars | 21،370 dollars | 37430 dollars | 48510 dollars |
The cost of labor migration to the United States
Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Temporary worker visas are for persons who want to enter the United States for employment lasting a fixed period of time, and are not considered permanent or indefinite. Each of these visas requires the prospective employer to first file a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). An approved petition is required to apply for a work visa.
| Visa category | General Information About US Work Visa: |
| H-1B: Person in Specialty Occupation | To work in a specialty occupation. Requires a higher education degree or its equivalent. Includes fashion models of distinguished merit and ability and government-to-government research and development, or co-production projects administered by the Department of Defense. |
| H-1B1 | You need to have a post-secondary degree involving at least four years of study in the field of specialization. |
| H-2A: Temporary Agricultural Worker | For temporary or seasonal agricultural work. Limited to citizens or nationals of designated countries, with limited exceptions, if determined to be in the United States interest. |
| H-2B: Temporary Non-agricultural Worker | For temporary or seasonal non- agricultural work. Limited to citizens or nationals of designated countries, with limited exceptions, if determined to be in the United States interest. |
| H-3: Trainee or Special Education visitor | To receive training, other than graduate medical or academic, that is not available in the trainee’s home country or practical training programs in the education of children with mental, physical, or emotional disabilities. |
| L: Intracompany Transferee | To work at a branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of the current employer in a managerial or executive capacity, or in a position requiring specialized knowledge. Individual must have been employed by the same employer abroad continuously for 1 year within the three preceding years. |
| O: Individual with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement | For persons with extraordinary ability or achievement in the sciences, arts, education, business, athletics, or extraordinary recognized achievements in the motion picture and television fields, demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim, to work in their field of expertise. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual. |
| P-1: Individual or Team Athlete, or Member of an Entertainment Group | To perform at a specific athletic competition as an athlete or as a member of an entertainment group. Requires an internationally recognized level of sustained performance. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual. |
| P-2: Artist or Entertainer (Individual or Group) | For performance under a reciprocal exchange program between an organization in the United States and an organization in another country. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual. |
| P-3: | To perform, teach or coach under a program that is culturally unique or a traditional ethnic, folk, cultural, musical, theatrical, or artistic performance or presentation. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual. |
| Q-1: Participant in an International Cultural Exchange Program | For practical training and employment and for sharing of the history, culture, and traditions of your home country through participation in an international cultural exchange program. |
The application fees are shown below and apply to one visa application. The application fee for the most common nonimmigrant visa types is $160. This includes tourist, business, student and exchange visas. Most petition-based visas, such as work and religious visas, are $190. K visas cost $240 and the fee amount for E visas is $205. The tables below are a more comprehensive list of visa types and fee amounts. Following the tables is a short list of nonimmigrant visas which do not require payment of an application fee.
| Fee Amount (USD) | Fee Amount (NOK) | Visa Type | Description |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | B | Business/Tourist |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | C-1 | Transit |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | D | Ship/Airline Crew |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | F | Student (academic) |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | I | Journalist and Media |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | J | Exchange Visitors |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | M | Student (vocational) |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | T | Victim of Human Trafficking |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | TN / TD | NAFTA Professionals |
| 160 dollars | 1440.00 | U | Victim of Criminal Activity |
| 190 dollars | 1710.00 | H | Temporary/Seasonal Workers and Employment, Trainees |
| 190 dollars | 1710.00 | L | Intracompany Transferees |
| 190 dollars | 1710.00 | O | Persons with Extraordinary Ability |
| 190 dollars | 1710.00 | P | Athletes. Artists & Entertainers |
| 190 dollars | 1710.00 | S | International Cultural Exchange |
| 190 dollars | 1710.00 | R | Religious Worker |
| 265 dollars | 2385.00 | K | Fiancé(e) or Spouse of U.S. Citizen |
| 205 dollars | 1845.00 | E | Treaty Trader/Investor, Australian Professional Specialty |
The costs of migrating to the United States through investment
One way to immigrate to the United States is to invest. This method is the most expensive way to immigrate to the United States and the applicant must be able to afford to immigrate to the United States through investment. To qualify as an immigrant investor for petitions filed on or after November 21, 2019, a foreign national must invest, without borrowing, the following minimum qualifying capital dollar amounts in a qualifying commercial enterprise:
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$ 1,800,000 (US)
$ 900,000 (US) in a high-unemployment or rural area
A qualifying investment must, within two years, create full-time jobs for at least 10 U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or other immigrants authorized to work in the United States, not including the investor and the investor’s spouse, sons, or daughters.
Immigrant investor visa categories are:
Employment creation outside a targeted area – C5
Employment creation in a targeted rural/high unemployment area – T5
Investor Pilot Program not in a targeted area – R5
Investor Pilot Program in a targeted area – I5
The costs of getting a residence permit in the US by marrying an American citizen
Getting a green card by marrying a US citizen is the most common way to get a permanent residence permit. There is no limit for the number of people who can get a Green Card by marrying US citizens. A U.S. citizen begins the process by submitting an I-130 visa application form on behalf of his or her spouse. If the spouse has entered the United States legally, he or she can apply for adjustment of status (Form I-485) and a green card simultaneously (at the same time) and without having to leave the United States. It is important to note that as a permanent resident who is married to an American citizen, you can only become a citizen after three years.
To be eligible, you must have resided in the United States permanently for three years prior to the filing of the N-400 Citizenship Application Form. You have to live with a citizen all the time and prove that your marriage was real. The cost of immigrating to the United States through marriage is much lower than other methods.
The government filing fees for getting a green card through marriage is $1,760 for an applicant living in the United States or $1,200 for an applicant living outside the United States.
The cost of migrating to the United States through the birth of a child
Generally speaking, a person can become a U.S. citizen through parents or by birth in one of three ways:
By being born in the United States or one of its territories (“birthright” citizenship)
By being born to parents who are U.S. citizens (“acquisition” of citizenship)
You may be a citizen if one or both of your parents have been naturalized (“derivation” of citizenship).
Many people in the United States have already obtained their U.S. citizenship without realizing it. These people generally may be grouped into three categories:
People who were born in the United States, but have lived most of their lives outside of the country. Some of these people mistakenly believe that they may lose their citizenship and naturalization by living outside of the country for an extended period of time, but this isn’t the case.
Those who believe they’re not citizens even though they have ancestors that were U.S. citizens. It may be that, even though an individual was born outside of the United States, that person is a citizen if their parents or grandparents were U.S. citizens.
Some minor children of naturalized U.S. citizens may mistakenly believe that they may not be U.S. citizens. However, when parents become naturalized citizens, their kids (under the age of 18) with green cards will also acquire U.S. citizenship.
The cost of having a baby isn’t cheap in the United States, at least. The average cost to have a baby in the US, without complications during delivery, is $10,808 — which can increase to $30,000 when factoring in care provided before and after pregnancy.
The cost of asylum seeking in the United States
Asylum is a protection granted to foreign nationals already in the United States or arriving at the border who meet the international law definition of a “refugee.” The United Nations 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol define a refugee as a person who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her home country, and cannot obtain protection in that country, due to past persecution or a well-founded fear of being persecuted in the future. You don’t have to pay for asylum seeking with your money, but you have to pay spiritually. Because your soul will be involved and you may be sexually harassed.
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