On average, 3.15 persons make up a family in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau defines a family as a group of two or more individuals who reside together and are related by blood, marriage, or adoption.
In the US, there are 83.7 million households. There are no children under the age of 18 in over 50 million homes, while around seven million have three or more children living with them.
Over the past two decades, the proportion of families without children has risen while that of big households has remained about constant.
Living in the United States of America
Despite the many similarities between America and your own country, one thing is certain to be significantly different: the expense of living. Additionally, there are variations in the US monthly average cost of living.
We’ll look at the cost of living index for the US, the average annual cost of living there, and some typical monthly costs there.
Compared to the US average cost of living for a single person, a family of four has a different standard of living.
Additionally, prices differ depending on where you are. A family of Indian origin residing in New York City will have a different cost of living than a family of Indian origin living in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Immigration lawyers are frequently chosen by would-be petitioners because the process of assisting someone to obtain a green card requires a great deal of attention to detail.
It’s crucial to understand about this application procedure beforehand so you can prepare for the different criteria and consider the expected duration.
Cost of moving to USA as an individuals
The cost of moving to USA as an individual is a little lower than moving with your family or relatives. Although it all depends on the age range of family members which might include additional fees on their heads also.
Nevertheless, here are some of the costs you will come in contact with when relocating to the United States of America.
- Legal fees
Although it is not necessary for applicants to hire a lawyer, doing so can make the process go more smoothly given how frequently immigration laws change. An H-1B visa typically costs between $3000 and $4000 in legal fees for an immigration attorney.
The expenses might easily increase to $10,000 in cases of extraordinary situations, such as deportation. In addition, family-based petitions might run you anywhere from $800 to $1,500.
- Petition Fees
Depending on the details of your application, you may have to pay a petition fee in a different amount. Asylum applicants will not be charged anything, but there are set filing costs for all other requests.
- USCIS forms
You must pay a number of costs when you apply with the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS).
In 2021, $460 was submitted for a non-immigrant worker as the cost of a petition. $700 must be paid for an immigration petition by the applicant.
Depending on the sort of residence application you submit, there may be an application cost.
- Neutralization fee
The existing citizenship price for US Citizenship applications is $725, which covers $85 in biometric services as well as $640 for application processing. Yet if the application is accepted or refused, neither of these payments will be reimbursed.
Cost for a Single Individual
Any American’s cost of living is affected by inflation. A widespread increase in the costs of goods and services indicates inflation, which is a decline in the buying power of our money.
We may use some typical figures even if living costs differ greatly by area. $3,189 per month, or $38,266 annually, is the average cost of living for a single individual in the USA.
When expenses of production, like labor and raw materials, rise and customers are more prepared to pay more for goods and services, this is referred to as inflation. Prices can also rise as a result of rising demand.
Which family Relative or Family Members can move to the United States?
Both “family preference” relatives and so-called “immediate relatives” of US citizens are eligible to receive benefits via family-based petitions.
Immediate Relatives: The annual cap on the number of immigrant visas (green cards) issued does not apply to family relatives of United States citizens. This group comprises spouses of United States citizens, regardless of whether they are of the same sex as the spouse or the opposite sex, as well as their unmarried children under the age of 21, their parents (after the U.S. citizen child has reached 21), and orphans adopted abroad or in the United States.
Family Preference: Long waits are frequently the result of the fact that there are more applicants each year than there are visas available. This is especially true for applicants from nations with large populations and significant levels of interest in moving to the United States.
Beneficiaries who come under the category of “family preference” are subject to yearly visa quotas, which include both an overall cap and a per-country allocation.
The wait might last decades in some cases, while it might be only a short while in others.
Cost of Moving to USA with your family
For a family of four, the average cost is $7,095 per month, which amounts to a whopping $85,139 per year. This obviously means that the price will increase as the number of family members grows.
Taking lessons to prepare for your citizenship exam is one of the additional fees. Depending on who is offering the lessons, different fees will apply. You may also need to pay for legal assistance or provide additional paperwork if you have a criminal record.
In Summary
This figure is not causing for panic as these numbers are averages and not everyone will incur all of these costs.
Some people find solace in the US’s cheaper cost of living than they did back home. Furthermore, for some people, it represents a significant transition that is significantly more expensive than staying at home or involves a lot of additional costs.
Unless you have a small household, a combined $808 a month for food is expensive. The amount needed by a single individual would be far less.
As many other nations do, America for the most part does not support aspects of health care, child care, or education.