In this guide, we will learn 4 important points to consider when planning to immigrate to the United States.
4 Things to Understand Before Immigrating to the United States
- Taxation.
When you’re planning your immigration future, you should consider the taxation consequences of whatever move you plan to make, whatever sort of immigration benefits you plan to get.
For example, if you have a non-immigrant visa, it may be taxed differently potentially than if you have a green card or citizenship to the United States, and those tax consequences may be very important for you to consider if you’re earning income abroad outside of the United States, etc.
Taxation consequences is very important. Whenever you’re planning your immigration moves to the United States, you should consult with a CPA, an accountant, or a tax attorney to understand whatever you plan to do in the United States, whatever sort of immigration benefits you plan to receive, how those will impact your circumstances from a taxation standpoint.
- Work authorization.
Whatever sort of immigration benefit that you’re planning on receiving in the U.S, you have to see what level of work authorization it will give you. Certain sorts of visas will only give you work authorization to work for one particular company.
For example, the L1 visa. The L1 Visa is a visa that allows somebody to transfer from a foreign company to work for a related U.S Company.
The L1 visa only authorizes the beneficiary of that visa to work for the employer that’s petitioning for them for that L1 visa. However, the spouse of that L1 visa holder can get work authorization to work for any company in the United States. That’s an example of an L1 visa.
To contrast that with a green card. A Green card allows somebody to work for any company in the United States.
Whenever you’re considering your immigration goals, you have to understand fully what level of employment authorization you’re going to get based on that immigration benefit. Oftentimes, depending on that, it will certainly influence what sort of an immigration path you proceed with.
- What are your obligations to remain in the United States based on the immigration benefit that you’re planning to obtain.
Different immigration benefits, for example, whether it’s a visa or a green card or citizenship, depending on what the benefit is that you’re getting, it will have a different requirement for you to be physically present in the United States.
For example, if somebody has a green card, they have a certain requirement to intend to reside in the United States, and basically, if the person that has a green card spends too much time outside of the United States, they could end up forfeiting that green card unintentionally just by spending too much time outside of the United States.
Whereas a visa, there are certain types of visas that have no requirement that you spend a particular amount of time in the U.S.
When you’re planning your immigration future, you have to think about how much time you’re going to be planning on spending in the United States.
Again, once you have a green card, you’re required to intend to reside in the United States. If you spend too much time outside of the United States, you could forfeit your green card, and all that effort that went into getting the green card could be pointless.
It is very important you consider how much time you plan to spend in the United States, as that will influence what option is most suitable for you.
- How whatever immigration benefits you’re planning on getting to the United States will impact your citizenship that you have in any foreign countries outside of the United States.
There are certain countries where if you gain citizenship, for example, to the United States, you lose citizenship to that other country. Whenever you’re planning your immigration future, you have to carefully understand and analyze how whatever immigration benefits you get to the United States, how those benefits will impact your citizenship or your immigration status in other countries.
In summary
i. Consider the taxation implications of whatever immigration benefits you get to the United States. Different immigration statuses could potentially have different tax implications.
You have to make sure to either speak with a qualified accountant or a taxation attorney to fully understand how whatever immigration benefits you’re planning can impact you from a taxation standpoint.
ii. Different immigration benefits can come with different work authorization. You have to understand whatever immigration benefits that you’re applying for, what level of work, authorization they come with, because that will help you strategize the most appropriate option for you.
iii. The length of time that you plan to stay in the United States and your overall goals of how you plan to be in the United States. Different immigration benefits have different requirements with respect to how much time you plan to spend in the United States.
Based on how much time you actually plan to spend in the United States, it will impact what the best option is for you from an immigration standpoint.
iv. Carefully understand how whatever immigration benefits you plan to get, how those benefits this may impact your citizenship or your immigration status in other countries.
I hope you found this guide very helpful and you have learn 4 important points to consider when planning to immigrate to the United States.
If you know anybody that could benefit from this information, please make sure to share this guide with them.
Thank you so much for reading this guide.
Source: Ashoori Law
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