Name of country
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Region
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Population
334,998,398 (July 2021 est.)
note: the US Census Bureau’s 2020 census results show the US population as 331,449,281 as of 1 April 2020
General Introduction
The United States is a country in North America that borders the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Canada and Mexico are neighboring countries. The United States’ geography is diverse, with mountains in the west, a broad central plain, and low mountains in the east. The government system is a constitutionally based federal republic with a strong democratic tradition; the president is the chief of state and head of government. The United States has a sophisticated mixed economy with a mix of private freedom and centralized economic planning and government regulation. The United States is a signatory to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (NAFTA).
Wifi Speed
According to the latest Akamai State of the Internet Report, the over the last year the peak average internet connection speed in the United States has gone from 67.7 Mbps to 86.5 Mbps.
Electrical outlet
For the USA there are two associated plug types, types A and B. Plug type A is the plug which has two flat parallel pins and plug type B is the plug which has two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin. USA operates on a 120V supply voltage and 60Hz.
Per Capita GDP
$60,200 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)
$62,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)
$61,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2010 dollars
Climate
mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
note: many consider Denali, the highest peak in the US, to be the world’s coldest mountain because of its combination of high elevation and its subarctic location at 63 degrees north latitude; permanent snow and ice cover over 75 percent of the mountain, and enormous glaciers, up to 45 miles long and 3,700 feet thick, spider out from its base in every direction; it is home to some of the world’s coldest and most violent weather, where winds of over 150 miles per hour and temperatures of -93˚F have been recorded.
Residence-by-Investment
The United States is a highly sought-after destination for international investors. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is the most efficient way for those who want to obtain permanent resident (‘green card’) status in the United States. Since Congress established this program in 1990, the United States government has allocated a significant number of visas each year to individuals who wish to make a significant, qualified investment in the country that can generate jobs for the United States economy. Individuals and their immediate family members can become permanent residents of the United States in a short period of time under this program.
On the Global Residence Programs Index, the US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is ranked seventh out of 24 programs.
Processing Time
Varying processing time
Key Benefits
- Green cards are granted to the investor, their spouse, and their unmarried children under the terms of 2.
- Green card holders have unrestricted employment opportunities.
- International travel to and from the United States is visa-free.
- Through the program, permanent residence can be obtained in a timely and efficient manner.
- Investors who participate in the Regional Center Pilot Program have the ability to live anywhere in the United States.
Requirements
According to the US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, a foreign individual must invest in a new commercial enterprise that is associated with government-approved regional centers based on proposals for promoting economic growth.
The following conditions must be met:
- Complete one of the following investment opportunities:USD 1 million will be invested in a non-targeted employment area project.
USD 500,000 into a targeted employment area project in a rural or high-unemployment area - Create or keep ten permanent full-time jobs in the United States for qualified Americans.
- Following the successful applicants’ receipt of a green card, the funds must be invested until permanent resident status is granted (roughly five years).
- Applicants who are approved will be granted conditional green cards for two years. After demonstrating to US immigration authorities that the jobs were indeed created or maintained, the conditions on the green card are removed at the end of the two years. The transition from conditional to regular green card status has no effect on the green card holder’s ability to work in the United States.
- Individual applicants must have a net worth of more than USD 1 million and provide proof that their funds are obtained legally. They must intend to stay in the United States for a long enough period of time to keep their green cards (for example, entering the country at least once every 180 days) and maintain ties with the country.
Procedures and Time Frame
- Applications for the program must be submitted using the prescribed forms and must be accompanied by the appropriate fees and supporting documentation. Medical reports, vaccination records, and certified police and court records of any criminal charges, arrests, or convictions the applicant may have, in addition to the usual personal documentation, are required. Applicants typically receive their conditional green card within 20 to 24 months. Two years later, the application for the conditional green card to be converted to a regular green card was filed.
- Investors’ spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 may apply for green cards as derivative applicants, and they are not required to make additional financial contributions, but they must submit their own paperwork.
- Permanent residents can settle anywhere in the United States, but their visa-free or visa-on-arrival access is limited in comparison to other countries.
- Green card holders must have lived continuously in the United States for at least five years prior to naturalization to be eligible for citizenship. They must also demonstrate that they have been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the five years preceding their application for naturalization and that they can read, write, and speak basic English. Aside from a civics test, there are only a few other requirements for obtaining citizenship.
Natural Resources
coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land;
note 1: the US has the world’s largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world’s total
note 2: the US is reliant on foreign imports for 100% of its needs for the following strategic resources – Arsenic, Cesium, Fluorspar, Gallium, Graphite, Indium, Manganese, Niobium, Rare Earths, Rubidium, Scandium, Tantalum, Yttrium; see Appendix H: Strategic Materials for further details
Ethnic Groups
White 72.4%, Black 12.6%, Asian 4.8%, Amerindian and Alaska Native 0.9%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 0.2%, other 6.2%, two or more races 2.9% (2010 est.)
note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South American origin living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (White, Black, Asian, etc.); an estimated 16.3% of the total US population is Hispanic as of 2010
Languages
English only 78.2%, Spanish 13.4%, Chinese 1.1%, other 7.3% (2017 est.)
note: data represent the language spoken at home; the US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 32 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii, and 20 indigenous languages are official in Alaska
Religion
Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.6%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah’s Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don’t know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.)
Median Age
total: 38.5 years
male: 37.2 years
female: 39.8 years (2020 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 82.9% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 0.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Physician density
2.61 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Government type
constitutional federal republic
Unemployment Rate
3.89% (2018 est.)
4.4% (2017 est.)
Taxes
Headline Personal Income Tax Rate (highest marginal tax rate) – 51.6% in Portland, Oregon (37% federal tax+ 9.9% state tax + 4.7% city tax). Vary by State
Headline Corporate Income Tax Rate (excluding dividend taxes) – 21% (federal)
Dividends are not subject to withholding tax (unless paid to a non-resident) but can be subject to corporate tax, capital gains tax is generally levied at a rate of 20%, branch remittance tax is also applied additionally at a rate of 15%.
