Is it really good to immigrate to Los Angeles?

Many people will choose to immigrate to the United States, so is it good to immigrate to Los Angeles? This is a question that many people going abroad are interested in. Let’s take a look at the Overseas Immigration Network! Below is the relevant information I compiled , welcome to read.

Is it really good to immigrate to Los Angeles?

1. Huge urban area

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, a Southern California urban agglomeration with Los Angeles as the core It is also the second largest metropolitan area in the United States and is a veritable giant city.

Metropolitan area population 13,131,431 people

Compared to the 7,092,596 people in the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, the Los Angeles metropolitan area has almost double the population. At the same time, the population is also larger than the 8,416,535 people in Greater London, UK, and the 12,005,077 people in Ile-de-France, France.

The metropolitan area is 12,562 square kilometers.

In comparison, the island of Taiwan has an area of ??36,193 square kilometers, and the municipality of Shanghai has an area of ??6,340.5 square kilometers. The area of ??the Los Angeles metropolitan area is approximately one-third of the island of Taiwan, or twice the size of Shanghai.

The GDP is US$860.4 billion (Brookings Institution 2014 data)

It is lower than Tokyo (US$1,616 billion) and New York (US$1,403 billion), ranking third in the world and the highest in Seoul (USD 845.9 billion), London (USD 835.6 billion) and Paris (USD 715 billion). It is close to the GDP of the Netherlands ($866.354 billion).

2. Big oranges with dazzling sunshine

Southern California is rich in oranges, and corresponds to the Big Apple in New York. Los Angeles has the nickname Big Orange. In terms of climate type, Los Angeles has a subtropical Mediterranean climate (K?ppen classification), characterized by dry and high temperatures in summer and warm and humid winters.

The southwest United States has the highest intensity of sunlight in the world. It is close to the intensity of the Tibetan Plateau, but in sharp contrast to the soft sunshine of eastern China.

It is also worth mentioning that due to the lack of water resources in the Los Angeles area, green belts need to be artificially irrigated. Therefore, a city’s affluence can often be seen in its green appearance.

Benefits after U.S. immigration status

New-born children

Any child born in the United States is considered a U.S. citizen and holds a U.S. passport without restrictions. During the period of residence outside the United States, you can freely enter and exit the United States for life. After taking the oath, an 18-year-old citizen legally enjoys all the rights of a U.S. citizen, including immediately applying for U.S. immigration for his spouse, children, and parents.

Student tuition fees

Before entering college at the age of 18, all primary and secondary schools in the United States implement compulsory education, that is, zero tuition (except for private schools). To attend university (including graduate and doctoral students), only local tuition fees are paid. Taking California as an example, foreign students pay tuition fees of more than US$12,000 per year at California public universities with average levels, while locals only pay tuition fees of more than US$2,000 per year at California State University.

Scholarships

For ordinary Chinese who intend to apply for scholarships at American universities, 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 green cards, the scope of scholarships they can enjoy is far beyond what a foreigner can apply for. Because many institutions that issue scholarships in the United States limit scholarships to Americans (people with permanent residence in the United States). Therefore, after immigrating to the United States, children have a much greater chance of applying for scholarships than overseas students.

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 cards. For example, the annual tuition for attending an excellent private university in the United States is more than The amount is about 30,000 US dollars. When a green card holder wants to study for a two-year master's degree, a loan of 60,000 to 70,000 US dollars can be applied for. You don’t need to repay the loan if you can’t find a job after graduation. Once you find a job, you can pay it back in installments.

Retirement benefits

After accumulating ten years of tax payment records (the bottom line is the actual tax payment of about $50 per month), you can enjoy lifelong benefits after retirement (usually 65 years old) Receive a pension from the U.S. federal government ($1,000 to $1,200 per month). For many immigrants, the number of years they receive pensions is greater than the number of years they work and pay taxes.

Unemployment benefits

When the applicant, spouse or even children do not have a job after transferring to a green card, the government will find a job for you free of charge. After having six months of tax payment records, you can receive government benefits (amounts ranging from $400 to $1,200 per month) by reporting unemployment to the relevant local departments in the United States.

The living conditions of Chinese immigrants in Los Angeles

In the first year after arriving in the United States, my wife and I kept walking around the United States. Since we still had some financial resources before, we first wanted to take a vacation for ourselves, and secondly, we wanted to get to know the United States well in order to decide which city we would settle in. From east to west and from south to north, we have traveled through many cities.

1. Sightseeing locations

From what I’ve seen along the way, in terms of sightseeing, I don’t really recommend New York on the east coast and Los Angeles on the west coast.

Many students first visited these two big cities when they set foot in the United States, and experienced the kindness and enthusiasm of Americans in these two big cities. But what I want to say is that these two cities are immigrant cities, and there are not many authentic old Americans.

When you go to the vast middle of the United States, you can feel the authentic American simplicity. My wife and I once took a rainy walk through a small town in Colorado.

The small town seemed even more sparsely populated on rainy days. But every time a car passes by us, they will stop in good faith and ask you what's wrong. Do you need a ride? No? Do you need an umbrella? This makes us exhausted.

They may not know that after being freed from the acid rain, we just want to enjoy the refreshing drizzle.

For sightseeing, I recommend Seattle and New Jersey in spring and autumn, Utah in summer and Colorado in winter.

These places fully demonstrate the diverse landforms and vastness of the United States, as well as the intoxicating beauty. I have to say the national parks in the United States. Interested students can search for it themselves, I believe you will be shocked.

2. Place of residence

Although I do not recommend Los Angeles and New York for sightseeing, in terms of immigration and specific life, you have to choose between these two cities.

Everyone knows the reason. There are many Chinese people, easy language communication, and convenient shopping. You can’t travel hundreds of miles for the ingredients of twice-cooked pork.

We seriously considered the three major Chinese cities in the United States: New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Let’s talk about our choices below, hoping it will be a reference for friends who are preparing to immigrate.

New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas are the three major cities. Frankly speaking, I like New York the most.

The advantage is that the benefits are generous, the most generous among the three cities. The air is the best and New York is very beautiful in spring and autumn. But the disadvantage is that the four seasons are too distinct. There are sauna days in the summer, but it snows heavily in the winter, making it inconvenient to go out and not suitable for children. For those of us who are preparing to have children, the child's environment is the key point.

Las Vegas is my least favorite among the three cities.

The welfare is the worst among the three cities. The air is dry. Every time I go to Las Vegas, it is so dry that I get a huge headache. The temperature difference is huge. Maybe it's because of the gambling city, where people are also more impetuous. It feels like everyone in this city has materialistic desires burning in their eyes. Although our relatives are in Las Vegas, this city has been abandoned by us.

Los Angeles, the place we chose to settle down, has its shortcomings.

Los Angeles’ water quality and air quality are notoriously poor in the United States. According to surveys, this is due to China. Relying on the circulation of the Pacific Ocean, air and seawater pollution from China continue to reach Los Angeles on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

But the advantages cannot be replaced. The air in Los Angeles is bad, but the climate is the best. The California sunshine all year round allows for a long time for outdoor activities, which is most suitable for the growth of children.

Benefits are average, but acceptable.

Life is also more convenient. The Chinese District is scattered in several different places and can radiate to many areas. Going to the Chinese District is not too crowded and the transportation is more convenient.

Los Angeles has another advantage: there are no mosquitoes, no matter the season.

At the end of the selection, after wandering around the United States for nearly a year and a half, we returned to Los Angeles as our final destination.

3. Understanding the United States

Let’s talk specifically about our life as immigrants in the past three years. Speaking of life in the United States, let us first fully understand the United States.

1. Regarding racial discrimination

The reason why I put this issue first is because I am very concerned about and sensitive to this issue. Frankly speaking, in the past three years, as far as I am concerned, I have not encountered any discrimination problems. As far as my experience is concerned, I think this problem does not exist in the United States.

Many Chinese people, after arriving in the United States, are unable to truly understand American laws and culture due to their own language and abilities. At the same time, I am more sensitive and encounter unpleasant problems, so I attribute it to discrimination. I think this is unfair to say the least.

Everyone knows that to win the respect of the other party, you first need to fully understand the other party and have certain qualities yourself.

You yourself don’t understand American culture and laws, and if you are not qualified enough, how can you win the respect of the other party? To give the simplest example, Americans are very sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke. Many Chinese people come to the United States and like to smoke in groups of twos and threes in front of shopping malls or restaurants.

In California, this violates at least two laws: It is illegal to smoke within ten feet outside a shopping mall or restaurant. Because the smell of smoke will drift into the room or affect people passing by. The second is that while smoking in groups, they block the sidewalk (called BLOCK in English). You may also get a ticket for this.

Think about it, even if you don’t get a ticket, how will people passing by look at you? If they look at you with disgust, will you feel discriminated against?

Secondly, due to the Chinese language problem, this is really a big trouble.

If you have a dispute with others, if the police or the judge don’t even understand what you say, or if your poor English causes the other party to misunderstand, think about it, how can they lean towards you? Woolen cloth.

A friend of mine was stopped while driving in Manhattan. No one else had any trouble, but he was pushed to the ground. The reason was that the police told him not to move but he rushed to touch his driver's license to prove it to the police. As a result, he was bruised and bruised.

After it was over, he was instigated by his lawyer and wanted to go to court to sue for discrimination. It's really dumbfounding.

Generally speaking, in the past three years, no matter I have had many interactions with the immigration bureau, government agencies, transportation bureau, DMV, and welfare agency staff, I have not encountered any discrimination problems.

Please remember, no matter how good your English is, please remember to give the other person a smile before communicating.

2. About ballots

Ballots are indeed a very elusive thing for new immigrants. Frankly speaking, in the past three years, I have never seen what the ballot paper looks like, who the candidates are, or who was elected, and it is not what I care about.

However, it is indeed very short-sighted for you to ignore the significance of votes.

I never care when and who participates in the election, but I know that the existence of votes is very important to me.

No matter who is elected in the end, as long as there are votes, the powerful will be obedient and bow their heads. Only votes can make the powerful lower their noble heads. Only with votes can the voices of the masses all over the world be taken seriously.

So, you can not vote or ignore it, but you cannot deny the great significance of the vote.

3. About the law

The situation in the United States is very different from that in China. The situation is different in every state in the United States. These differences include laws, traffic rules, welfare benefits, etc.

For example, you are not allowed to turn right on a red light in New York but you are allowed to do so in California. You are allowed to smoke in parks in New York but not in California.

There are a lot of little things like that that you have to pay attention to. My suggestion is that when you plan to go to this state, it is best to first understand the local laws.

A classmate once posted a post saying that the gas price in California is very high. From this, it is naive to conclude that the gas price in the United States is not cheap either. Because you don’t know that in Nevada, which is right next door to California, gas prices are much cheaper than in California.

My friends invited me to live in Florida. But there is a law in this state that you can carry a gun out. At the same time, if someone waves a fist at you on the street and poses a threat to you, you can defend yourself or even kill him.

Plus, it’s easy to get a firearms license in Florida. This becomes not very fun. Florida passed this law in 2005. As of 2012, statistics show that there have been more than 140 cases within this legal framework and 65 people have died.

In other words, it is best not to get into an argument with someone or even start a fight with someone on the streets or in a bar in Florida. In that case, it is very likely that the other party can legally pull out a gun and shoot you down and then shoot you down. Will not be arrested.

After learning about this law, we gave up on Florida. We always felt that this law was a bit scary. I can't imagine what it would be like if everyone I passed on the street had a gun. So I declined my friend’s invitation and gave up on Florida.

When it comes to law, we have to talk about lawyers. By the way, it is best for new immigrants to first understand the laws of the United States and the state where you are located.

Don’t believe too much in the United States, especially the instigation of Chinese and Lao lawyers, unless this person has a long-term reputation. In the United States, Lao and Chinese lawyers always take advantage of new immigrants’ ignorance of American laws, and then encourage you to sue this or that. You just start the lawsuit and then it's time to spend endless amounts of money on them.

So, every state in the United States is different. When you go to one state, you think you know all of America, and that's really wrong.

Welfare benefits for immigrants in Los Angeles

There is a senior immigrant who has personally experienced the so-called perfect welfare policy in the United States. Listen to what she said:

When I go to work, I will When I meet our compatriots, they usually work in restaurants in town, or help others take care of the elderly. All of them have become American citizens and immigrated their families to the United States. They also tried their best to persuade me to do the same for the reason The welfare of the United States is very good. Because my husband has a high income, we hardly experience the benefits of American welfare---except for tax rebates on loan interest (although the United States has various welfare benefits, they are all geared towards middle- and low-income families, and high-income groups indirectly subsidize low-income groups) , but I am really curious about what benefits Americans and legal immigrants can enjoy, and how good the benefits are.

Another day, the female owner of a Chinese restaurant in our town asked me to help her translate a document that the state government sent her about her Medicaid (the government’s medical insurance for low-income groups). ) renewal notice. I was really surprised. All her bags were LV. She and her husband bought houses in New York and New Jersey, and she actually enjoyed the medical insurance provided by the government to low-income people.

Of course, I often hear that many high-income Chinese families use various "smart" means to make themselves look "poor" so that they or their families can enjoy state subsidies. This is not exclusive to us Chinese. Yes, the same as Americans.

I have a neighbor. Her husband got cancer. She sent him to a "nursing home" and all the expenses were paid by the state because she also applied for Medicaid (she was very secretive about this. I got it by accident) I know), but I really don’t know how she can apply---the average annual household income of residents in our town is 130,000 US dollars, which means that except for those who live in government-subsidized apartments, the residents of this town are at least Americans. The wealthy 20% (only 20% of households in the United States have an annual income of more than $100,000).

So I went online to check out government benefits, and I was really surprised. I estimate there are hundreds of kinds of benefits. There are more than ten kinds of welfare plans under the nutrition plan alone. Not only do you not have to find anyone you know. You can apply through the back door (but you must meet the identity requirements: applicants must be Americans or permanent residents and legal immigrants), and in order to help specific groups enjoy these benefits, the government has also hired many welfare specialists to help people understand and apply for the benefits you are eligible for. Benefit Plans. I browsed briefly, because there were so many varieties that I was dazzled. Here are just a few of the most common ones that cost the most government funds:

1. Social Security----Social Security Fund< /p>

Similar to domestic social security, but different from the domestic principle of one person paying and one enjoying, American social security covers spouse benefits, ex-spouse benefits, minor children's benefits, and supplementary income benefits, etc.

Ex-spouse benefits: That is, a divorced spouse can also enjoy the social security benefits of her ex-husband, provided that the woman and her ex-husband have been married for 10 years or more and have not remarried (over 62 years old); or they are dependents. All minor children under the age of 16 with your ex-husband (no age limit); or you have been married to your ex-husband for 10 years and then remarried, but the marriage was terminated due to various reasons; or your ex-husband died and you remarried at the age of 60.

Spouse benefits: If you lose your spouse, you can receive the other party’s social security benefits at the age of 62; if you raise minor children, you can receive the benefits at any age; if you also work, you can compare yourself and your spouse when you retire. Spouse's benefits, and then choose the spouse who receives the higher benefit.

Benefits for minor children: If the main income earner in the family dies, unmarried minor children under 18 years old (if disabled, the age is relaxed to 22 years old) can receive social benefits from their deceased father or mother. Security benefits, and this benefit is separate from spousal benefits, that is, the living mother or father receives the benefits of the deceased spouse, and the children can also receive their own, as long as the total does not exceed 180% of the deceased's social security benefits. Minor children also include daughters-in-law, step-sons, step-daughters, and grandchildren.

Supplementary income benefit: This benefit is only available to low-income people over 65 years old and disabled people.

Welfare for disabled people: For adult disabled people, there are generally working years requirements. For example, to receive this benefit, a 28-year-old must have worked for one and a half years, and a 30-year-old must have worked for 2 years. For those aged 34, the waiting period is 3 years. If you are disabled before you become a minor, there are other policies.

2.Medicaid

Medical insurance for retired and middle-income people, other low-income groups and the disabled. This insurance covers hospitalization expenses (including surgery and postoperative recovery). See Outpatient expenses, drug expenses, and nursing home expenses. This fee alone consumes 10% of government expenditure!

What is surprising is that this benefit only considers the income of the individual, not his family. For example, even if the child has a high income, and his If one parent is low-income, you can also apply for this benefit if one of the parents is sick.

An Indian colleague of mine has a deep understanding of this. Her family income is also in the high-income group, but her mother has never worked in the United States and has no income except receiving government benefits. A few months ago, her mother suddenly fell. They called the emergency call. Hospital personnel arrived quickly and sent her mother to the emergency room. They didn't even ask if they had insurance. They rescued her immediately and then sent her to a nursing center after the operation. , all expenses are borne by the government, because her mother is low-income!

It was originally a welfare designed for retired middle- and low-income people and other low-income groups, but too many Americans are trying their best to squeeze in Because there are too many loopholes in this welfare plan, such as the principle of protecting the non-sick spouse of the spouse-the plan stipulates that if one spouse becomes ill, the other spouse cannot be allowed to live in poverty, so even if The couple owns their own real estate, etc., and the non-sick spouse does not need to sell the real estate to treat the sick spouse! Many people even hire lawyers to do estate planning to make themselves appear to be in the low-income group. For this reason, we often hear what I said above. The restaurant owner and my neighbor mentioned were covered by this insurance.

3. Food/Nutrition

Food and Nutrition Program, the slogan of this welfare is "No one should go hungry in America." (In the United States, no one should go hungry), This benefit benefits almost 25% of Americans and legal immigrants. There are more than ten specific benefits under this plan, which are targeted at children from low-income families, pregnant women, low-income adults, and the elderly. The methods include food stamps, food, free breakfast, lunch, student fruit plan, milk plan, etc. for some students in the school.

4.ChildCare/Child Support

This benefit mainly targets nutrition, health and preschool education for pregnant women, infants, and children aged 3-5 (also low-income families) etc., and also includes partial compensation for parents’ expenses for hiring someone to take care of their children.

5. TaxCredit/ Tax Rebate

Tax refund. On the one hand, U.S. taxes cover all income, including wages, bonuses, overtime pay of all unit owners, and even awards issued by the unit to some employees for outstanding performance --- even if the award is only a $100 watch, investment income from selling a house The tax management in the United States is very mature and standardized. No company will help its employees to evade taxes, because the company is responsible for providing employees with their annual income statements, and employees will use this to file taxes. If the company helps employees to evade taxes, the company will be severely punished. All units, whether government departments or private companies, are equal.

But on the other hand, there are many "reasons" for tax refunds in the United States, such as medical expenses, children's college expenses, donations to charities, and tax refunds for first-time home buyers (USD 7,500, later raised to USD 8,000, (but there are income requirements), housing loan interest tax refund and real estate tax refund. If you are self-employed, many hardware for business preparation can be tax refunded, including the purchase of computers. Low-income groups can also receive additional tax rebates.

Child support tax rebates are one of the main sources of tax rebates for many low-income groups. As long as they meet the income requirements, this is usually taken care of for low- and middle-income families. For children under the age of 17, each child can receive from the government Got $1,000 there. My colleague told me very proudly that because she and her husband are both low-income, through various tax rebate policies and welfare plans, not only do they not pay taxes, but they also get thousands of dollars from the government every year!

There are hundreds of welfare programs in the United States, such as benefits to help low-income groups rent and buy houses, use of energy benefits (such as free natural gas, etc.), benefits to help mentally ill people, and help banks and people who cannot exchange loans to reduce their principal. and interest plans, etc. Through various tax rebates, 49% of households in the United States do not pay any federal taxes. The welfare programs in the United States have also made the government's burden heavier and heavier. When Americans loudly accuse government spending of being too large, most of them forget that they themselves also miss various welfare benefits.