While recovering from the financial losses caused by the pandemic, the United States labor market is experiencing an unprecedented situation in which more jobs are available than people qualified to work in many occupations. Especially in areas and industries requiring technical knowledge and higher academic training, the shortage of skilled labor leads the country to seek foreign professionals who wish to live and work legally in the USA.
The U.S. Department of Labor periodically publishes a list of the neediest professions in the country on its website. Immigration lawyer Marcelo Gondim, who has been assisting immigrants in their green card processes for more than ten years, comments on the top 5 professions facing a shortage, which can be occupied by immigrants who have a successful career in their area of activity or who have a job offer to live in America. Check:
- Truckers – “Food, water, fuel supply, construction materials, electronics, medicines… 72% of everything that is distributed and consumed in the United States is transported by the country’s roads. However, the pandemic led to more than 90,000 truckers resigning in 2020 and nearly 15,000 drivers who have requested layoffs to work in other industries. In the next ten years, more than 200,000 new truckers will be needed in the country.
- Engineers – “The number of people who graduate in engineering has been falling dramatically in the U.S., primarily due to the high costs of universities. This makes companies increasingly seek foreign professionals. Currently, 26% of engineers in the U.S. are from other countries, mainly India, China and Japan.
- Health Professionals – “Dentists, nurses, physiotherapists, doctors in various specialties… think of any profession within the health area. The shortage of professionals in the health segment became even more evident during the pandemic. Qualified immigrants who can obtain a green card and the license to work in their professions will find excellent opportunities in the U.S.
- Technology Professionals – “Perhaps no other industry in the U.S. absorbs as many immigrants today as information technology. Especially the large companies in Silicon Valley (California), Houston (Texas) and New York bet on the talent of foreign I.T. professionals with advanced academic backgrounds who have proven to outdo the most sophisticated software and new trends in the market.
- Airline pilots – “More than 130,000 flights have already been canceled in the U.S. in 2022 due to the shortage of pilots. Although the country concentrates on the world’s largest aviation market, with 735,000 pilots active, the shortage of professionals has never been greater. It is estimated that the country will need at least 150,000 new pilots in the next five years to prevent the industry from collapsing.”
Despite so many opportunities, Marcelo Gondim, the founder of Gondim Law Corp., an immigration law firm in Los Angeles, warns: “You have to search a legal path to live and work in the United States. It’s essential to learn about the various visas and immigration categories that grant a green card and the specific licenses, according to the laws of each American State, to practice your profession in the country.