As a teacher in the United States
If you're a teacher in Brazil and you want to immigrate to the United States, you should know that you can achieve the American dream through your profession. The United States receives thousands of qualified professionals every year, and you could be one of them too.
Salaries in the USA
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the average annual salaries for different categories of basic education teachers in the United States:
- Preschool teacher: 38 thousand dollars.
- Kindergarten teacher: 65 thousand dollars.
- Elementary school teacher: 68 thousand dollars.
- Elementary school teacher: 67 thousand dollars.
- High school teacher: 69 thousand dollars.
- Special education teacher: 69 thousand dollars.
If you are a higher education teacher, these are the average annual salaries for different categories, also according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- Professor of economics: 122 thousand dollars.
- Psychology professor: 88 thousand dollars.
- Professor of sociology: 90 thousand dollars.
- Social science teacher: 89 thousand dollars.
- Math teacher: 90 thousand dollars.
Teacher shortages in the US
American basic education suffers from a lack of professionals: the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) announced that in December 2022 more than 45% of American public schools were operating without a full teaching staff. Of these schools, around 18% needed one teacher on their teaching staff, and 27% needed two or more teachers on their teaching staff.
The shortage of teachers has worsened during the coronavirus pandemic, and in October 2022 around 4% of all teaching positions in public schools were vacant; and the average number of teachers needed to complete the teaching staff of each American public school was 2 professionals.
The areas with the greatest vacancy of professionals in American public schools in 2022, according to the NCES, were: special education (7%), English language teaching or bilingual education (6%) and computer science (5%).
Data from Brown University show that the states with the greatest need for new teachers per 10,000 students are: Mississippi (58.67 vacancies), Kentucky (30.57 vacancies), Alabama (17.95) and Tennessee (10.27). And the states with the greatest need for teachers in absolute numbers are: Florida (5294), North Carolina (3619) and Georgia (3112).
Academic Merit: How to get a Green Card
America needs teachers in different sectors and you can benefit from this need. US immigration grants visas - EB-2 NIW category - to qualified professionals who possess exceptional or extraordinary abilities in the sciences, arts or business.
An advanced degree (equivalent to a master's or doctorate) and academic relevance are also qualifications that can get you a green card. Thus, official academic records that demonstrate that the eligible candidate has diplomas, certificates and awards from schools, universities and colleges are considered proof of exceptional or extraordinary abilities.
EB-2 NIW visa: What are the requirements?
If you are a teacher or university professor and have more than five years ' professional experience, exceptional or extraordinary skills in your field, you may be eligible for a Green Card.
Recognition of your exceptional or extraordinary skills comes from the quality of your CV, achievements and awards in your career in Brazil and/or abroad.
And, if you are approved for a Green Card under this visa category, your spouse and children under the age of 21 will also be granted their respective Green Cards.
All this without you needing a previous job offer in the United States.
Am I eligible for a green card?
Want to know if you're eligible for a Green Card? Fill in our form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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