Many international candidates aspire to work in the US either on a short-term or permanent basis.
Therefore, employers grant temporary work visas to US immigrants to allow them to start their occupation soon. Also, it is easy and less expensive to hire foreign employees temporarily.
On the other hand, long-term employees get an E-B1 or E-B2 visa (green card) to stay in the US permanently.
Similarly, there are many work US visa types available for international candidates.
Let's get into their detailing so that you can know which Visa will suit you. You will also learn about non-immigrant and immigrant visas.
Non-Immigrant Work Visas Types
Employers primarily grant non-immigrant visas to their future employees. They are temporary and thus, non-immigrants must depart from the country at the visa expiration date. Now, we’ll look at the temporary visa types one by one and understand each in detail.
- H-1 Visa:
The most prominent nonimmigrant visa is H-1B. It is less time-consuming and easy for employers to approve it from USCIS.
Employees only get the H-1B visa when they have the employment offer letter from a US employer. Furthermore, concerned candidates must present all their job qualifications with suitable degrees.
In order to sponsor your H-1B visa, the employers need to file an I-129 petition at USCIS. It is also advisable for employers to seek legal help and hire a lawyer for the process of highly demanding H-1B visa USA. Any mistake in the form may lead to rejection.
- L-1 Visa:
L-1 Visa is allocated to employees working in the affiliate US-based company from another country. Therefore, the L-1 visa allows employees to transfer from an international company branch to a US company.
To obtain the L-1 visa, employees should have worked in the foreign company's branch for a year. It is again segregated into two categories, i.e. L-1A for managerial capacity and L-1B for specialized knowledge. Nevertheless, employers must file the I-129 petition for an L-1 visa to USCIS.
- O-1 Visa:
Foreign candidates possessing specialized knowledge or expertise in any work field are granted an O-1 non-immigrant Visa. Your employer will produce your extraordinary skill set to obtain an O-1 visa on your behalf. However, candidates must satisfy at least three prongs to get this US work Visa.
- Candidates have high remuneration in their field.
- They have achieved outstanding contributions.
- They have been awarded certifications.
- Candidates have the best performance in their job role.
You must go through the US Visa process to acquire the O-1 Visa. Then, the concerned US employer will fill out the I-129 petition. Additionally, the petition will consist of a letter stating that the employee has no objection to US recruitment.
- E-1 Visa:
The US government provides E-1 visas to the countries' nationals and permits them for trading activities. You can acquire an E-1 Visa as a treaty trader or investor. To qualify for this Visa, candidates must be nationals of the country involved in the trade treaty. Additionally, the applicants must have a healthy amount of money to begin the trade in the US and present some documents as proof.
You can fill out a US visa application form (E-1) at the US consulate in your country.
Note: For an E-1 visa, you don’t have to submit the document to USCIS.
- TN Visa:
The North American Free Trade Agreement initiated the TN Visa, especially for Canadian and Mexican citizens. Thus, only Canadians and Mexicans can work in the US under this program. Also, they get three-year increment notice from US-based employers.
As it is only allocated to the citizens of Canada and Mexico, so they must submit their citizenship proof. Additionally, produce the employment letter and qualifications for the job role.
Today, the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement continues the application for the TN Visa. As a result, many companies hire accountants, lawyers, teachers, professors, scientists, and pharmacists from these countries under the TN Visa.
These were some non-immigrant work visa types. Now, let’s move further and look at immigrant work visas.
Immigrant Work Visas
The immigrant work visas for foreigners work as a lottery, as now they can permanently sit in the US and get citizenship. The US government also allows immigrants to relocate to the country with their families.
To qualify for immigrant work visas, your employer should agree to take the sponsorship for the visa program. So, let’s know more about various immigrant work visa types in detail.
- EB-1 Visa:
Qualified foreigners with extraordinary abilities are given first preference for this work visa USA. Also, additional qualifications are set for such people that are mandatory for them to qualify for an EB-1 visa.
To acquire an EB-1 visa, you must have publications to your name, scholarly articles, awards, felicitations, certifications, commercial success, original contribution work, a high salary, and much more.
- EB-1 Visa for Multinational Executive Immigrant:
The criteria to qualify for this Visa is similar to the L-1 Visa. (Employees working in the affiliate US-based company from another country.) However, with this visa, you will be appointed to work in managerial or executive positions. Hence, you must have at least three years of work experience.
- EB-2 Visa:
The second preference is for people with advanced education degrees via EB-2 visa. As a result, having a bachelor’s degree may not work for you, so you must require a master’s or higher degree. Whereas, if you don’t have a master’s degree, you should have five years of work experience to qualify for the EB-2 Visa.
To obtain an EB-2 visa, your employer has to apply for the PERM certification process.
Seek Professional Help
To give equal preference to everyone, the US government has optimized several visas to suit international candidates’ backgrounds properly.
For example, if you have extraordinary skills, you can apply for an EB-1; to settle temporarily for employment, you apply for an H-1B visa, and so on.
You can also seek advice from Work Permitz visa consultants to know better about US Visa types!