What To Know About Temporary Work Visas

Living in the United States is a dream that many foreigners still have and one of the ways for them to achieve that dream is by working for a company in the United States. Most U.S.-based job opportunities for foreigners are temporary, but temporary employment can often lead to permanent employment and permanent residency. If you are a foreign national who wants to live and work in the United States, an immigration lawyer in the Dallas TX area can help you to understand the different types of temporary work visas that you may qualify for; and he will help you through the application process.

These temporary work visas or non-immigrant visas have an expiration date. You must leave the U.S. when your visa expires or apply for an extension.

Some of the most popular types of non-immigrant visas are:

• H-1B Visas. To receive an H-1B visa, you must have a job offer from a U.S. company and the job must be in an occupation that requires a Bachelor’s Degree or higher to perform. Your potential employer must file an I-129 petition with USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to sponsor you.
• L-1 Visas. These visas are for employees of foreign companies that are affiliated with U.S. companies. You, the employee, can either be transferred to a U.S. branch of their company or you can be tasked with setting up a new branch of your company in the United States. Either way, you must have worked for the foreign company for at least one continuous year in the three years preceding your visa application. As with the H-1B visas, the U.S. employer must submit an I-129 petition on your behalf.
• O-1 Visas. An O-1 visa is reserved for employees who have extraordinary abilities and who will work in their field of expertise in the U.S. You must have a job offer in place and you must prove your extraordinary ability by satisfying specific criteria. Your immigration lawyer in the Dallas TX area can explain to you what those criteria are and how you can prove that you meet them. This type of visa also requires an I-129 petition from your U.S. employer to the USCIS.
• E-1 Visas. E-1 visas allow people from certain foreign countries that have trade treaties with the United States to come to the U.S. to carry out trade activities. To apply for this type of visa, you must apply at a U.S. consulate in your home country.
• TN Visas. These visas are for Canadian and Mexican citizens only. If you have a job offer from a U.S. company and your field is accounting, engineering, law, pharmacy, science or teaching, you may qualify for the TN visa.