Working legally as a non-citizen in the United States involves obtaining the necessary documentation pertinent to your employment situation. Visas are available to workers across career fields and each type requires a specific set of criteria for applicants to meet.
If you or someone you know seeks temporary employment in the U.S., check out these options for temporary work visas. Those employers seeking skilled workers may consider looking outside the U.S. and would do well to know the options for providing these job opportunities.
The U.S. State Department differentiates between a number of temporary work visa categories, so it’s important you’re applying under the relevant visa type. To begin your process of applying for a temporary work visa, first consider which category is best suited to your type of work.
Some types of work visas
H-1B: This work visa applies to persons in specialty occupations. The key requirement for this work visa category is a degree in higher education or an equivalent qualification.
H-1B1: This work visa is relevant to non-immigrant workers from Chile and Singapore who meet similar requirements to the H-1B visa. Applicants must hold a four-year degree or equivalent experience and work for an existing U.S. company, usually in fields such as medicine, education, engineering and business specialties. The main aspect to note about this work visa is that an applicant must establish up-front that the work placement is temporary and the worker intends to return home after completing any work assignment.
H-2A&B: These visas apply to temporary or seasonal workers in either agricultural or other types of work. Not all countries qualify for this type of visa and employers can only offer this kind of employment when they’ve exhausted options for U.S. workers.
H-3: Applicants for an H-3 work visa seek training in the education of children with special needs and can’t find such training in their home country. This is not for students, but rather for those employed in the care and education of children with various disabilities.
L: Employees of a company with locations in the U.S. can apply for an intracompany transfer visa under this category. These workers are in higher-level positions like management or executive roles and have worked for the employer continuously for one year prior to application.
These are just a few of the work visa options you may consider in seeking work in the U.S. Other types of temporary work visas exist and may apply to your employment situation.
Employment immigration
Employers and workers have options to consider in hiring or finding work from outside the U.S. A skilled immigration legal expert can help smooth out the process and make sure you’re doing what is needed to complete this process. Job opportunities continue to change, so know your options when it comes to immigration and employment.
