How To Get A Work Visa For Us

A work visa is required from all those who want to live and work in the US. While this may seem like a hard thing to do, it can be simple with the right help, which is why we are here to help you get your work visa for the USA.

In the past, getting a work visa for the USA was a very hard and long process. This has changed in recent years thanks to immigration laws that allow skilled workers to be eligible for a US work visa.

If you’re looking for a job in the United States, you’ll probably need a U.S. work visa serving as a permit to work in the United States. It can be challenging to get one because the requirements​ are strict and each type of visa has its own set of rules. For example, there’s H-1B for specialty occupations and TN for Canadian citizens who are professionals in North America. Every year through a lottery, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) accepts only 85,000 petitions for H-1B jobs and only 10,000 petitions for TN positions.

How To Get A Work Visa For Us

If you don’t have a Bachelor’s degree, there are still three types of U.S. work visas you can apply for, as long as you’ve got the money to make it happen.

The United States is one of the best places to immigrate to. After Canada, the U.S. is one of the most popular destinations in the world for emigration. Each year, more than 1 million immigrants enter the US legally on temporary visas, receive green cards, naturalize as citizens and adjust their status to permanent residency in the United States.

Besides being a country where many people go for touristic purposes, the US is also a popular working destination. People from all over the world want to work in the US because of the high salaries and good working environments.

There are two ways through which you can go to the US for employment purposes:

• As a temporary employee
• As a sponsored/permanent employee

The temporary employees need a US non immigrant visa, while the sponsored employees need an Immigrant Visa. This article will cover all you need to know about being a temporary employee and getting a US work visa.

What is the American Work Visa?

The Work Visa USA is used for people to go and work temporarily in the US. for a specified period of time. The period of time that you will be working should be noted in the employment contract or the visa application. This type of US visa does not allow individuals to work in the US indefinitely or permanently. Applicants need to fulfill a list of US visa requirements and submit the documents specified in the next sections of this article to be eligible to apply for a temporary work visa USA.

Work Visa USA Types

There are several types of US work visas depending on the purpose and the kind of work that you want to do.

Here are the types of US Temporary Work Visas:

• H1B visa: Person in Specialty Occupation. To work in a specialty occupation. Requires a higher education degree or its equivalent. Includes fashion models of distinguished merit and ability and government-to-government research and development, or co-production projects administered by the Department of Defense.
• H-1B1 visa: Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Professional – Chile, Singapore. To work in a specialty occupation. Requires a post-secondary degree involving at least four years of study in the field of specialization. (Note: This is not a petition-based visa.)
• H-2A visa: Temporary Agricultural Worker. For temporary or seasonal agricultural work. Limited to citizens or nationals of designated countries, with limited exceptions, if determined to be in the United States interest.
• H-2B visa: Temporary Non-agricultural Worker. For temporary or seasonal non- agricultural work. Limited to citizens or nationals of designated countries, with limited exceptions, if determined to be in the United States interest.
• H-3 visa: Trainee or Special Education visitor. To receive training, other than graduate medical or academic, that is not available in the trainee’s home country or practical training programs in the education of children with mental, physical, or emotional disabilities.
• I visa: Representatives of Foreign Media. The visa allows journalists and those who work in the information or media sector to complete their work while in the US.
• L1 visa: Intracompany Transferee. To work at a branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of the current employer in a managerial or executive capacity, or in a position requiring specialized knowledge.  Individual must have been employed by the same employer abroad continuously for 1 year within the three preceding years
• P-1 visa: Individual or Team Athlete, or Member of an Entertainment Group. To perform at a specific athletic competition as an athlete or as a member of an entertainment group. Requires an internationally recognized level of sustained performance. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual.
• P-2 visa: Artist or Entertainer (Individual or Group). For performance under a reciprocal exchange program between an organization in the United States and an organization in another country. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual.
• P-3 visa: Artist or Entertainer (Individual or Group). To perform, teach or coach under a program that is culturally unique or a traditional ethnic, folk, cultural, musical, theatrical, or artistic performance or presentation. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual.
• R-1 visa: Temporary Nonimmigrant Religious Workers. To help foreign nationals to come to the US and work in a religious organization. Only ministers and those who are directly tied to religious work are qualified.
• TN visa: NAFTA Workers. This visa allows lawyers, scientists, engineers, teachers from Canada to work in the US temporarily.
• O1 Visa: Visa for persons with extraordinary abilities. The O1 visa is for those who show expert knowledge in science, business, education, athletics, or art, including international recognition for their work.

Read more:

>Differences between H1b visa and L1 visa

Work Visa USA Qualifications

There are three preconditions that someone interested in obtaining a US work visa needs to fulfill before applying for it. If you do not meet even one of these conditions, the Embassy might deny your visa application. This will make you unable to travel to the US and work there. These preconditions are as follows:

Have a job offer in the US

You need to have applied for, and been accepted in a job position within the US in order to qualify for a work visa. That is because the US requires several documents from your employer before you start your visa application.

Approved petition by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

This requirement means that before you apply for a US work visa, your employer must file a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker with USCIS. This petition, otherwise known as a I-129 form is the most important document for you to get your work visa. When USCIS approves your employer’s petition, you can start applying for the visa. However, if your petition is approved, that does not necessarily mean that the US Embassy will automatically give you a work visa. Due to reasons that might remain at the discretion of the Embassy, you could be denied the work visa even if your USCIS petition is approved.

Labor certification approval by the Department of Labor (DOL)

Some of the work visas, more specifically the H-1B, H-1B1, H-2A, and H-2B also require your employer to have a certification from DOL. Your employer should apply for the DOL on your behalf before even filing the petition with USCIS. The US government requires this certification as proof that US employers need foreign workers. They have to prove that they cannot fill those work positions with US employees. In addition, the certification is needed in order to ensure that temporary foreign workers are not having an impact on job opportunities for US citizens in a negative way.

US Work Visa Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the three qualifying preconditions, you will also need to have these documents:

• Valid passport – which needs to be valid for the entire duration of your stay in the US and an additional six months after you return
• US visa photo – which you need to upload when you fill out the online application form.
• The Receipt Number, which you can find on your approved Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (I-129 Form) which your employer filed.
• A confirmation page that you have completed your Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160 Form).
• Receipt that proves that you have paid the application fee. For US work visas, the application fee is $190. There might also be additional fees that apply to your location, so you should check with your local US Embassy about more details.
• Proof that you will return to your home country after your work in the US ends. This applies to all types of work visas with the exception of the H-1B and the L visa. Examples of how you can prove you will return from the US include the following:
  • Submitting your economic situation
  • Your family relationships
  • Any long term plans you might have
  • Residence that you plan on returning to
• For those applying for an L Visa, you will also need to have a filled I-129S form (Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition). You should bring this form with you when you have your visa interview.

Besides these general requirements, which apply to all those who want to get a US work visa, there might also be other documents which you need to submit. You should contact your local US Embassy for more detailed information.