There are many ways for you to obtain a work permit in the U.S. Most of these occupations can be found in the temporary (nonimmigrant) workers class. Some of these include,
- H-1B, workers with a specialty occupation
- L-1A, intracompany transferees in managerial or executive positions
- TN, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) temporary professionals from Mexico and Canada
- P-1A, internationally recognized athlete
In the permanent class, there are five preference categories,
- Those with extraordinary abilities in science, arts, education, business, athletics, professors or researchers, and multinational executives and manager
- Those with advanced degrees in the arts, sciences, or business
- Professionals, skilled, workers, and other workers
- Special immigrants including certain religious workers
- Business investors
Depending on which preference category you are apply under, you may need a Labor Certification issued by the Department of Labor.
As you can see from the temporary foreign workers class or the permanent class, there are several different occupations that have its own application process.
When assessing your eligibility and what you need to do to apply, you will have to, for example, in terms of a P-1A visa,
- You must be coming to the U.S. to participate in a competition, performance, event, where you will be acknowledged with a high level of achievement
- Your employer will have to file a I-129
- You must also submit the proper fee and supporting documentation
o Documentation could be,
- Written consultation from an appropriate labor organization
- An explanation of the event and itinerary
- Once the petition is approved, you can apply to a U.S. embassy or consulate
As you can see from this example, the process to obtaining a visa can be time-consuming and requires a lot of commitment.
At Akrami & Associates, we will be with you every step of the way! From assessing your eligibility, providing you with a list of the documents that need to be gathered, to drafting your documents, we will be there. Call us today to find out more!