U.S. Work Visas: Temporary and Permanent Employment

When it comes to job positions for foreign workers in the United States, we can confidently say that there are plenty of options. Depending on your situation and skills, you can opt for a seasonal job or permanent employment. In this post, we will take a look at both permanent and temporary U.S. work visas, and discuss the main differences.

Temporary worker visas

Temporary U.S. visas allow you to stay in the United States for a limited period. During your embassy interview, the officer will want to confirm that you plan to return to your country. For this reason, you need to show your ties to your home country such as having a stable job, relatives, house, etc. Temporary visas include E visas, H visas, I visas, L visas, O visas, P visas, and R visas. All of these categories have their subcategories as well, and we will briefly discuss them.

E visas (E-1, E-2, and E-3) represent a U.S. visa category which includes treaty traders and investors who work under a treaty of commerce between the U.S. and their home country. E-3 visa specifically is for certain specialty occupation professionals from Australia.

When it comes to the H-1B category, it is for people in a specified academic field or with special expertise. This category requires that the applicant has a college degree or equivalent work experience. Other subcategories of this visa include H-1C, H-2A, H-2B, and H-3 visas. They’re intended for nurses, agricultural workers, non-agricultural workers, and temporary trainees, respectively.

Furthermore, if you plan to work in the U.S. as a representative of foreign press, radio, or film, applying for the I visa may be the best option. If you’re an intra-company transferee, intending to work for your current employer in the U.S., you should opt for an L visa.

With an O visa, you can take up temporary employment in the U.S. as an individual with an extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, business, education, or athletics. P visas are available to athletes and entertainment companies who have a job offer from a U.S. employer. And lastly, the R-1 visa is for religious workers coming to the United States to work part-time.

Employment-based immigrant visas

Unlike temporary worker visas, employment-based immigrant visas are a path to lawful permanent residence. Permanent worker visas allow you to stay in the United States for an indefinite amount of time. EB visas are subdivided into the following categories: EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4, and EB-5.

An EB-1 visa is for persons with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, business, athletics, or education. If you’re a professor with international recognition for your achievements, this visa is the right one for you! Multinational managers and executives with one year of experience may qualify for this visa as well.

EB-2 visa for individuals with an advanced degree requires that applicants possess a baccalaureate or foreign equivalent degree plus five years of progressive work experience in the field.

An EB-3 visa is intended for skilled workers, professionals, and other workers. The EB-4 visa for certain special immigrants includes religious workers, broadcasters, physicians, and members of the armed forces, among others. Finally, if you plan to invest a minimum of $900,000 in the U.S., you can apply for the EB-5 visa.

Conclusion

In short, there is a wide variety of U.S. worker visas to choose from. The most important thing is knowing what visa would work best for you. For any additional information, you can reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help.