Entering the U.S. on a Temporary Work Visa
Whether or not you're interested in lawful permanent residence and eventual United States citizenship, most foreign nationals who enter the country for employment do so on nonimmigrant visas. To learn how an experienced attorney's advice can help you through the employment visa process, contact the Law Office of Cheryl R. David in New York for an initial consultation.
We Help People With Nonimmigrant Visa Applications in NYC
Different visa categories with different eligibility criteria apply to various kinds of jobs, workers and reasons for entering the U.S. New York immigration lawyer Cheryl David can explain the rules that apply to each of the different nonimmigrant employment visas, and can help you understand the process for the particular visa that fits your circumstances. The more common nonimmigrant employment visas include:
- H-1 visas for people with bachelor's or advanced degrees who will be working in a specialty occupation, including H1-B visas for professional or technical employees
- H-2 visas for nonimmigrant unskilled workers in temporary or seasonal work
- E-B1 or E-B2 visas for people of exceptional or extraordinary ability in the sciences, higher education, research, entertainment, the arts, or business
- E-B3 visas for skilled workers and professionals with at least a bachelor's degree and two years of relevant work experience
- B-1 visas allowing short-term entry for meetings, conferences, seminars or other events
- TN visas for Mexican or Canadian professionals with sponsors in the U.S. at the time of application
- L-1 visas for executives and managers transferring from other countries to United States subsidiaries or regional offices of the employer corporation
Each of these nonimmigrant visas is issued for a limited period, which in most cases can be extended one or more times. After the last extension, however, the nonimmigrant worker must return to the home country. An important exception here is the L-1 visa, which can support an application for permanent residence without the need for PERM certification.
For most nonimmigrant workers, the PERM Labor certification process is necessary to avoid the need to return home after the last visa extension. This complex process is initiated by the employer, and the objective essentially is to convert the status of the foreign national worker from nonimmigrant to lawful permanent resident — in other words, a green card holder.
Attorney Cheryl David can help make sure that you apply for the right visa, that it's properly documented, and that any complications or problems are promptly addressed. She can also help you deal with any visa problems that arise after you're in the U.S. Difficulties ranging from mistakes by the employer's immigration attorney to trouble with criminal charges can endanger your ability to live and work in the U.S.
For additional information about the scope of our firm's nonimmigrant employment practice, contact the Law Office of Cheryl R. David in New York.
