Work Visas for USA
To be considered for an immigrant visa under some of the employment-based categories, the applicant's prospective employer or agent must first obtain a labor certification approval from the Department of Labor. Once received, the employer then files an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the appropriate employment-based preference category.
Work visa categories
Employment First Preference (E1): Priority Workers. Three sub-groups:
- Persons with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics.
- Outstanding professors and researchers with at least 3 years experience in teaching or research, who are recognized internationally.
- Multinational managers or executives who have been employed for at least 1 of the 3 preceding years by the overseas affiliate, parent, subsidiary, or branch of the U.S. employer.
A First Preference applicant must be the beneficiary of an approved Immigrant Petition for Foreign Worker, Form I-140, filed with USCIS.
Employment Second Preference (E2): Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees and Persons of Exceptional Ability. A Second Preference applicant must generally have a labor certification approved by the Department of Labor. A job offer is required and the U.S. employer must file an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, on behalf of the applicant.
Employment Third Preference (E3): Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers (Other Workers. A Third Preference applicant must have an approved Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, filed by the prospective employer. All such workers generally require labor certification approved by the Department of Labor.
Employment Fourth Preference (E4): Certain Special Immigrants. There are many subgroups within this category. A Fourth Preference applicant must be the beneficiary of an approved Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, Form I-360, with the exception of Certain Employees or Former Employees of the U.S. Government Abroad. Labor certification is not required for any of the Certain Special Immigrants subgroups.
Employment Fifth Preference (E5): Immigrant Investors. Immigrant Investor visa categories are for capital investment by foreign investors in new commercial enterprises in the United States which provide job creation.
Required documentation
After USCIS approves the petition, National Visa Center will assign a case number for the petition. When an applicant's priority date meets the most recent qualifying date, the NVC will instruct the applicant to complete Form DS-261, Choice of Address and Agent. After the appropriate fees are paid, the NVC will request the following documents are required:
- Passport(s) valid for 60 days beyond the expiration date printed on the immigrant visa.
- Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application.
- Two (2) 2x2 photographs.
- Civil Documents for the applicant.
- Financial Support. At your immigrant visa interview, you must demonstrate to the consular officer that you will not become a public charge in the United States.
- Completed Medical Examination Forms.
Visa interview and processing time
Once the NVC determines the file is complete with all the required documents, they schedule the applicant's interview appointment. NVC then sends the file, containing the applicant's petition and the documents listed above, to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where the applicant will be interviewed for a visa. Each applicant should bring a valid passport to the interview, as well as any other documentation above not already provided to NVC.
Employment based immigrant visa cases take additional time because they are in numerically limited visa categories. The length of time varies from case to case and cannot be predicted for individual cases with any accuracy.
Links to Related Information:
Embassy Contact Information:
Contact the nearest Embassy / Consulate for USA for the most up-to-date information on what documentation you specifically may require to enter USA.
Disclaimer: The contents of this page and other such web pages on this website are provided in good faith as a general information guide only, and the use of this website as an information resource or other is at the viewer/user's sole risk. While every effort is made in presenting up-to-date and accurate information, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the owners to this website for any errors, omissions, outdated or misleading information on these pages or any other website to which these pages connect or are linked.
Source & Copyright: The source of the above visa and immigration information and copyright owner/s is the:
- The U.S. Department of State - URL: www.travel.state.gov
The viewer/user of this web page should use the above information as a guideline only, and should always contact the above sources or the user's own government representatives for the most up-to-date information at that moment in time, before making a final decision to travel to that country or destination.