Since ancient times, the developed state of the United States has attracted people from all over the world for its high economic level. Many people dream of leaving for the country of their dreams forever, and one of the legal ways is to find an official job and get an appropriate visa. Let's see what options for such documents exist.
Types of United States Work Visas
The most common work visa in the USA is category N. Very often people get types J and L. America offers a huge variety of entry work documents for specialists of unique professions.
Before applying for a work visa in the USA, you need to find out which one is required for a particular case:
- Type J includes internship documents; they are issued both to students and potential teachers, as well as to employees in scientific specializations. With this visa you can take part in the popular Work and Travel program and in many others, for example Internship, Trainee, Camp Counselor.
- The most popular is the H1B type, it has several types that will be discussed below in the article. This visa is issued for qualified workers for up to 6 years. Most often, IT specialists, scientists, and so on come to it. Despite the fact that it is not immigration, it is quite possible to count on receiving a green card.
- A work visa to the United States, designed to transfer an employee from another country, is indicated by the letter L1. With its help, a specialist’s base is relocated from one office of the company to its own office, but in the United States. Validity can be up to seven years.
- Do not be surprised at the fact that in America you can get a special visa for a professional model - H1B3. Plus, American employers provide very high earnings, since fashion magazines and shows here are still at a high level among the interests of local residents.
- A work visa to the USA for workaholic in the agricultural field is called H2A. It is received for a year, however, all applicants must be with a store of experience behind them. Most often, jobs are located in the south of the country: Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and so on.
- If a person gets a seasonal job under a contract, then the request is already submitted to 2. Here you can meet and workers without qualifications. The length of stay in the country for this type of document is possible up to 10 months. This can be a service for hotels, restaurants, golf courses and so on.
- An interesting visa is O. It is issued to those who are distinguished by any abilities that fit the meaning of the word "extraordinary." For example, an athlete or a person who has reached certain heights in art, science, education. Initially, the visa is valid for 3 years, but then it can be extended an indefinite number of times. According to the requirements, the candidate must have international recognition in the form of awards or be a member of some professional club.
- R - type of work visa in the USA, received by figures in the religious sphere. Typically, for such work, the religious organization sends the request itself. A candidate must be a member of a religious community for at least 2 years. According to it, he has the right to stay in the state for up to thirty months with the possibility of extension for another similar period.
To obtain a work visa in the USA of all types, except for 13 and , you need to find a real employer who will take responsibility for the execution of all documents and payment of fees.
Category H visa
The most common H visa can be requested by a specialist engineer, a nurse with a diploma, a library worker, a scientist, a programmer, an architect and an administrator working in various fields of business. Obtaining a work visa in the United States category H involves temporary employment. The government expects that in the end this position will be occupied by an American citizen, who has not yet been found among others on the labor exchange.
But the huge advantage of such a work visa in the USA for Russians is the possibility of applying after a certain time for a permanent resident status - a green card.
To apply for a visa N, you need to confirm your diploma (secondary or higher education). This procedure occurs in the United States in Wisconsin and California.
Visa category H1-A
H1-A - modification of the above visa. It is used for entry by registered nurses. For its establishment in the 89th year of the last century, the American authorities issued a special decree on the immigration of citizens with such a profession. The gesture of goodwill was committed due to the acute shortage of medical workers in the native land. Therefore, the entire staff of hospitals and hospices in the United States has one of the highest wage rates and a full social package.
True, the current situation among medical personnel has gone from a critical level, and in order to accept a foreign worker as a nurse, the employer will need to provide evidence of the need for this step to apply for a work visa to the United States. At the same time, he pledges not to stop searching among American citizens. The visa itself is issued for 3 years with the possibility of extension for 2.
Visa category H1-B
Visa type H1-B has its own varieties. The first part of the letter remains the same, and the serial number is added to the second:
- B1 - designed for professionals in their field.
- B2 - issued by the Ministry of Defense.
- B3 - receive artists, such as artists or even fashion models, awarded a high level of recognition in the world arena.
- B4 - give out artists involved in folk art.
- B5 - a special visa for athletes.
- B6 - issued to coaches, managers who are support for athletes and so on.
How to get an H1 visa?
How to get a work visa in the USA of category H1 to a foreigner? First of all, a potential employee should find a normal and adequate employer, since he will fill out the initial application at the Department of Labor of America.
In this statement, the employer indicates how many foreigners he hires, what position they get, the amount of their wages is prescribed. In the case of hiring, the hiring party must guarantee the highest wages in this area, but without prejudice to the rights of Americans. She is obligated to create equal working conditions for you and the indigenous people involved in the employment of the company. For the Ministry, the employer brings evidence of the absence of a strike at the enterprise.
Absolutely all employed employees of a company hiring a foreigner should be notified of such a decision by their superiors with the help of a trade union. What is included in the huge list of documentation necessary for applying for an H1 visa:
- Visa request approved by the Ministry of Labor.
- Completed application form I-129. This type of form is filled in if the visa status changes by someone already in the United States.
- Completed application form OF-156. This type is filled in if the potential employee stays outside the United States.
- Confirmed diploma. It must comply with all US Department of Education requirements in this specialty.
- Documents from the hiring company that provide the necessary description of its activities.
- Confirmation of a request for a visa to a foreigner at the Ministry of Labor.
H2 category visa
This document is intended for workers who come for seasonal work. They do not have to have a certain qualification in a certain field. The right to perform such work is granted regardless of the number of American workers eligible for this position.
For example, an American employer may offer such work to a foreigner in the event of a shortage of workers in the construction of an object, or knowledge of its design, and the deadlines are tight. Or an American can call a foreigner as a teacher or trainer in a certain field, that is, to train his American staff. Athletes who do not have worldwide publicity or fame, or farm workers can apply for the same visa.
How to apply for an H2 visa
How do foreign workers get a work visa in the USA like H2? First of all, the management proves that there are no possible options to hire an indigenous worker for this position. The appeal takes place in the already known Department of Labor, where the employer gives guarantees that the invitation of a foreigner does not select places intended for Americans in the labor market.
Incidentally, the quota for H2 is quite high - every year the Ministry issues about sixty-six thousand such visas. In addition, the employer undertakes to comply with the requirement guaranteeing that the wages upon admission of a foreigner will not change for any of the employees already hired. If the employer is a farmer, he is required to cover fifty percent of the jobs with the help of American labor. But very often there are also refusals to issue H2, this is due to the fact that the employer cannot provide weighty arguments for the temporary nature of work. True, in this case, a potential foreign worker has the opportunity to apply to the US Immigration Service for a work visa in order to prove the erroneous verdict of the Department of Labor.
The validity of such a visa is usually 1 year. And another interesting point regarding this type of working paper is related to the untimely departure of the employee from the employer: a penal sanction of two hundred dollars has been developed for the latter if he cannot provide evidence of the foreigner leaving the country.
Visa category H3
This type of visa is the easiest to apply for, as it is intended for continuing education or completing studies in special programs of the United States. The applicant must be a member of the official organization providing the internship. An important proof will be that a foreigner has no opportunity to obtain such knowledge in his homeland.
How to apply for an H3 visa?
The moments of applying for an H3 work visa are associated with the mandatory provision of information about the desire to return after an internship to your home country. In addition to the verbal story, you must provide any documents indicating the inextricable connection of the applicant with his homeland.
In addition to the potential student, the host should also speak out that she does not intend to leave him after completing an internship to perform work duties.
Where to apply for an H3 visa?
The entire document folder is sent to a special US Immigration and Naturalization service. What you need to send for an H3 visa:
- Completed application form I-129.
- Diploma confirming the specified qualification.
- Papers that indicate compliance of the applicant's qualifications with the requirements of the internship program.
- Full information about the upcoming educational process.
- Documentation from the host company, confirming the impossibility of accepting the applicant for further work.
Work permit N3 is issued for eighteen months, and in case of its extension, the employee brings evidence of extension of training.
In addition to all, everyone is interested in the question of how much does a work visa in the USA cost.
Actually, the cost depends on:
- Estimates of the chances of receiving.
- The need for additional consultation, which is expected to be represented by official representatives of the Consulate or Embassy.
- General assistance in obtaining a visa.
- Checking the provided document folder.
- The need for translation and certification of the questionnaire in English.
- As well as from the accompaniment of the candidate to the interview itself (this item, like some of the above, applies to those who resort to intermediary firms).
A compulsory consular fee is paid in the amount of 190 US dollars.