Gainesville Employment Based Immigration Lawyer
For many professionals, working in the United States temporarily or permanently represents a major professional and personal accomplishment. United States policies mean to encourage international trade and to promote business relationships between U.S. companies and their counterparts in other countries. Therefore, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers several categories of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for people who wish to reside in the United States in the context of their employment. If you wish to apply for an employment-based visa or have run into a problem with your current work visa, contact a Gainesville employment-based immigration lawyer.
Non-Immigrant Work Visas
Non-immigrant visas enable you to reside in the United States for several years and to earn money through your employment here. When you apply for a non-immigrant work visa, you can also apply for a visa for your spouse and minor children to reside in the United States with you. When you submit your application for a non-immigrant work visa, your employer must submit an I-129 petition to sponsor your immigration. The visa requires you to work for the same employer throughout the duration of your stay in the U.S. If you quit your job, you will lose your visa, and the family members you have sponsored will lose theirs.
These are the categories of non-immigrant work visas:
- H-1B visa – These visas are for employees in specialized jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree. Although many employers wish to sponsor employees under this visa category, the U.S. only issues a limited number of H-1B visas per year. To be eligible for this visa, you must have an employment offer from a U.S. employer.
- L-1 visa – This visa category is for employees of foreign companies that are affiliates of U.S. companies or foreign companies that wish to open branches in the U.S. To be eligible for an L-1 visa, you must have been continuously employed by the same eligible employer for more than a year. This category includes L-1A visas for managerial level employees and L-1B visas for employees in positions that require highly specialized knowledge.
Other categories of non-immigrant work visas include E-1 visas for treaty traders, E-2 visas for treaty investors, O-1 visas for highly accomplished employees, and TN visas for traders from Canada and Mexico.
Immigrant Work Visas
The U.S. also offers EB-1 and EB-2 visas, which are immigrant work visas. If you maintain EB-1 or EB-2 visa status for a set period of time, you will be eligible to apply for adjustment of status and get a green card. These visas are only available to applicants in highly specialized professions or who have made extraordinary accomplishments in their professional fields.
Employment Based Immigration Lawyers in Gainesville, Georgia
An immigration lawyer can help you apply for a visa that will enable you to work in the United States for several years and perhaps even apply for a green card. Contact Shirazi Immigration Law, Inc. at our offices in Atlanta, Georgia to represent you in your naturalization case.
