Professional Work Visas

Temporary Work Visas

A number of temporary, non-immigrant work-based visas are offered by the United States government every year. These visas allow the holder to enter the U.S. in a non-immigrant status, and live and work for a specified period of time in the United States before returning to his or her home country. If you are interested in pursuing employment or hiring a foreign national for employment in the U.S. on a temporary basis, talk to an attorney who specializes in immigration law about your options. There are many different categories of non-immigrant work visas offered by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A few examples of these categories include the following.

• H-1B - H-1B visas are designed for professional workers who have an offer of employment and at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a field required for the job. There is a limit on the number of new H-1B visas that can be issued every year, so it is important to contact an immigration attorney to discuss the time frame of your application as soon as possible. Assistance from a knowledgeable visa attorney could make all the difference in the success of your application.
• L-1 visas are designed for intra-company transferees who have worked in their home country for at least one continuous year of the past three years for a company that is affiliated with the U.S. employer. L-1A visas are for managerial and executive employees, and L-1B visas are for employees with specialized knowledge of the employer's products or services. There is no limit on L visas, and spouses of principal L-1 visa holders are eligible to apply for work authorization.
• P visas are designed for professional athletes, entertainers, and artists coming to the U.S. to work in their field individually or as part of a group or team. P-1 visas are for professional athletes coming to the U.S. to perform in a specific athletic competition in their sport individually or as part of a team at an internationally recognized level of performance. P-2 visas are for artists and entertainers coming to the U.S. to perform under a reciprocal exchange program existing between a U.S. organization and an organization in another country. P-3 visas are for artists or entertainers coming to the U.S. to perform, teach, or coach under a culturally unique program.

Immigrant Visas Through Employment

Employment-based immigration is one of the most common forms of immigration to the United States. If you are interested in pursuing permanent legal residency in the United States, and you either have an employer in the country who is willing to sponsor you, or you qualify as a priority worker or as pursuing employment in the "national interest," then you may be eligible to receive an immigrant visa or pursue adjustment of status to lawful permanent residency, in one of the following employment-based categories:

• EB1- The first-preference employment-based category is for "priority workers," which includes workers of extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational executives and managers. An approved Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) labor certification application is not required, and there is currently no wait for available visas in this category.
• EB2- The second-preference employment-based category is for professional workers with advanced degrees and workers of exceptional ability. A job offer and an approved PERM application is usually required in this category unless you qualify for a national interest waiver, and there is currently a backlog of applicants from China and India.
• EB3- The third-preference employment-based category is for professional workers, skilled workers, and unskilled workers. There is a backlog for applicants from all countries in this category, though the wait is longest applicants from India and the Phillipines.
• EB4- The fourth-preference employment-based category is for religious workers as well as certain other special immigrant categories. This category does not require a PERM application, and visas are currently available.

Contact Peregrine Law, P.A. to Learn More

To learn more about professional visas, contact the experienced Broward County immigration lawyer at Peregrine Law, P.A. Attorney Andrea Montavon-McKillip has more than a decade of experience. She is one of a select few attorneys in the state to have received her board certification in immigration and nationality law from the Florida Bar. She is familiar with the various categories of work visas offered by USCIS and can help you begin the process of pursuing your American dream. Every individual has unique goals and objectives, and at Peregrine Law, P.A., the priority is always the best interests of the individual client. Call the firm today to learn more about how Attorney Andrea Montavon-McKillip is prepared to help you find and obtain the visa that is right for your professional objectives.