H-1B Visas: Professionals in Specialty Occupations
H-1B visas permit professionals to come to the United States to work in a field that requires a specialization or a special skill.
In order to be granted an H-1B visa, the applicant must have at least the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, and also have a sponsoring U.S. employer that is willing to hire the applicant temporarily, pay the required wage, and file a petition with immigration.
H-2B Visas: Seasonal Non-Agricultural Workers
H-2B visas enables business owners to hire foreign workers to perform seasonal, or one-time only work that is non-agricultural.
Applicants need a U.S. employer to sponsor them and be willing to pay them the required wage.
L Visas: Intra Company Transfers
Under an L visa, foreign-based executives, managers, and employees with a specialized skill can be transferred to a branch of an international company in the United States.
The L visa provides a work permit to the spouse of the transferred foreign worker and can eventually lead to a green card in the U.S.
O Visas: Persons of Extraordinary Ability
O visas are issued to foreign artists, athletes, entertainers, scientists, educators, and business people of extraordinary ability who wish to temporarily come to the United States to work in their field of achievement.
O-1A visas are issued to scientists, business people, educators, or athletes.
O-1B visas are issued to visual, performing, and literary artists, such as musicians, writers, singers, actors, artists, directors, photographers etc.
P Visas: Professional Artists, Athletes, and Entertainers
P-1, P-2, P- 3 visas are issued to artists, coaches, athletes, and entertainers who wish to temporarily perform or compete in the United States at a specific event.
R Visas: Religious Workers
R visas are issued to foreign religious workers who want to temporarily enter the United States.
TN Visas: Mexican and Canadian Workers
TN visas are available to skilled workers from Canada and Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
TN visas permit Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to work in a NAFTA approved occupation.
TN visas are often used by Canadian or Mexican nationals to avoid the H1-B cap or other difficulties with the H1-B category.
