Thousands of people come to the United States each year to visit, work, and live. There are numerous ways pathways to enter the US, with some leading to temporary residence and others to permanent residence. Some require a quick application, where others may require you to seek professional advice and opinion from one of our trusted and vetted partners. Whatever your need, read through the below information and determine what type of visa makes the most sense for your unique situation.
US Immigration is typically divided into two main categories:
Temporary Visas
Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1), for tourism (visa category B-2), or for a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2).
Permanent Residence
Different than simple temporary visas, the options for immigrating permanently into the United States are outlined below.
U.S Temporary Visas
This visa is for workers who are applying to work and non-immigrants, and there are plenty of options for each unique situation that may apply to you. Under the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), USA visa procedures have been made easier for Canadians and Mexicans to work in the United States. Large corporations, small businesses and professionals are seizing new opportunities to work in the United States. These are the most common types of applications people file:
L-1 Visa
To work at a branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of the current employer in a managerial or executive capacity, or in a position requiring specialized knowledge. Individual must have been employed by the same employer abroad continuously for 1 year within the three preceding years.
TN Visa
The nonimmigrant NAFTA Professional (TN) visa allows citizens of Canada and Mexico, as NAFTA professionals, to work in the United States in prearranged business activities for U.S. or foreign employers. Permanent residents of Canada and Mexico are not able to apply for TN visas to work as NAFTA professionals.
E-1 and E-2 Visa
Treaty Trader (E-1) and Treaty Investor (E-2) visas are for citizens of countries with which the United States maintains treaties of commerce and navigation. They are usually coming to engage in substantial trade, including trade in services or technology, in qualifying activities, principally between the United States and the treaty country.
H-1B Visa
An H-1B visa is a U.S. permit that allows foreigners to work in specialty occupations, which is why most applicants under this category are highly educated with a postsecondary degree. However, a high education is not always necessary.
H-2B Visa
Unlike the H-1B, these visas are work permits available to applicants who are coming to the United States for non-agricultural temporary employment. They are for skilled and unskilled workers, unlike the H-1B visa which is for highly skilled workers in “specialty occupations.”
B-1 Visa
You may be eligible for a B-1 visa if you will be participating in business activities of a commercial or professional nature in the United States, such as consulting with business associates or traveling for a scientific, educational, professional or business convention.
Permanent Residence
There are a variety of ways to obtain permanent residence in the United States, but the three most common are:
Employment-based petitions
Every fiscal year (October 1st – September 30th), approximately 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas are made available to qualified applicants under the provisions of U.S. immigration law. Employment based immigrant visas are divided into five preference categories. Certain spouses and children may accompany or follow-to-join employment-based immigrants.
Family-based petitions
Family Based Petitions allow for individuals in the United States to sponsor their family to immigrate to the United States. The Immigration and Nationality Act allows for the immigration of foreigners to the United States based on a relationship to a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
Investor-based petition
The EB-5 immigrant investor visa category in the Immigration Act was designed to attract foreign capital to the U.S. and create jobs for American workers in the process. As a return, the investor would be entitled to apply for U.S. permanent residence and status.
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