Each year, Berardi Immigration Law assists hundreds of individuals and corporations with professional transfers to the United States from around the globe. Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the U.S. for work must first obtain either a nonimmigrant visa for a temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence.
- Nonimmigrant status allows a person to enter the U.S. for a limited period of time.
- These visa categories generally require an employer to first file a paper-based, nonimmigrant petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
- The foreign national may then use an approved petition to apply for a visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.
- Upon issuance of the visa into the applicants passport, the employee may then enter the U.S. to work for the sponsoring employer.
Certain nonimmigrant categories (L-1 and TN) allow Canadian and Mexican citizens to apply in-person for temporary work status at a Class A port-of-entry to the U.S. Upon approval, a work permit is issued on-the-spot and the Canadian or Mexican may begin employment in the U.S. that same day. There are many different types of visas available for working in the United States. For more information about nonimmigrant visa categories, the petition process, eligibility requirements, and numerical limits, please visit the Work Visa section of the website to learn more about each visa category.