Besides being a country where many people go for tourist purposes, the United States is also a popular working destination. It has the world’s largest economy, with this sustained boom primarily driven by immigrants.
Foreigners from all over the world want to work in the US because of the high salaries and suitable working environments, and they are open to several types of US work visas.
This article provides an overview of the different types of US work visas, including application requirements and benefits.
What is a Work Visa?
A work visa is a type of employment permit that permits someone to take a job in a different country. If you’re from outside the United States and want to accept employment with a US employer, you must know how to apply for and obtain a visa.
Understanding the types of visas available and the requirements for each one may help you determine which permit to pursue.
Many visa holders also apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), demonstrating their eligibility to work in the country legally.
US Work Visas Requirement
- Valid Passport: Must be valid for the entire duration of your stay in the US and an additional six months after you return
- US Visa Photo: You will upload this when you fill out the online application form
- The Receipt Number is on your approved Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (I-129 Form), which your employer filed.
- A confirmation page shows you completed your Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160 Form).
- Receipt that proves that you have paid the application fee. For US work visas, the application fee is $190. There might also be additional fees that apply to your location, so confirm with your local US Embassy for more details.
- Proof that you will return to your home country after your work in the US ends. This applies to all types of work visas except the H-1B and the L visas. Examples of proving you will return from the US include submitting your economic situation, family relationships, long-term plans, and the residence you plan on returning to.
- Those applying for an L Visa must also have a filled-out I-129S form (Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition). You should bring this form with you to your visa interview.
1. Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Visa
These employment visas are for people looking to work in the United States for a fixed period. A potential employer often files a petition for this work visa with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Before coming to the US, the employee must apply for a visa. The USCIS website lists many different categories of workers within this qualification.
Spouses and families of holders of the different types of US work visas must file for their visas before coming to the country. Below are the most common types of nonimmigrant work visas:
H Visas
H-1B visas are for people with a college degree or higher or equivalent work experience in a specified professional or academic field or with particular expertise.
They have a residency cap of three years. Eligibility includes:
- A job offer from a US employer for a role that requires specialty knowledge
- Proof of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in that field
- Your employer must show that there is a lack of qualified US applicants for the role.
H-2A and H-2B visas are for seasonal, or peak load, temporary workers in an agriculture (H-2A) or non-agricultural (H-2B) setting. Generally, these do not extend beyond a year.
H-3 is for those seeking training in any endeavor except graduate medical school or training to meet the needs of those requiring special education.
This classification is for citizens who want to train within the United States but will pursue their careers outside it.
I Visas
I visas are for any eligible foreign press member, including reporters, film crews, editors, and similar occupations, representing a foreign media outlet such as print, radio, film, or other foreign information media.
The outlet must have a home office in a foreign country. For most, this is an indefinite visa as long as the holder is engaged in this profession for the same company.
L Visas
L Visas are for those temporarily transferring within a company where they already work, either at the executive/management level (L-1A) or through specialized expertise (L-1B). An L-1A visa lasts three years; L-1B has only one year.
O Visas
O visas are for those with extraordinary abilities or achievements across industries. They are also extended to those who travel with someone of exceptional ability or a family member.
P Visas
These visas are for those who excel in performance, athletic, or artistic endeavors and those who accompany these extraordinary performers. These are usually event-based duration.
R Visas
R visas are extended to nonimmigrant religious workers who are members of a religious denomination with official non-profit status in the US coming to work directly for that denomination or an associated non-profit.
TN NAFTA
This permits qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to seek temporary entry into the United States to engage in business activities at a professional level under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
2. Permanent (Immigrant) Workers
Those with the right job skills — and their spouses and children — can apply for the roughly 140,000 employment-based green cards available each year.
Permanent residence in the US can be obtained through the right combination of education, expertise, eligibility, and skill set.
Most of these visas require an existing employment offer from an employer with the proper US Department of Labor certification, verifying that more workers with this skillset are needed within the United States.
In addition, the hiring process must not take a job away from a US citizen. The labor certification is done through ETA Form 9089 (Application for Permanent Employment Certification).
Below are the five key types of employment-based visas:
EB-1
EB-1 covers those with “extraordinary ability,” such as business professionals, academics and researchers, scientists, and those in the arts or athletics.
This type of visa does not require labor certification. Family of EB-1 visa holders may apply for admission to the US on E-14 or E-15 immigrant status, respectively, if that person has an approved I-140 (green card) form.
EB-2
EB-2 visas are available to professionals holding an advanced degree or foreign equivalent who can prove at least ten years of experience in a field.
Or those whose employment is in the national interest of the US, Labor certification must be obtained for all but the third category of eligibility.
Family of EB-2 visa holders may apply for admission to the US through E21 or E22 forms if that person has an approved I-140 (green card) form.
EB-3
EB-3 visas are available to those holding a bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent and skilled and unskilled laborers with a non-temporary offer of employment from a US employer.
Labor certification must be obtained for each eligibility category within EB-3. Family members of EB-3 visa holders may apply for admission to the US through specific spouse or child forms if that person has an approved I-140 (green card) form.
EB-4
Eligibility for the EB-4 visas includes, but isn’t limited to, certain religious workers, employees of US foreign service posts, retired employees of international organizations, and non-citizen minors who are wards of courts in the United States.
Labor certification is waived for this type of visa, and some families may be eligible for admission.
EB-5
EB-5 visas cover the Immigrant Investor Program. They are available to people who invest $1.8 million in a new commercial enterprise that employs at least 10 full-time US workers or $900,000.
This must be in a new commercial venture in a targeted employment area. Labor certification is also waived for this type of visa; investors and their families can apply for green cards.
3. Student and Exchange Visitors
These visas cover three types of students: academic students, vocational students, and those enrolled in educational or cultural exchange programs. These are not immigrant visas.
F Visas
F-1 visas are for academic students enrolled at accredited educational institutions. Students may work as long as they maintain a course of study.
Students cannot work off-campus during the first academic year but may accept on-campus employment subject to conditions and restrictions.
After the first academic year, F-1 students can engage in three types of off-campus employment:
- Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
- Optional Practical Training (OPT) (pre-completion or post-completion)
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) OPT
M Visas
M visas are available for students at vocational or other recognized nonacademic institutions other than language training programs (those require an F visa).
M-2 visas are available for the student’s family, including spouse and children. M-3 visas are available for Canadian or Mexican students who commute.
J Visas
J visas are available for those involved in work—and study-based programs. This include au pairs, camp counselors, trainees, interns, and more.
Programs must promote cultural exchange, and applicants must meet eligibility criteria, including English language proficiency. J-2 visas are used for dependents of the J-1 visa holder.
4. Temporary Visit for Business
These visas are for very short-term business purposes. If a person were, for example, negotiating a contract, attending a convention, or settling an estate, they would travel under this type of visa.
B-1 Visas
B-1 visas are for those conducting limited, short-term business in the United States. They demand a specific period and are usually given for a one—to six-month period, with a possible extension of an additional six months.
It is rare for these visas to extend beyond one year. Family members of B-1 visa holders are not eligible to travel under these visas; they must obtain their own B-1 visas.