Ottawa County Employment Immigration Attorney

Ottawa County Employment Immigration Attorney

In order for a non-U.S. citizen to work in the U.S., they must obtain a permanent green card/residence or a temporary visa. This requires authorization from the U.S. government and typically must be petitioned by an employer, although there are some circumstances under which foreign nationals can apply themselves. Under the law, there are approximately 140,000 spaces made each year for non-temporary employment-based immigrant visas.

The process of applying for employment immigration is incredibly complex and typically takes the assistance of a skilled employment immigration attorney.

Our firm has a strong track record of assisting both employers and individuals in coming to the U.S. for work. Contact our Ottawa County office today to find out more.

Permanent Employment Visas

Employment-based visas are divided into five main categories, including:

• First preference (EB-1): Those who qualify as having extraordinary abilities, multinational executives and managers, and outstanding professors and researchers;
• Second preference (EB-2): Individuals of professions who hold advanced degrees;
• Third preference (EB-3): Workers who possess less than two years of experience or training, professionals with a bachelor’s degree, and skilled workers with at least two years of experience;
• Fourth preference (EB-4): “Special immigrants,” which encompasses a number of subcategories such as religious workers; and
• Fifth preference (EB-5): Investors who invest significant funds in U.S. companies.

Each category is assigned a different percentage of the total 140,000 spots, with the majority being reserved for the first through third categories. Both the second and third categories require that the employer apply for and obtain a labor certification; a process that involves providing documentation that the job cannot reasonably be filled by a U.S. citizen.

Temporary Employment

Skilled and unskilled applicants also have the option of applying for temporary immigration status, although there are fewer of these allotted than for permanent employment visas. These visas are extremely competitive, warranting working with an employment visa lawyer to prepare your application as early as possible.

These visas include:

• E-1 Treaty Trader Visas;
• E-2 Investor Visas;
• H1B Specialty Occupations, DoD Project Workers, Fashion Models;
• H2 Short-Term Visas for Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Workers;
• I Visas Representatives of Foreign Media;
• L Visa Foreign employees who plan to transfer to company’s U.S. office;
• O Visa for individuals of extraordinary abilities in the arts, athletics, business, education, or sciences;
• P Visas Athletes and Performers;
• Q Visas for International Cultural Exchange;
• R Visas Religious Workers; and
• TN Visas for employees from Canada and Mexico employed in North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)-related professions.

Contact Our Ottawa County Employment Immigration Attorneys

Our firm provides more than 40 years of experience assisting employers and individuals with employment-based immigration. Contact us at our Ottawa County location to find out more.