Employer-Based Work Visas & Permanent Residence

There are nonimmigrant visas for temporary visitors to the US, and there are immigrant visas for foreign nationals who seek to reside permanently in the US. There are more than 20 nonimmigrant visa types for people traveling to the US temporarily. There are many more types of immigrant visas for those coming to live permanently in the United States. The type of Visa you need is determined by the purpose of your intended travel.

Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence.

Not all US nonimmigrant visas allow the foreign national to work, or be employed, in the US. Only designated nonimmigrant visas allow for temporary employment in the US.

A temporary worker is an individual seeking to enter the United States temporarily for a specific purpose. Nonimmigrants enter the United States for a temporary period of time, and once in the United States, are restricted to the activity or reason for which their nonimmigrant visa was issued.

Temporary worker visas are for persons who want to enter the United States for employment lasting a fixed period of time, and are not considered permanent or indefinite. Each of these visas requires the prospective employer to first file a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). An approved petition is required to apply for a work visa. Most temporary worker visas are employer-specific, some are location–specific.

To work in the United States temporarily as a lawful nonimmigrant, temporary workers must qualify for the available visa category based on the planned employment purpose. Each temporary or nonimmigrant visa has specific requirements that must be met in order for an individual to qualify for the visa.

In addition to nonimmigrant visas for temporary employment, there are also immigrant visas petitioned for by employers that are for the purpose of obtaining lawful permanent residence in the US. An immigrant visa or “green card” allows a foreign national to work and live lawfully and permanently in the United States.

Gerald Goulder is an experienced North Carolina immigration lawyer helping individuals and businesses in North Carolina and throughout the United States and around the world with nonimmigrant temporary employment visas and employment-based immigrant visas for permanent residence (“green card”). US immigration law is federal law. This enables Goulder Immigration Law Firm to assist individuals and companies throughout the U.S. and around the world.

For solutions to your US work visa plan or circumstance, whether it is for a temporary work visa or for permanent residence through employment, call immigration attorney Gerald Goulder at Goulder Immigration Law Firm (336) 808-1119 or ask him a question using this online email form:

Temporary Work Visas
Employment-Based Permanent Visas
Visas for Investors
Physicians/Healthcare