Work Visas

The new season for H1B visas will start on April 1, 2015. Please contact me now if you want to start an H1B application for filing in the beginning of April, because there will likely be another H1B lottery, and USCIS won't accept any new petitions filed after the first week of April 2015.

H1-B Visas: If you hold at least a bachelor's degree and have a valid job offer in that field, you may be eligible to work in the United States by obtaining a working visa (H1-B).

The H-1B program allows an employer to temporarily employ a foreign worker in the U.S. on a nonimmigrant basis in a specialty occupation. A specialty occupation requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of specialized knowledge and a bachelor's degree or the equivalent in the specific specialty (e.g., sciences, medicine and health care, education, biotechnology, and business specialties, etc…). Current laws limit the number of foreign workers who may be issued a visa or otherwise be provided H-1B status, so you may have to wait for an H1-B visa.

However, if you are changing jobs from one employer to another, we will be able to help you. Please contact us for details.

If you are unable to obtain an H1-B visa, you may qualify for a different work visa, depending on your circumstances. For more information, please send me an e-mail: info@seattleimmigrationlaw.com

PERMANENT RESIDENCE: In addition to temporary work visas such as the H1-B, my office can also represent a U.S. employer who wishes to sponsor a non-citizen for permanent residence. Typically the employer must first demonstrate to the Department of Labor that there is no qualified U.S. worker available for the job for which the immigrant visa is sought.

For more information on how my Seattle-based immigration law firm can assist you, please send me an e-mail: info@seattleimmigrationlaw.com