Employment visas give your business the ability to expand your search for talent worldwide. But if you don’t know how to navigate the immigration issues tied to employment visas, then you could end up in violation of federal law, and those you bring into America to work for you could wind up being deported.
To help you start building your understanding of employment visas, this week we want to take a brief look at employment visa preferences so that you know the likelihood of being able to bring your talent over to the U.S.
First preference
The top preference for employment visas are those individuals who fall into one of three groups. These include:
- Individuals with extraordinary abilities, such as those who are renowned in the arts, sciences, athletics, business, and education.
- Professors and researchers who are deemed outstanding in their field and possess at least three years of experience.
- Managers and executives who have worked at an overseas affiliate of a U.S. business.
Second preference
The second preference recognizes those who hold advanced degrees as well as those who have exceptional abilities in business, the arts, or the sciences. Here, a job offer must’ve been made to the visa applicant, and there’s paperwork that the employer must complete.
Third preference
In this category are skilled, professional, and unskilled workers. Skilled workers must have at least two years of training or experience, whereas unskilled workers simply must be able to fill a job that requires less than two years of experience. Professional workers are those who hold at least a baccalaureate degree.
Fourth preference
Here, certain special immigrants are considered. This includes:
- Certain broadcasters
- Religion ministers
- Certain former employees of the U.S. government
- Afghan and Iraqi translators and interpreters
- Individuals recruited for the U.S. military
There are many others who fall into this category, which you can find here.
Fifth preference
This category is small and focuses on immigrant investors who are interested in bringing money into the U.S. for investment purposes.
Do you need help navigating your immigration issues?
There are a lot of procedural nuances when you’re dealing with immigration issues, including those found in the employment context. If you want to minimize the risks of a bad outcome in these matters, then you need to understand the law and how to effectively navigate it.
Fortunately, you don’t have to try to untangle the legal complexities on your own.
