The United States of America is also known as a country of endless opportunities. Millions of people travel to the USA to realize their dreams and start a new life. As there are plenty of successful examples, people inspired by them, and the number of people who want to live and work in the United States increases year by year. Considering high demand, we decided to talk about US employment based immigrant visas. In this blog, you will learn types of US immigrant visas, needed documents for application, application charges, and more.
The government created various visa types for foreigners. How do visas work in the US? Visas let foreigners travel to the United States. Each of these visa types has its own requirements and standards which applicants need to fit. You can learn about all visa types via the 'Services' section on our website. For this, choose your nationality and the United States of America as the country you want to visit.
According to immigration law, roughly 140000 applicants get a right to realize employment based immigration to the United States per year. Applications take place between 1 October and 30 September. People from all over the world ( except banned countries) can apply for a visa during this period. Also, before making your application you will need to choose a subcategory that matches your qualities. What are some of the employment based non-immigrant visas in the U.S.? In the following sections, I will mention all of them separately.
It is for priority workers and people who have exceptional abilities. Depending on the qualities, this category has three types:
1. People who have special capabilities in athletics, sciences, arts, or education. These people must have a strong background and prove their abilities with national or international results and documents.
2. Well-known scholars and academics who have worked and have researched the related field for at least three years. Applicants who fit these terms can come to the US and apply for an academic position at any university or institution.
3. Foreign administrators who have worked for overseas branches or partners of local employees. They must have at least three years of experience in that company in a managerial capacity. Also, after coming to the United States, they must hold an equal position (executive capacity) at the company.
These candidates must hold a labor certification by the Department of Labor. The employer of the candidate must present Form I-140 (an Immigrant Petition) on behalf of him. Under some circumstances, applicants can self-petit and provide Form I-140 on their own. These people will be able to qualify for National Interest Waiver, and it will make them free from the job offer and labor credential. They can do it if the exemption matches national interest. Second Preference has two subcategories:
Skilled, unskilled, or professionals are eligible for Third Preference. Such as the previous type, Immigrant Petition (Form I-140) must be filled by the applicant. Moreover, they must obtain a labor certification from the Department of Labor. It is needed for all types of jobs. 28.6 percent of the annual global quota belongs to the Third Preference. Also, applicants are eligible to apply for any vacant Employment visas from the First and Second Preference categories. This category has three subcategories:
The candidates must be eligible for an authorized Petition Form I-360. Differ from other types, a labor certification is not required for applicants. Furthermore, the Fourth Preference has the most subcategories among all types of US immigrant visas for employment.
The last category of employment based immigrant visas is for foreign investors. This category was launched in 1990, and the main aim is to attract international investors to the country. These investments create new job opportunities and boost economic growth. It means that it is beneficial for everyone.
You will need to finish several steps during the application procedure. Firstly, you will need to get the labor certification from the Department of Labor. Secondly, your employer will present Form I-140 as we mentioned above. After that, you will need to collect some documents, fill online form, pay the visa application charge, arrange an interview, and wait for processing. Also, there can be two situations related to candidate's age:
Which documents will I need during the visa application procedure? The list of documents may vary depending on the category. But, generally, you will need the documents below:
After providing the documents, you will need to pay the USA visa fee. How much does it cost? It is 445 USD for all nationalities and categories. You will pay the fee when you arrange an interview online. So, you must have a valid credit card. It can be a Master, Visa, or another international card. How many days will the processing last? The processing time may vary depending on the workload and the country where the candidate applies. But, the average duration is 10-60 calendar days.
The interview is one of the crucial steps of the visa application. The processing time will start after this step. During the interview, you will need to answer some questions, and you will need to show the documents. What kind of questions will they ask? There can be various types of questions. First of all, they will ask you the purpose of the visit. Also, they may ask questions about your plans. Which places do you want to see, what kind of business plans do you have, and so on. How to prepare for an interview? The only thing that you should do is relax. There is not any reason to worry about it. You just may have some practice. It may help to feel more confident. During the interview, do not try to deceive anyone. They will already have information about you. So, answer the questions honestly and show all yours skills to prove your eligibility.