For many people, one of the most compelling reasons for coming to the U.S. is access to jobs. Companies that wish to hire foreign workers understand that employing foreign-born workers may sometimes be necessary for a company to thrive if there are no qualified American workers available.
Employment-based visas are divided into several “preference” categories as follows:
- First preference: “Priority workers”:
- People who have “extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics” as shown through either
- “sustained national or international acclaim”, or
- achievements recognized through “extensive documentation”
- People who have “extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics” as shown through either
- Outstanding professors and researchers
- Certain multinational executives and managers
- Second preference: “Members of professions holding advanced degrees”
- Third preference: “Skilled workers,” and “professionals”
- Fourth preference: Certain “special immigrants”:
- Religious workers
- Certain U.S. government employees
- Certain family members of international organization employees
- Certain juvenile immigrants subject to juvenile court jurisdiction, when it is not in their best interest to return
- Certain active duty military service members
- Certain immigrants whose LPR sponsored died in 9/11 attacks.
- Fifth preference: “Employment creation” applicants, who may be able to obtain lawful permanent residence if they invest 1 million dollars or more in a new commercial enterprise that creates at least ten full-time jobs, and the business maintained for at least two years.
We work with employers who are interested to recruit foreign national workers and we help them through the detailed petitioning process involving USCIS and the Department of Labor.