E-1 & E-2 Visas: Treaty Traders and Investors
The E-1 visa is for treaty traders and the E-2 is for treaty investors. The E visa is only available to nationals of countries that have commercial treaties with the United States. A list of Treaty Countries can be found on the U.S. Department of State website. As an E-1 treaty trader, you must be engaged in “substantial trade” between the U.S. and your home country.…
E-3 Visa: Australian Specialty Occupation
The E-3 Visa is very similar to the H-1B visa. The E-3 is available to Australian nationals to perform services in a specialty occupation in the United States. A specialty occupation is one that requires at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. “Equivalent” means that a person must have three years of progressive work experience in the field for every year of education. Thus, to…
L-1 Visa: Intracompany Transferees
The L-1 visa is for employees of multinational corporations who wish to come to the U.S. to work for a U.S. parent, branch, or subsidiary corporation. In order to obtain an L-1 visa, you must either be coming to the U.S. in a managerial or executive capacity, or have specialized knowledge about the company. There is also the requirement that you must have worked abroad for…
Obtaining Employment Authorization
In order for a foreign national to be authorized to work in the United States, you must have either a Lawful Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) or an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Generally, in order to obtain an EAD, you must first obtain a visa that permits work authorization. There are additional classifications, such as Asylum and Temporary Protected Status, that also allow for work authorization. …
TN Visa: NAFTA Professionals
The TN Visa is very similar to the H-1B visa in that it is a temporary work visa for professionals. The TN visa was created under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and so it is available exclusively to nationals of Canada and Mexico. The regulations define who qualifies as a “professional.” Some professionals that qualify are accountants, engineers, lawyers, pharmacists, scientists, and teachers.…