Many individuals are not aware of the various options available for working in the United States Legally. Contrary to popular belief, there are more than just a few ways to achieve this goal. In this blog post, we will discuss five legal methods that are available for individuals seeking employment in the United States.
First Method
The first method provides a range of Visa options for individuals who have received a job offer from a company in the United States. Let’s begin with one of the most prevalent types of visas for working in the United States, which is the H-1B visa. The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa designed for individuals who will work in a specialty occupation. To be eligible for the H-1B visa, you must have an employer who is willing to sponsor and file a petition on your behalf. H-1B visas can be sponsored by both for-profit (cap-subject employers) and non-profit (cap-exempt) employers like universities, research laboratories, etc.
Moving on to the second type of employment visa, the TN is a great option for working legally in the U.S.. This visa is specifically designed for citizens of Canada and Mexico who have a valid job offer in the United States. To qualify for the TN visa, the offered position must align with the list of eligible professions and range of occupations in the regulations, such as management consultant, doctor, or dentist, among others. While job titles vary from company to company, they can usually fit under one of the authorized TN classifications; some classifications, however, like that of management consultant are harder to qualify for than others.
Another way to work legally in the U.S. is through an L1 visa, which is designed for intra-company transferees enables those working for a foreign company in managerial, executive or specialized knowledge worker roles to transfer to a related U.S. company to work in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity and even establish a new office within the U.S.. The fourth type of visa that we’ll discuss is the E3 visa, which is available exclusively to Australian citizens. This visa is quite similar to the H-1B visa and is specifically designed for individuals who have received a job offer from a US-based employer.
It’s important to note that there are several other visa options available to individuals with a job offer from a US-based company, like the E-2 employee visa, but we’ll stop at these four for now.
Second Method
The second method for legally working in the United States is by establishing a business in the country. There are various visas available for startups. One of the visas under this category is the E-2 visa, which is a great option for entrepreneurs or investors who want to manage and operate their own business or franchise in the United States. To qualify for this visa, the potential investor needs to make a substantial investment in a U.S. business, either by starting their own enterprise or buying an existing one. E-2 approval authorizes an investor to live and work in the U.S.
Let’s discuss the E-1 visa, which is designed for individuals who are involved in significant trade activities between their home country and the U.S. The E-1 visa also allows for the establishment of a branch office of their company within the United States. We want to bring up the L-1 visa again as it falls under this category as well. As we discussed earlier, the L-1 visa allows for intra-company transfers, including opening up a branch of a foreign company in the United States. This option can be particularly useful for entrepreneurs who want to expand their existing business to the US.
Third Method
The third method to working legally in the U.S. is by having extraordinary ability in a specific field, and the O-1 nonimmigrant visa can make it possible. This visa is designed for individuals with exceptional talent, whether in business, science, arts or other fields, and allows them to work in the U.S. in their area of expertise.
Fourth Method
The fourth method to working legally in the U.S. is by utilizing a student visa. While it’s important to follow proper procedures, there are opportunities for F-1 visa holders to work in the U.S. through programs such as CPT or OPT. M1 and J1 visa holders can also explore options for obtaining U.S. work authorization.
Fifth Method
The fifth and last method for working legally in the United States pertains to individuals who will be engaging in religious work in the country. For instance, if someone is a priest, Rabbi, or minister, they may qualify for an R1 visa. The R1 visa is specifically designed for religious workers who will be coming to the United States to perform religious duties, such as acting as a minister, priest, or Rabbi.
Summary
So, in summary, we have covered five legal ways for individuals to work in the United States.
First, working in the United States is possible with a job offer from a U.S. employer through various employment-based temporary work visas. Second, individuals can work in the U.S. by starting their own businesses. Third, individuals with extraordinary abilities in a particular field can obtain an O-1 nonimmigrant visa to work in the United States temporarily. Fourth, students can work in the U.S. through CPT or OPT while on an F1 visa, or through M1 or J1 visas. Last, religious workers, such as priests, rabbis, and ministers, can obtain an R-1 visa to engage in religious work in the United States. An important point to note is that this blog post covers only five of the categories, but in reality, there are many more ways for someone to legally work in the United States, particularly in short or for seasonal durations. Thank you for reading!
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