Obtaining a work permit through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) involves following the correct procedures and providing the necessary information and documents.
Get a work permit with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with the right information and documents. To do this, you should visit the USCIS website, download Form I-765, and carefully fill in the needed information following the instructions provided. As long as you stick to providing all the information that is requested on the form, as well as providing copies of official documents as regards your eligibility category, then the process will be straightforward and easy.
Within 90 days, the USCIS will get back to you, letting you know if your application is approved.
Is a work visa a prerequisite when seeking a work permit?
Obtaining a work visa is a vital step when applying for a work permit. A work visa serves as a form of employment authorization, granting an individual the privilege to accept or pursue a job opportunity in a foreign country.
Typically, an employee will require an employment visa in addition to a separate work permit to engage in a profession in their chosen destination. Below are several categories of work visas from which you can make a selection:
Nonimmigrant visas
This category of work visa specifies that the visa holder is obligated to leave the U.S. upon the designated expiration date unless they opt to reapply for an extension. The following nonimmigrant visas exclusively permit individuals to work for a specific employer in the United States.
L-1
This particular nonimmigrant visa category permits employees to work for foreign businesses that have affiliations with U.S. companies. Individuals who have been transferred to a U.S. branch within their organization are typically required to obtain this specific type of non-immigrant visa. Moreover, employees who are dispatched by their company or organization to establish a U.S. branch will also necessitate this type of work visa.
To qualify for this visa, employees should have completed one continuous year of service for the foreign company within a three-year period prior to their entry into the U.S. This visa comes in two categories: L-1A and L-1B.
H-1B specialty occupation
This is a popular type of work visa in the U.S. that is available to people from other countries whose job role is focused on a specialty occupation like engineering or computer science. This is as a result of the high demands placed on this type of visa, bringing about an annual cap on supply. To be able to qualify for this type of visa, you must have secured a job offer from a U.S.-based employer, and you must also hold a specialty position.
O-1
This is a nonimmigrant visa meant for people who have extraordinary skills in their field. For this to be proven and demonstrated, they must be able to show that they have attained the top of their field with national or international recognition for their achievements.
E-1
E-1 is a type of visa that allows people from certain countries to visit the U.S. for the purpose of carrying on trade activities. People can also obtain this type of work visa as Treaty investors or Treaty Traders. However, for you to come to the U.S. as an investor, you need to have invested a large amount of money into a U.S based business, and you should be able to show you’re coming to develop your investment.
TN
This work visa was created by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It is specifically meant for Mexican or Canadian citizens who want to come to the U.S. to work for an employer. For you to qualify, it is mandatory to prove you are a citizen of any of the above-mentioned countries, have a job offer from a U.S. employer, and have a position that qualifies you under NAFTA. Some examples of these kinds of jobs are lawyers, engineers, scientists, accountants, and pharmacists.
Immigrant visas
An immigrant visa is a work visa that is issued to a foreign national who has plans to work and live in the U.S. permanently. Most of the time, employees may only be able to apply for these work visas after they have moved into the U.S. It allows them to change their status to permanent residents to avoid having to leave the country. Below are the types of visas found in this category:
EB-1 multinational executive
This visa is similar to the L-1 nonimmigrant visa; it requires you to meet the same criteria. Which includes working for your foreign company for the past three years as well as holding a managerial or executive role.
EB-1 extraordinary ability
For you to qualify for this type of immigrant work visa, you have to prove that you meet at least three out of the 10 different criteria demonstrating extraordinary ability. These include awards, membership in associations, publications about you or your work, publication in scholarly journals, a high salary, your original contributions to the field, exhibitions of your works, judging the works of others, and many other criteria.
EB-2 advanced degree
You will need sponsorship by a U.S. employer with a complete PERM certification process in order to qualify for this work visa. Candidates are required to have a minimum of a master’s degree or a foreign equivalent, because you will also need to show that the position you’re pursuing requires a minimum academic certification of a master’s degree in the U.S.
Australian professional specialty visa
This applies to foreigners from Australia, their spouses, and any of their children below the age of 21. The candidate must be going to work within a specific occupation in the U.S. There are usually a limited number of these visas issued every year; however, the spouses and children of the candidates do not count toward that number. Applicants are expected to have a bachelor’s degree or a foreign equivalent, have the required special skill set that’s needed to fill a specialty position and have again received a job offer from a U.S. company
Steps on How to Apply for Work Permit in USA
- Visit the USCIS website and download Form I-765, entitled “Application for Employment Authorization.”
- Carefully fill in the needed information, following the instructions provided
- After inputting information, submit the front and back copies of Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record I-9, and a copy of a Federal Government-issued identity document such as a passport clearly indicating your name, date of birth, and picture.
- Submit a proof of visa issued by the foreign consulate or a national ID document with photo
- Two identical colour photographs of you, in both a white and off-white background, taken within thirty (30) days of filing your application must be submitted.
- Carefully check the current I-765 application form to be sure you’re submitting the correct documents, photos, and fee.
- Mail completed application to the USCIS Service Center that serves the area where you live