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Temporary visas are nonimmigrant visas that allow individuals to enter the U.S. for work, study, business or tourism. There are many types of nonimmigrant visas and each of them differs from each other. Each visa is issued for a specific purpose and a limited time. The length of stay varies for different nonimmigrant visa categories.


Work Visas

There are many types of work visas and they all have different requirements, conditions and durations. The firm can assist you in finding the best option for you to obtain temporary work authorization. Sometimes an individual might be eligible to change status if the purpose of his or her stay has changed. An individual who is already in the U.S. may be eligible to adjust his or her status to permanent resident status either through an employment based adjustment or a family based adjustment. The firm can help you with changes or adjustments to your visa status. Below is a brief list of some of the different temporary work visa categories:

E-visa - Treaty traders and Investors
H- 1B - Professional employees in a “specialty occupation” who have earned a bachelor's degree or the equivalent in the applicable field of endeavor
L-1 - Intracompany transferees
O-1 - Persons with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics
P-1 - Internationally recognized athletes or entertainers
R - Professional religious workers
TN - North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) temporary professionals from Mexico and Canada


Fiancé Visas
K-1 - A foreign national abroad who intends to marry U.S. citizen in the U.S.

Student Visa/Exchange Visitor Visas
F - Academic students
M - Vocational students
J - Exchange visitors

A green card gives an individual the authorization to work and live in the U.S. indefinitely. There are several ways to obtain a green card in the U.S. The most common are through employment or family immigration.


Family Based Green Cards

A U.S. citizen and a permanent resident are allowed to petition for certain relatives to come and live permanently in the U.S. A person may qualify for a green card as an immediate relative or as a family member in one of the preference categories, if a U.S citizen relative petitions on their behalf. Permanent residents can petition for his/her spouse and unmarried children of any age to immigrate to the U.S.

An immediate relative of a U.S. citizen is the spouse, unmarried children under age 21, and the parents of a U.S. citizen who is over 21 years. There are an unlimited number of visas in the immediate relative category and an immigrant visa number will become immediately available once the visa petition filed for them is approved. Immediate relatives are eligible to apply for a green card from either inside or outside of the U.S.

The family preference category is further subdivided into four preference categories. These are:

First Preference: Unmarried sons and daughters, any age, of a U.S. citizen
Second Preference:
  Spouse and/or child under age 21 of a permanent resident
  Unmarried adult child of a permanent resident
Third Preference: Married children, any age, of a U.S. citizen
Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of a U.S. citizen

Only a limited number of relatives may immigrate under the family preference category each year. Therefore, there is usually a waiting period before an immigrant visa number becomes available.


Employment Based Green Cards

There are different requirements for each type of employment based green card. Some categories require you to already have a job offer from a U.S. employer (sponsor). Also, some categories require an employer to file a Labor Certification application while other categories allow you to self sponsor. There is a limited number of employment based green cards. Preference is based on the qualifications of the green card applicant and labor needs in the U.S.

Employment based green cards are divided into the following five preferences:

EB-1
  Individuals of extraordinary ability
  Outstanding researchers or professors
  Multinational managers and executives
EB-2
  Individuals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability
EB-3
  Professionals, skilled workers, or other workers
EB-4
  Special immigrants such as religious workers
EB-5
  Employment creation investor

You may become a U.S. citizen either at birth or after birth. There are several ways to become a U.S. citizen. The basic ways are:

Birth in the U.S.
Acquisition of citizenship through birth to at least one U.S. citizen parent (under certain circumstances)
Derivation of U.S. citizenship through naturalized parents
Citizenship by Naturalization
Usually you can become eligible for naturalization five years after acquiring permanent resident status. If you are currently married to a U.S. citizen and have been married to the same U.S. citizen for the last three years, you may apply for citizenship after only three years.