Immigrant workers enter the United States every year to work temporarily, often for temporary and seasonal jobs. Many people mistakenly believe that all foreign nationals need a formal work permit to perform these jobs legally. However, they often just need a work visa.
Trying to navigate the legal process without the help of an experienced employment-based immigration attorney can be confusing. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offers several types of work visas, each with different qualifications, procedures, and rules. If you are seeking to work in the United States seasonally, you will likely need an H-2A or H-2B visa. Our experienced Palm Bay H-2 visa lawyer could help you determine which type of work visa is appropriate and guide you through the application process. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and get started.
An H-2 visa allows immigrants to come to the United States to perform temporary work. A U.S. employer must begin the application process by proving that their company needs temporary or seasonal workers to fulfill a labor shortage. The sponsoring U.S. employer must offer a job in writing. Among other requirements, the foreign national seeking an H-2 visa must have the necessary skills to perform the job and be from an eligible country, as listed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
H-2A visas are for foreign nationals who wish to work in the agricultural industry. They allow temporary or seasonal farmworkers to come into the United States to perform agricultural work. For example, employers might need more workers to harvest citrus crops in the winter.
H-2B visas are for non-agricultural foreign workers. For instance, a hotel might need additional hospitality workers during peak seasons.
Our knowledgeable Palm Bay attorney could explain which type of H-2 visa is appropriate for you and help you understand the legal process.
Work visas allow foreign nationals to work temporarily in the United States. As an employment-based immigrant, you could earn money to support your family, share your work skills with an employer who needs help, and have the chance to spend some time in the United States. While in this country, you would be free to travel, and while you are working under your H-2A or H-2B visa, you could bring your spouse and unmarried dependent children to the United States by obtaining H-4 visas for them. Your children would then be eligible to go to school in the U.S. Your spouse is not eligible to work.
H-2 visas differ from other types of visas in that they allow multiple entries into the United States. Provided you are within the time limits of your visa, you can often return to your home country and then come back to the United States.
At the end of your work period, you may be able to extend your work visa by one year, to a maximum of three total years. However, to do so, you would need to return to your home country. Having an H-2 visa does not make you eligible for a green card.
Our Palm Bay attorney could carefully answer any questions you have about the temporary worker visa process during an initial consultation.
Having an H-2 visa allows you to work in the United States temporarily. However, the application process is not always straightforward and can be complicated. Working with an experienced Palm Bay H-2 visa lawyer who understands the process and has extensive experience in all areas of immigration could help you overcome any obstacles that may arise.
To begin the process, reach out to our founding attorney, Shoba Jaglal, today.
