US work visa: how do I get one?
The United States is uncompromising on immigration. For each case, there is a specific visa. So obtaining a work visa for the USA is an essential step for anyone wishing to work in the country. Each category of occupation has its own visa, with its own alphanumeric code.
If you want to live and work in the USA, you’ll need to apply for a visa.
Find out in this article which visa you need to obtain in order to
work in the USA and get hired by an American company
.
Work visas for the USA: the different categories
As mentioned above, there are several categories of work visas for the USA, depending on the applicant’s professional status, particular qualifications, professional experience or field of activity.
The length of validity and whether or not you can renew your USA work visa depends on the type of visa you need.
Summary table of different work permits for the USA
| H1B visa | visa for specialized jobs requiring a higher education diploma |
| H1B1 visa | visas for researchers wishing to work in the United States on a temporary or collaborative basis |
| H2A visa | visa for temporary or seasonal farm workers |
| H2B visa | visas for temporary jobs that could not be filled by Americans |
| H3 visa | visa for trainees working for an American company or a subsidiary of a foreign company |
| visa L | visas for expatriate managers or executives coming to work in the U.S. subsidiary |
| O visa | visa for people with extraordinary skills in science, the arts, sport, etc. |
| P1 visa | visa for athletes taking part in a competition |
| P2 visa | visa for artists performing as part of a cultural exchange program with the USA |
| P3 visa | visa for artists performing in the USA as part of a cultural program only |
| Q1 visa | visas for individuals participating in cultural exchange programs |
| visa I | visa for journalists |
You must find a job before applying for a work permit, as a job offer must always be included in your visa application. To do this, the prospective employer must file an application with the Department of Homeland Security. Your future employer will receive your work permit in the form of document I-797 if the application is accepted. This document must be added to your USA work visa application file. With this authorization, the applicant can now proceed to the consular services of the American embassy (or consulate).
How to obtain a work visa for the USA ? Steps to take
As explained above, to obtain a work permit, the applicant must go to the nearest American embassy or consulate . He or she will need to compile a file for the embassy, including the necessary documents:
- a valid biometric passport (with fingerprints) or electronic passport ;
- a chronopost envelope
- a printed copy of the completed DS-160 form ;
- a recent passport photo ;
- I-797 work authorization, which proves that the job offer has been approved by the DHS;
- supporting documents such as a bank statement.
Once the US embassy has reviewed your case, it will contact you to arrange an appointment and medical examination. The interview generally lasts between ten and fifteen minutes, and will consist of a series of questions that the official representative of the US authorities will ask you in order to determine your professional and personal situation. The main purpose of these questions is to determine your eligibility to stay in the USA.
Following the interview, the U.S. government’s legal representative will inform you whether you are authorized to travel to the U.S. under the work permit. You will not receive the visa directly after your interview. The French embassy or consulate general will keep your passport valid for a few days and return it to you stamped with the USA work visa.
Now you’re ready to start your career and immigrate to the USA!
If you’re having trouble finding a job in the USA and finding a suitable employer, we advise you to prepare your English CV and review your English language skills. If you have a high level of language proficiency, take the Toefl exam. The exam is internationally recognized and provides companies with a valid language reference when considering your application.
Otherwise, it’s sometimes best to start with an internship in the USA or a summer job (which requires a J1 visa) before thinking about expatriation and moving to the USA.
Working in the USA with a green card
There is an alternative to the work permit: the green card. Every year, a green card lottery is held between participants from all over the world who want to live their American dream, to determine who will be able to obtain a permanent residency card. To obtain a permanent resident card and expatriate to the United States, you need to complete a form on the official green card lottery website.
ESTA to discover the United States
If you’d like to visit the USA first and see whether you’ll enjoy life there, it’s possible to get there without having to apply for a visa first. Thanks to the ESTA (electronic travel authorization), you can travel to USA without a visa, provided you meet the eligibility criteria (nationality of a VWP member country, valid passport, etc.). If you don’t qualify for ESTA, you’ll need to apply for a B tourist visa.
For more information, please contact our team and browse ourESTA website.