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VISAS  and IMMIGRATION



FAQs for Foreign Professionals





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  1. What is an H1B visa?
  1. What is a specialty occupation?
  1. I don’t have a college degree.  Am I still eligible for an H1B visa classification?
  1. Do I need a job offer to obtain an H1B visa?
  1. Can you tell me if I qualify for an H1B visa?
  1. What information do you need from me to do an evaluation?
  1. If I am eligible to apply for an H1B visa, what kind of supporting documents will I need to gather?
  1. Can I bring my family?
  1. What about translations?









  1. What is an H1B visa?
An H-1B visa allows a foreign professional to come to the United States temporarily to work in a specialty occupation.  H1B visas are valid for three years, and may be renewed for another three years. 
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  1. What is a specialty occupation?
A specialty occupation is defined as one that requires theoretical and practical application of a body of specialized knowledge to perform the occupation.  In addition, these occupations require the completion of a course of education resulting in a baccalaureate degree in the specialty.
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  1. I don’t have a college degree.  Am I still eligible for an H1B visa classification?
It depends on your combination of education and experience.  Generally, three years of work experience in the occupation will be equal to 1 year of college education.  So, for example, if you have no college education, you may still be eligible for an H1B visa if you have at least 12 years of experience in the specialty occupation.
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  1. Do I need a job offer to obtain an H1B visa?
In almost all cases, yes.  The visa petition must be filed by the U.S. employer along with evidence that the employer is eligible to hire for the position under the H1B classification.
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  1. Can you tell me if I qualify for an H1B visa?
We offer an evaluation service.  While we can’t guarantee that that a positive evaluation will lead to an H1B visa for you, we can help you determine if you have the basic qualifications in place as well as the necessary supporting documents.
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  1. What information do you need from me to do an evaluation?
We need you to provide us with your name, address, telephone, fax or email, date of birth, marital status, and nationality. 

We also need information about your U.S. employer.  We ask for name and location of the U.S. employer, along with the proposed job title and description of your duties.  We also need salary information to compare with Department of Labor guidelines.  A general statement of the type of business the employer is engaged in is also requested.
 
We need your employment and educational history.  If you do not have a baccalaureate degree, it is especially useful to discuss your employment experience in the specialty field in some detail so we can determine if your practical experience may be substituted for educational requirements.

This should include your present employer, years with present employer, job title, job description, and whether it is related to the proposed position in the U.S.  The same should be done for previous employers, most importantly ones relevant to the proposed U.S. employment.

We also need to know how many years of college you have had, if you have a degree, and if so, what area it is in and how many years of study were required to obtain the degree.  The names of colleges and universities as well as their locations are requested. Information on postgraduate studies, if any, would be helpful as well.  Finally, if you have any licenses or certificates that you need in your occupation, please advise us of those.

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  1. If I am eligible to apply for an H1B visa, what kind of supporting documents will I need to gather?
As the employer in the U.S. is responsible for filing the visa petition and the accompanying documentation, most of the documents required will be obtained and filed by the hiring company.  However, you will need to provide translated foreign educational transcripts and degrees, a copy of your U.S. degree related to the specialty occupation, if any, and copies of any licenses to practice the specialty occupation in the U.S.
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  1. Can I bring my family?
Yes.  Immediate family members can receive a visa to live in the US while you are employed here.  They can attend school, but cannot work unless they apply to INS for permission to do so.
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  1. What about translations?
We can provide certified translations necessary to process your application. 
Click here to have information on this service.

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