Practise Areas
NONIMMIGRANT : TEMPORARY STATUS
- H1B - Specialty Occupation
Professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in work experience may be eligible for H1B status if the position requires that particular degree. Their employers should demonstrate that they are paid at least the prevailing wage for the job. - K - Fiancé/e of U.S. Citizen
The Fiancé/e of a U.S. citizen is eligible for a nonimmigrant visa in order to marry within 90 days of entry to the U.S.- L - Intra Company Transferee
L-1 visas are available to executives, managers and specialized employees moving to their employer's U.S. affiliate sites. Executives and managers with valid L-1 status may be eligible for permanent residency without the need for a labor certification.- E-1 - Treaty Trader / E-2 - Treaty Investor
Investors / traders and their employees may receive status to carry on their business in the U.S. if the home country has a commercial treaty with the United States conferring such eligibility.- B-1/B-2 Visitor : B-1 - for Business / B-2 - for Pleasure
For coming to the U.S. for business or pleasure. B-1 business visitor visas are for brief visits and do not allow employment. Nationals of some countries are allowed to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa.- F-1 - Academic Student
Persons enrolling in a full course of study at an educational institution in the United States may be eligible for F-1 status for the course of their study and a period for practical training (P/T) in their field.- J - Exchange Visitor
People coming to the U.S. through an approved exchange program may be eligible for the J-1 Exchange Visitor's visa. These are students, scholars, job trainees, faculty, professors and research scholars, specialists, medical residents, government visitors, etc. Sometimes, a J-1 program will require that the beneficiary spend at least two years outside of the U.S. before being permitted to switch to a different nonimmigrant visa or to permanent residency.- H1C - Registered Nurses
H1C status is granted to no more than 500 nurses per year at pre-qualified hospitals and health care facilities. - L - Intra Company Transferee
- H2A - Agricultural Labor
H2B - Other Temporary Labor
H-3 - Trainee
Dependents of the Above
IMMIGRANT : PERMANENT STATUS, EMPLOYMENT BASED
- EB1 - First Preference
• Persons of Extraordinary Ability
• Outstanding Professors and Researchers
• Multinational Executives and Managers
In these categories, the candidate can petition for permanent residency without the time-consuming process of labor certification.
- EB2 - Second Preference
Members of Professions holding Advanced Degrees or Aliens of Exceptional Ability.
Most EB2 candidates must have a job offer and the employer must complete the labor certification process. The labor certification involves testing of the job market to show that the potential visa holder is not taking away a job from a U.S. worker. If the individual can show that his/her entry is in the national interest the job offer and LC requirements can be waived.
- EB3 - Third Preference
Skilled Workers, Professionals and other Workers.
Most EB3 candidates must have a job offer and the employer must complete the labor certification process.
- EB4 - Fourth Preference - Special Immigrants
The EB4 category includes persons such as Religious Workers, Commuters from Border, Retired G-4 (Employee of international Organizations), Returning Residents and Ministers of religion.
- EB5 - Fifth Preference - Employment Creation Investors
With the 1990 Immigration Act, Congress has kept aside up to 10,000 visas per year just for alien investors in new commercial enterprises, who will create employment for at least ten individuals. There are two investor groups under the program - people who invest at least $500,000 in "targeted employment areas" (rural areas or areas experiencing high unemployment of at least 150% of the national average) and those who invest $1,000,000 in other areas. Not less than 3,000 of the annual allotment of visas in this category must go to the targeted employment areas.
IMMIGRANT : PERMANENT STATUS, FAMILY BASED
U.S. citizens can petition for parents, spouses, siblings, and children. Permanent Residents (LPR) can petition for spouses and children only. There is no quota or limit and, therefore, no waiting list for “Immediate Relatives” of U.S. Citizens - Unmarried children under 21, Spouse, Parent, Widow / Widower (under certain circumstances). Relatives in the following “preference” categories are subject to limits on the number of visas that can be issued each year.
First Preference - Unmarried sons or daughters (over age 21) of U.S. citizens.
Second Preference – (2A) Spouses and unmarried children (under age 21) of LPRs; (2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (over age 21) of LPRs.
Third Preference - Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.
Fourth Preference - Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens.
BCIS REPRESENTATION AND CONSULAR PRACTICE
Representation before the BCIS throughout the United States and U.S. Consulates worldwide
OTHER IMMIGRATION MATTERS
Representation and counsel in other general immigration matters
