If you are about to lose a student visa but you have an employer who is willing to sponsor you for an employment-based immigration visa, you may have options. Cynthia R. Lopez is an immigration attorney in El Paso who can help you work through them all and find out which one works best for you. There are options ranging from work permits to familial sponsorship; no matter with option is best for your situation, we can help you move forward.
How Work Permits Work
Work permits can allow you to do work in the United States even if you are a foreign national who is not a lawful permanent resident or who has not obtained a green card. An employer who has authorization to act as a sponsor from United States Customs and Immigration Services can complete the sponsor application to allow you to say in the United States. This is a great option for those who have an employer willing to do this.
Different Options for Different Situations
There are different kinds of work permits and different employment-based approaches to immigration. An employer could sponsor you for an immigration visa, which would mean the employer was helping you to get on the path to citizenship. Form I-140 would need to be completed by an employer sponsoring you to get on track for becoming a lawful permanent resident and ultimately obtaining your green card or even citizenship status. You would need to qualify based on your work experience and education background. There are different categories of workers eligible, including EB-1 priority workers (those with extraordinary abilities in sciences, education, the arts and other fields), and EB-4 special immigrants like religious workers.
Temporary Work- The Most Common Option
An employer can also sponsor someone to come and work temporarily in the United States. An H1-B visa is actually the most common type of employer-sponsorship of foreign workers. There are requirements for obtaining this type of work permit, or visa as well, including having a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. The H1-B visa will allow you to stay in the country for three years, but can be renewed.
To learn more about employment-based immigration and work permits in El Paso, contact our offices today. Let us help you achieve your goals.
