Learn about the types of visas for permanent workers in the United States and what their characteristics are.
There are different types of visas in the United States that allow you to visit, work or study legally in the country. Some work visas authorize employers to hire foreign nationals to work in the United States, or other types of work visas authorize foreign citizens to emigrate to the United States for having exceptional skills in various areas of the profession and seeking employment in the country.
Work visas, also called for permanent workers, are different from temporary work visas, since they offer greater benefits as it is necessary to meet more requirements to access one.
Some visas require labor certifications, since employers must verify that: there are not enough workers available in the United States to fill the job position; and that hiring a foreign worker will not negatively affect the wages and / or working conditions of national employees with similar jobs.
Permanent worker visas are: EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4, and EB-5.
The EB-1 or first preference visa is made for people with extraordinary aptitude in science, arts, education, business, sports; or for teachers, outstanding researchers; also for executives with managerial positions in multinational companies. A labor certification is not necessary for this visa.
The second preference, EB-2, is intended for professionals with graduate degrees or individuals of exceptional ability in the arts, sciences, and business. For this visa, it is necessary to have a labor certification. EB-3 visas also require labor certification and are reserved for professionals and specialized workers.
On the other hand, EB-4 visas are reserved for “special immigrants”, for example, some religious workers, employees of foreign services from other countries in the United States, retired personnel of international organizations, foreign minors protected by courts in the United States. , among other cases.
Finally, the EB-5 preference is reserved for investors who make investments of USD 1 million or USD 500 thousand depending on the area of employment; and that also provide job opportunities to ten full-time employees in the United States.
Learn more about each of the types of work visa on the Citizenship and Immigration Service portal: https://www.uscis.gov/es/trabajar-en-los-estados-unidos/trabajadores-permanentes
