Non-Immigrant Visas: Business and Employment-Based

Non-immigrant visas allow foreign nationals to live and work in the United States for a certain amount of time but do not lead towards a green card (permanent residency) or citizenship. The following are the more common non-immigrant visas used by businesses.

• E-1 / E-2 Treaty Trader and Investor Visas: Investors and traders and their employees may receive visas to carry on their businesses in the U.S. if their home country has a commercial treaty with the US conferring visa eligibility.
  
• H-1B Specialty Occupation (Professional) Visas: Professional workers with at least a bachelor's degree (or its equivalent work experience) may be eligible for a non-immigrant visa if their employers can demonstrate that they are to be paid at least the prevailing wage for the position.
  
• J-1 and Q-1 Exchange Visitor Visas: Persons coming to the U.S. in an approved exchange program may be eligible for the J-1 Exchange Visitor's visa. J-1 programs often cover students, short-term scholars, business trainees, teachers, professors and research scholars, specialists, international visitors, government visitors, camp counselors and au pairs. In some cases, participation in a J-1 program will be coupled with the requirement that the beneficiary spend at least two years outside of the U.S. before being permitted to switch to a different non-immigrant visa or to permanent residency.
  
• L-1 Intra-company Transfer Visas: L-1 visas are available to executives, managers and specialized knowledge employees transferring to their employer's U.S. affiliate, parent or subsidiary. Executives and managers holding L-1 visas may be eligible for permanent residency without the need for a labor certification.
  
• O-1 Extraordinary Ability Worker Visas: The O-1 category is set-aside for foreign nationals with extraordinary ability. Persons with extraordinary ability in entertainment, business, athletics and science may qualify.
  
• P-1 Artists and Athletes Visas: This category covers athletes, artists and entertainers.
  
• R-1 Religious Worker Visas: Religious workers may be eligible for an R-1 visa.
  
• TN Status Under the North American Free Trade Agreement: A special category has been set up for nationals of Canada and Mexico under the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), who seek to be employed in the U.S.

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