As the largest economy in the World with the greatest number of opportunities the United States is an incredibly popular immigration destination. The US processes millions of immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications for workers, businesspeople, investors and families every year.
The US visa system is probably the most complex in the World. There are so many different visa options that it is difficult to know which visa may be relevant. Generally to enter the US in the long term you need to have a high level job offer or start a business or apply as an immigrant relative. We find that the most popular work related visa categories are E-2 treaty investor, L-1A and L-1B intracompany transfer, B-1 in lieu of H-1B and H-1B visa. For employment based immigration one of the best options is the EB1-C for international executives and managers.
US work visas are broken into two main categories: temporary non-immigrant work visas and employment based immigrant visas (also known as Green Cards), which grant the holder a lawful permanent residence.
The US B-1 business visitor visas can be obtained quickly at an US Embassy or Consulate. For businesses wishing to set up in the US this can be done at a low cost under the L-1 intra-company transfer visa or E-2 Treaty Investor Visa or E-1 Treaty Trader visa scheme. For those looking for permanent residence with at least $500,000 to spend the EB-5 immigrant investor visa scheme is worth considering.
You will see detailed information below for each visa category, including eligibility requirements, useful hints and advice and information on how to apply for a visa.