Tampa Florida Business Immigration

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One of the key areas of my immigration practice's focus is to assist individuals, business clients, entrepreneurs, hospitals, colleges and universities, scientific - research organizations and professional sports franchises that are interested in obtaining temporary employment visas and permanent resident status (green cards).

Obtaining a "green card" - indicating lawful permanent residency in the U.S. - is typically the primary goal of my clients who are already here in the U.S. on a temporary visa or are planning to enter this country.

If that is your goal too, please contact me today at (813) 679-5780 for your free 20-minute consultation and to learn how I can help you.

Employment-based immigrant visas

Employment based immigrant visas are granted to individuals that have unique skills and wish to work in the U.S. - or for U.S. based business that use this unique tool for recruiting and retaining a talented professional or skilled employee. These visas are for:

  • Immigrants with extraordinary ability in business, arts or sciences
  • Managers and Executives of multi-national businesses
  • Outstanding professors or researchers
  • Immigrants with advanced degrees and performing work in the national interest
  • Immigrants with job offers and a Bachelor degree or higher, or work experience equaling a degree
  • Religious workers and ministers whose services are required by their non-profit religious organization
  • Immigrant investors with substantial funds invested in the U.S.

Some employment-based visa applications require you to go through a process called Program Electronic Review Management (PERM). This is a procedure by which the U.S. Department of Labor certifies there is a lack of qualified U.S. workers in your job category. Once the labor shortage is certified, you can apply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for your immigrant visa. Working with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service can be a difficult task and I can help you quickly navigate this detailed process.

Non-Immigrant Visas

If you wish to enter the U.S. for a temporary period of time, a non-immigrant visa permits you to travel to a U.S. port of entry and request permission of the Department of Homeland Security to visit for a specific purpose.

The length of time someone can stay in the U.S. depends on the visa status under which they are admitted (for example, specialty occupation). And a person admitted in one status can often change their status in order to stay longer--or to perform different activities. For instance, a medical school student may want to change his or her status to an employer-sponsored non-immigrant visa once they graduate and find employment (assuming their new employer will sponsor them). Several types of non-immigrant visas also allow a person to extend their status and thereby extend their stay in the U.S.

This process can also be confusing and complicated. I can make it much easier, determining the visa category that is right for you and assisting you with changing status from your current category to the new category. In appropriate cases, I can also obtain legal status and work authorization for your dependent family members.

The following is a brief list of the most commonly used temporary working visa categories:

H1-B Specialty Occupation
This non-immigrant visa classification applies to an alien who will be employed temporarily in a specialty occupation (one which typically requires a Bachelor's degree) or as a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability. Under current law, there is an annual limit of 65,000 aliens who may be issued a visa or otherwise provided H-1B status. As many as 20,000 additional H-1B slots are available to graduates of U.S. Master's degree (or higher) programs.

L-1 Intra-company Transfers
The L-1 visa permits multinational companies to transfer high-level and essential employees from their international offices to the United States. The non-immigrant would work at the affiliate or subsidiary of that same employer in the U.S. in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity.

E-1 Treaty Traders
The E-1 visa allows an individual to enter the United States on a non-immigrant basis for the sole purpose of carrying on substantial trade between his or her country and the United States. The home country of the non-immigrant must have a treaty with the United States.

E-2 Treaty Investor
If you come to the U.S. to run an enterprise in which you are invested, you may obtain the non-immigrant visa status of E-2 treaty investor. If you are an employee of a treaty trader investor you may also be qualified as an E visa holder if your duties require special qualifications essential to the business. The non-immigrant must have the same nationality as the alien employer and the home country of the non-immigrant must have a treaty with the United States.

O-1 Individuals of Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
Highly talented or acclaimed individuals may be eligible for an O visa for entry into the U.S. People who may qualify for this visa are physicians, scientists and accomplished businesspeople as well as athletes considered to be at the top of their field.

TN Professionals
These visas are limited to nationals of Canada and Mexico. If you are employed in one of the sixty-three listed professions in NAFTA, you can apply for non-immigrant TN status. Most of the listed professions require either a bachelor's degree or a license degree.

R-1 Religious Workers
The R-1 visa permits religious workers to come to the U.S. to take on a religious occupation and perform services for their religious organization. The religious organization must already be established in the United States.

Here are a few other Permanent Employment Visas (Permanent Resident Cards or Green Cards) that might apply to your situation:

  • EB-1 Priority Workers
  • EB-2 Professionals with Advanced Degrees or Persons with Exceptional Ability
  • EB-3 Skilled or Professional Workers
  • EB-4 Special Immigrants
  • EB-5 Immigrant Investors
  • Permanent Immigration For Nurses

And here's a quick look at more Temporary Visa (Non-Immigrant Visa) options that might apply to your situation:

  • B-1 Business Visa
  • B-2 Tourist Visa
  • E-3 Visa
  • P Visa

Find out about employment-based and non-immigrant visas by contacting me at (813) 679-5780 (or by e-mailing info@shawnmesaimmigrationlaw.com) to arrange a free 20-minute consultation.




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Shawn Mesa Immigration Law
550 Reo Drive
Suite 300, Tampa, FL 33609