Hiring a Foreign National - Understanding Visa Programs Available

Work visas authorize employment in the U.S. on ano limitation on the number of H-3 visas that are issued
temporary basis. The process should begin about fivein the U.S.
months before the employment start date of the4. J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa - These visas are
foreign national employee. While there is a vast arrayavailable to foreign nationals who are sponsored by a
of temporary work visas available below are the onesschool, business of other organization for employment
with which you, as the prospective employer of asuch as an au pair/nanny, summer camp counselor
foreign national, will most likely require:staff and medical resident/intern type work.
1. H1-B Visa - This visa is for specialty occupations, It5. L-1 Intra-Company Transfer Work Visa - These
requires applicants to have a college degree.visas are available to current foreign national
Approximately 65,000 H1-B visas are issued annually.employees of multi-national U.S. companies who are
2. H2-B Work Visa - This visa is issued to skilled andneeded to work for the same company but in the U.S.
unskilled workers in non-agricultural jobs. ApproximatelyIf a foreign employee has a U.S. permanent resident
66,000 of these visas are issued annually.card (green card), the employee is treated as a U.S.
3. H-3 Trainee Visa - As the name implies these visasresident for all employment-related issues and is
are issued to foreign national who will be employed insubject to income tax on their worldwide income. If the
on-the-job training programs. The H-3 is available forforeign national is already in the U.S. on a work visa, for
up to a two-year period in a variety of industries,a current employer, you may be able to transfer the
provided the type of training is not available in thework visa to your company.
prospective foreign employee's home country. There is