Did you plan to move to the US now? For any purpose of your visit, you can enter into the country for free because your visa sponsorship will be sponsored by your employer or sponsor. US visa sponsorship may be your biggest catch to achieve your American dream. It is better if you wish to work in the country as your visa bills will be settled by your employer. The United states of America is one of the developed countries in the world where many opportunities are available for anyone visiting the country.
Various high paid jobs are accessible for foreign workers in industries like the healthcare sector, engineering, technology and science, transportation, etc. There are also many beautiful natural scenes in the United States you can visit as a tourist, especially in the country’s capital, New York and also in popular places like Los Angeles,etc. If your dream is to migrate to the United States, then you need to keep reading to achieve your purpose.
What do we mean by “US Visa Sponsorship”?
US visa sponsorship means that an individual, usually an employer, a family member staying in the United States or organization, helps you to obtain an american visa to move into the country. The sponsor will be the one to take care of your documentation, the bills and look after the affairs of the individual till they are capable of taking care of themselves.
Types of US visa Sponsorship
The types of US visa sponsorship include:
A family-based US visa sponsorship
A family-based US visa sponsorship involves the decision of a family member who is also an American citizen or permanent resident to sponsor any of his/her relatives or spouse to the country via family sponsorship visa. The family member who is also a sponsor must be at least 18 years and above. Other eligibility criteria and requirements include:
- The sponsor must be financially capable of supporting and taking care of the bills of the sponsored family members.
- If the spouse is sponsoring his/her partner, if married you will have to submit proof of your union i.e a marriage certificate and if they are your children, you will need to get a birth certificate to prove your relationship.
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An employment-based visa US sponsorship
An employment-based US visa sponsorship is mainly for employers to employ their potential employees, sponsor their visa application and take off their paper documentation. You may have to apply for US sponsorship jobs which will give you an opportunity for your visa application sponsorship. The eligibility criteria and requirements include:
- The employer who is a sponsor must be a US citizen and he/she (the sponsored employee) must be willing to live and work in the country.
- The US employer must also prove that no US citizens are interested in taking the jobs which are now made available to foreign workers.
- The beneficent must be 18 years above to work and live in the country independently.
- You must have specialized skills and abilities that are not common in the country’s labour market, typically some professions like doctor, nurse, lawyers, sell better than other skills.
- You must also have the skills and proof of qualification for your abilities.
- You can also be a beneficiary of employer based sponsorship, if you have a special talent, an employee of companies who has a branch or headquarters in the country.
Types US Visa for sponsorship Available for Foreigner Workers
The types of US visa available for employers to secure their potential employee entry into the country, they include:
1. H -1B visa: is a type of American visa open for US employers to sponsor their potential employee (nonimmigrant) into the country. This visa gives opportunity to foreign workers to work and live in the country. The H -1B visa is one of the most sought after US visas for foreign workers. The visa is specially for major professions like medicine, education, healthcare, technology, Architecture and Engineering, etc.
What to do to get an H-1B visa?
Getting an H -1B visa;
- The sponsor (the US employer) must apply on behalf of the employee on the US government portal for visa application. click here
- Then the employer requests for the documents required by the immigration officer to process the visa application
- If the employee is selected, your employer will submit an LCA (Labour Condition Application) document to the labour department.
- The visa application will be reviewed by the USCIS (US citizen and Immigration service) and grant the H-1B visa if the applicant passed all the requirements.
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2. The R-1 visa: is a type of US citizen that allows foreign workers to work for a particular period of time in the US as religious workers. Examples of roles include: Missionaries, Translators, Ministers, Religious counselors, Cantors and religious broadcasters, etc. R-1 visa allows you to stay in the country for 30 months, which can be extended to another 30 months and after the expiration you will only be left with two options – either to return to your home country or apply for a permanent residency. The eligibility criteria and requirement for this type of visa, include:
- You must be a member of a particular religious society with a non profit religious group in the United states.
- You must be willing to work for at least 20 hours – 30 hours as a minister or other roles.
- You must only apply for an R-1 visa to avoid disqualification.
- You will also need a letter of authorization from your religious society to act in your religious roles in the country.
What to do to get an R-1 visa?
To get an R1 visa, the below steps are to be taken:
- Your US employer must send an application request to the US immigration officer at the USCIS portal. Check here
- Some documents will be requested by the USCIS for submission and verification of identity like letter of authorization, a valid ID card, etc.
- The application processing time usually takes about 6 months to finally grant the visa if all the requirements are met.
3. The O-1 visa: This type of visa is a temporary visa for foreign workers with special talent and abilities, and who are also willing to work in the country for a particular period of time. This visa is specifically for those workers in industry like Business, education, Arts, Motion picture, TV and Industry. Any holder of O -1 visa can bring eligible family relatives, spouse and children under the age of 21 years under an O-3 visa into the country. The visa is one of the fastest visas, quickly granted to applicants in the US. To get an O-1 visa, you must meet up with the eligibility criteria and requirement, which include:
- You must have special or extraordinary skills in which you are well recognized as an expert in the field.
- You must be willing to live and work in the country even though the visa is a temporary visa but it can be extended after expiration and you may later seek for a permanent resident if you meet up with the requirements.
- You must have necessary proof of qualifications that show you have the skills you claimed to possess.
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What to do to get an O-1 visa?
To get an O-1 visa, you must fulfill the below requirements:
- You need to demonstrate that you have the skills you claimed to possess in different fields like science, computer programming, business, etc. With a proof of awards, contributions to the society, roles displayed, and high paid salary (net worth).
- Your US employer must also submit your application online at the USCIS portal here. This form will query your education background, personal information, skills, experience in the field of practice, purpose and goals of working in the United states.
- This visa will also require you to attend an interview; this will provide an avenue to make enquiries about your qualifications and skills.
- The O-1 visa application does not take much time like other types of visa.
4. The L-1 visa: This type of visa is categorized into two; the L-1A and the L-1B visa. It is also a temporary US visa which gives opportunity to US company owners to y\transfer their best performing employee from one of their branches to another branch in the United states. The L-1A visa category is for senior managers and executives while the L-1B visa category is for employees who have extraordinary skills and abilities that have helped the company perform at their best.
The most important eligibility criteria and requirement in this category is to be a highly performing and experienced worker in the company. And the company must have either a branch or a headquarter in the United states. The duration for this type of visa is seven years for L-1 A and five years for L-1B category. Other benefits for applicants of this visa are:
- he/she can bring his spouse or relatives to work in the country without a work permit.
Tips to Boost your chances of success in your Visa Application
The below are the things to note when applying for a US sponsorship visa:
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- Develop your language skills: It is highly recommended that you know how to speak English fluently, especially those of American origin when you are considering living in the country. Many language exams are available to improve your skills which include: IELTS, TOEFL, etc.
- Getting a Degree or any associate certificate in your field: This is a very important qualification that should not be taken with a levity hand. A bachelor or masters’ degree in your field will increase your chances of success in your application for either a job or visa.
- Do a thorough research on Companies that offer visa sponsorship: These are lists of companies that offer US visa sponsorship to their potential employees which include: Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple. PwC, Deloitte, Tesla, Facebook, Bank of America, etc.
- Networking with Professionals in your field: You can connect with your senior professionals on many social media platforms like LinkedIn, etc. They will provide absolute guidance and mentorship to succeed in your career.
- Volunteer for free internship or skills workshops: When you are looking forward to a strong growth and development, money should not always be your main goal. During the early stage of your career, you need more experience than the big salary wages.