Should I Apply for an H-1B, L1, or TN Visa?

If you are interested in entering the United States on a work permit, you will have to decipher whether you fall under its eligibility criteria. This complex legal matter can easily become more complex with all the different types of non-immigrant work visas available to you. Continue reading to learn whether you should apply for an H-1B, L1, or TN visa and how an experienced Lyndhurst employment immigration attorney at the Law Offices of Salvatore A. Falletta can help you select the one that best suits you.

Should I apply for an H-1B or L1 visa?

You may apply for an H-1B visa if you are qualified to retain a specialty occupation in the United States. That is, a specialty occupation requires a theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge in a certain technical field. Usually, these occupations require a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in work experience. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Work related to accounting.
• Work related to architecture.
• Work related to biotechnology.
• Work related to education law.
• Work related to engineering.
• Work related to mathematics.
• Work related to medicine and health.
• Work related to physical sciences.
• Work related to social sciences.

What’s more, an H-1B visa lasts for three years, but with extensions, for a cumulative maximum of six years.

Contrastingly, you may apply for an L1 visa if you are qualified for an intracompany transfer to the United States. More specifically, the L-1A visa is for those who hold executive and managerial capacities at their place of employment, while the L-1B visa is for those who hold integral knowledge that extends beyond the norm of their industry. Such integral knowledge may have to do with any one of the following:

• Integral knowledge of a company’s equipment.
• Integral knowledge of a company’s management.
• Integral knowledge of a company’s products and/or services.
• Integral knowledge of a company’s research and/or findings.
• Integral knowledge of a company’s techniques.

Of note, an L1 visa generally lasts for seven years.

Do I qualify for a TN visa?

Lastly, you may be eligible for a TN visa if you are either Canadian or Mexican, and if you are seeking temporary, professional work in the United States. Such professional work requires a certain level of education, all while falling into one of the 63 approved occupations. Examples of these approved occupations are as follows:

• Work related to chemistry.
• Work related to consulting.
• Work related to dentistry.
• Work related to occupational therapy.
• Work related to pharmacy.
• Work related to physical therapy.
• Work related to physics.
• Work related to psychology.
• Work related to teaching.

If you are still unsure which work visa is right for you, you must consult with a skilled Lyndhurst employment immigration attorney as soon as possible. Schedule your initial consultation with us today.