H1B Visa Requirements / Qualification
The H1B Visa is the primary US work visa / permit made available to people from all over the world.
The US Government introduced the H1B visa program to offer and enable skilled International Professionals and International Students from all over the World the opportunity to live and work in the USA. The H1B is the most popular and sought after US work visa and US Immigration requires 'every' foreign national to obtain a visa in order to legally work in America.
One of the main advantages of the H1B visa is that it is a 'dual intent' visa which means that you can apply for a Green Card (become a Legal Permanent Resident).
The Process for International professionals and Students to obtain an H1B Visa:
Step 1 - You Must 1st find a suitable and qualifying H1B Sponsorship Job with a US Company that will sponsor you for employment
Step 2 - Then the US Company files for your H1B visa with the US Immigration Bureau who processes it and issues it to you
* individuals can NOT sponsor or apply for their own H1B visa. Only US Employers can.
To Qualify for the H1B Visa Program, you must work in a 'specialty occupation':
The core Specialty Occupations include: IT, Computing, Finance, Accounting, Banking, Marketing, Advertising, PR, Sales, Recruiting, Engineering (all types), Teaching, HealthCare/Medical, Legal, Lawyers, Networking, Telecoms, Business, Management and Hospitality.
An H1B visa is typically valid for up to six (6) years and entitles your spouse (husband/wife) and children (under 21) to accompany you and live in the USA on an H4 visa. The H4 dependent visa does not allow your spouse/children to work (unless they get their own H1B visa).