VISA2US Blog

The USCIS policy memo has adjusted the language of several EB1A regulatory criteria, in some cases rendering these criteria more readily applicable to our clients.

Entering the world of employment visas is challenging yet rewarding, as it can lead to permanent residency in the US through the coveted green card. No matter your avenue, there are many hurdles to overcome and rigorous qualifications. Still, the EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and NIW categories are in high demand. What’s the difference between these visas, and which is best for you? Keep reading to find out.

Petitioning for a National Interest Waiver is a goal that brings with it copious benefits. If you’re up for the challenge, you may find the advantages you’ll receive make the complex paperwork and red tape worth every minute. However, these benefits vary based on factors like nationality and occupation. Here are certain things to consider as you determine whether a National Interest Waiver is right for your occupation.

The architect profession requires an advanced degree and significant skills to be successful. With the expansive amount of new construction and remodeling in the United States on a regular basis, it can be challenging to find American citizens who fit the requirements of the job and are open to working for a particular company, requiring those employers to reach out to overseas countries for help. As a foreign worker in this occupation, you’ll need a visa to accept a job offer. Here are the options you have to move your profession into the US job market and what you should know before taking another step forward along this journey.

Back in 2020, an executive order was enacted to exempt professional athletes and any essential support staff from the COVID-19 restriction of entry into the US. With that order, foreign-national athletes and coaches of the NBA, NHL, USTA, PGA, and certain other sports bypassed the restriction. Since then, that vaguely worded document was used to successfully make business traveler arguments helping others get through COVID restrictions. Now, changes to the initial exemption have affected foreign athletes, particularly in the form of National Interest Waivers. What should you know if you’re attempting to travel under this category? Read on to find out.

Occasionally, a foreign national with exceptional ability is able to bypass the strict requirements of most work visas and enter the United States under a National Interest Waiver. This is done through an application under an EB-2 second-preference employment category, which applies to professionals in fields such as art, athletics, business, and healthcare. However, meeting the highest standards as a physician can be challenging. We have the details here to help you successfully navigate the process of obtaining an NIW in the medical field.

There is more than one path to a United States green card, but all of them are complex and time-consuming. When you qualify for a National Interest Waiver, you can cut down part of that wait by skipping job offers from a qualified employer, labor certification approval, and petitions. How long does it take to process an NIW from start to finish? We’ll break it down here.

The EB-2 visa is part of a category of work-based documents offered to eligible foreign nationals with a valid job offer from a US employer. Underneath the EB-2 heading is the National Interest Waiver. Unlike the basic EB-2, the NIW doesn’t require a job offer for the individual to receive the visa. They must have an advanced degree or exceptional ability in their field and be involved in work or research that is of national interest to the US. What does that mean in 2023? Read on to find out.

An NIW, or National Interest Waiver, is part of the EB-2 category, used when an applicant wishes to obtain a green card in the US. This second-preference employment-based visa opportunity eliminates the requirement of other work visas: the beneficiary does not need a job offer in order to qualify for an NIW. But to balance this exception, there are many other substantial factors that must be met before someone is approved for the waiver, and it can be confusing to navigate the NIW process. Here are some of the typical frequently asked questions and their answers regarding the EB-2 National Interest Waiver.

There’s no denying that the H-1B visa is arguably the most popular category on the market. But with many more petitioners than visas allocated, it’s also very difficult to obtain. This year’s lottery, FY 2024, saw the largest influx of registrations in history, but the US Citizenship and Immigration Services can only provide 85,000 visas. If you weren’t one of the chosen few, you still have options, as we’ll discuss here.