VISA2US Blog

Part of the visa application process includes verifying your identity. For initial visas like the H-1B category and for green cards, that includes a biometrics screening. While it might sound like advanced artificial intelligence, this is simply an appointment during which the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) collects a record of your fingerprints and takes a picture of you to cross-reference the information with the FBI database and the Department of Homeland Security. Provided you don’t have a criminal record or any run-ins with the immigration department, this is a simple step. What should you know before you go to prepare for your biometrics appointment? We’ll give you the details here.

Nonimmigrants wishing to extend their visa’s validity period use Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. This form is one of the most commonly filed, as it is used by students, visitors, and temporary workers. Generally, requesting an extension is simple, provided no significant changes have occurred. However, in the past, a biometrics requirement added extra time and expense to the application. Recently, USCIS announced changes to this requirement. How will that affect your I-539? We’ll explain here.

Foreign nationals who enter the US via the temporary visa route, like a work or student visa, often decide to stay permanently. They must apply for lawful permanent residency and obtain a green card to do this. Not all visas permit this path, but the H-1B category, also called a dual-intent visa, does, all without needing to leave the country. You just need to file an Adjustment of Status (AOS) and go through the green card process, and we’ll explain how to do that here.

There are many benefits to an H-1B visa, making it a highly sought-after document for foreign workers worldwide. One of these perks is the ability to bring your spouse and dependent children with you to the United States under an H-4 visa category. However, that label doesn’t give those individuals the immediate right to work, as you have. Instead, they must apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and there’s no guarantee that this application will be approved. You may need to use compelling circumstance arguments to get your H-4 dependents an EAD, and we’ll explain what those are in this short blog.

Ongoing modernization attempts are an essential part of keeping the borders safe worldwide, and USCIS regularly makes changes in support of this goal. One of the more recent adaptations is the policy of required biometrics submissions. Applicants requesting entry to the US through most avenues must complete a biometric screening as part of their approval process. But certain applicants fall under a temporary suspension of this requirement. If you’re a nonimmigrant filing Form I-539, you may not need to complete the screening before your petition is approved. We have the details here.

The National Interest Waiver (NIW) is part of the United States EB-2 employment-based visa petition. It’s designed for those with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities that could benefit the national interest of the US. It’s a highly sought-after visa because once the applicant is approved, they become a lawful permanent resident of the country. However, it’s not easy to qualify. Here are the details you must know before you apply for an NIW.

The H-1B visa is highly sought after, partly because it allows the beneficiary to bring their dependents with them to the United States. The document permits the holder to work and live in the US for three years, with an optional three-year extension. But during that time, minors grow up and are no longer dependents. When that happens, they must obtain their own visas, such as the F1 student visa. If your child is in the transition period where they’re going to need a visa of their own to stay with you in the States, read on to find out what their options are and if transferring to an F1 status from your H-1B dependency is possible.

For decades, hundreds of thousands of families have entered the US under work visas like the H-1B, which allows the holder to bring their dependent spouse and children. The H-1B permits the beneficiaries and their families to remain in the US for three years, with an optional three-year extension. But what happens to those minors who outgrow their dependent category during that time? Without a visa, they might be deported. However, the Dream Act of 2023 could change that.

The H-1B and L-1 visas are used by hundreds of thousands of non-immigrants annually and have been part of the US-international exchange for more than two decades. During that time, the programs have stayed consistent with tweaks as necessary due to political changes in the United States government. But the world has changed substantially in the past twenty years, and a new bill calls for the H-1B and L-1 visa programs to reflect those changes.

No one wants to leave their families behind when they move to a different country, even if the move is temporary. Yet, many work visas are for the individual document holder only. That’s why the H-1B category is such a coveted visa: it allows the holder, their spouse, and any dependent children to come with them and stay for the length of the visa’s terms. But beyond that, there are other benefits to the H-1B visa that make it the “family-friendly” way to get into the US, as we’ll discuss here.