St. Joseph, MO H-1B Visas Explained
An H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows citizens of foreign countries in specialized areas of employment to temporarily work in St. Joseph, MO and the rest of the United States. In order to apply for an H-1B, applicants must already have a job offer in a professional specialty like science, healthcare, education, technology, or engineering. Any profession where that the employer can demonstrate that it is required to have a bachelor's degree could potentially fit. The initial term for an H-1B visa is three years, but it have the option to be extended up to six years or longer if the employee chooses to apply for permanent residency.
Frequently, obtaining an H-1B visa is the first step individuals take towards permanent residency and citizenship. Many H-1B visa applicants file for permanent residency (known as a green card) through sponsorship from their St. Joseph, MO employer and eventually apply for citizenship.
St. Joseph, MO TN Visas Explained
TN visas are another type of nonimmigrant visa for professionals, exclusively for citizens of Canada and Mexico. The qualifications for TN visa applicants are stricter because the list of occupations is finite. This includes pharmacists, accountants, engineers, management consultants, and scientists. TN visa applicants are required to have a U.S. job offer (e.g., in St. Joseph, MO) in order to qualify. Canadian citizens may apply at the airport or border crossing and need not obtain a visa stamp at a consulate ahead of time, however, Mexican citizens must apply for a visa ahead of time.
TN visas are initially valid for three years but can be extended by three-year increments each time. Much like H-1B visas, TN visa holders in St. Joseph, MO can shift to a green card if they meet specific qualifications.
How an H-1B Visa Lawyer in St. Joseph, MO Can Help You
The steps to acquiring H-1B visas could look straightforward but in reality, require working through a complex, often convoluted system. An H-1B visa attorney in St. Joseph, MO can assist you with this system and achieve a great result.
Visa Caps - The biggest hurdle Missouri applicants encounter is the annual cap placed on how many new H-1B visas are issued. The current Congressional cap per fiscal year is 65,000, with an additional 20,000 visas available under the H-1B advanced degree exemption. Due to the limited number of approvable visas, it's critical that your paperwork is submitted correctly and with accurate information.
For the 2023 fiscal year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received 758,994 eligible H-1B registrations and selected 188,400 to apply for only 65,000 visas. An H-1B visa lawyer in St. Joseph, MO can help you prepare your application so your application can have more chances in this process.
Application Turnaround Times - Registration to apply for an H-1B visa is typically open for just a few weeks in March, and the selected employers and applicants only have a few weeks after being informed of their selection to apply. H-1B lawyers in St. Joseph, MO have expertise in this application process and can assist you in filling out the required forms properly in the small window of opportunity.
Required Employer Sponsorship - Busy employers and their HR teams will frequently turn to Missouri corporate immigration lawyers to help alleviate the stress of preparing the employer’s portion of the application in this highly-regulated legal process. Precision and timeliness are paramount for these applications, and your H-1B visa attorney can assist with organizing essential information and due dates on your behalf.
Shifting Policies - Practically every single year, changes are made to H-1B visa adjudications. An immigration lawyer with expertise in St. Joseph, MO can assist you with those adjustments so your registration and application are filed on time and accurately.
Get Help from a TN Visa Attorney in St. Joseph, MO
Much like H-1B visas, TN visas need proper documentation for both parties, the Canadian or Mexican citizen and the employer. An experienced St. Joseph, MO TN visa lawyer can assist you with this process to a fruitful outcome.
Check for Eligibility - A TN visa lawyer in St. Joseph, MO can assess your or your potential new hire's education and experience to determine if they meet the eligibility requirements for a TN visa, helping save time and prevent future legal issues. They can also help you assemble the necessary paperwork and confirm the TN visa is the right type to pursue.
Renewal - Since TN visas must be renewed before they expire, your TN visa lawyer in St. Joseph, MO can help you stay up to date with changing policies and the information needed to renew your visa. Your TN visa lawyer can assist you and avert gaps in your visa and maintain your legal employment status.
Employer Visa Compliance - Employers are responsible for complying with immigration and employment laws in St. Joseph, MO, which means keeping up with visa documentation, logging job duties and wages, keeping H-1B visa Public Access Files, and many more obligations. Your St. Joseph visa lawyers can ensure your team is trained and prepared to maintain legal compliance throughout the application and reduce the risk of audits and legal troubles.
The Benefits of Hiring an H-1B or TN Immigration Lawyer in St. Joseph, MO
No matter if you or your employee is seeking a TN or H-1B visa to work in St. Joseph, MO, it can be a lengthy and extremely complex process. Sometimes, an inaccurate piece of information on the application can result in automatic denial.
An H-1B visa lawyer or TN visa attorney in St. Joseph, MO is experienced in the complications of each visa and can help you work through the necessary paperwork, deadlines, and lotteries that are associated with each one. Moreover, an H-1B or TN visa lawyer in St. Joseph, MO can assist with your unique situation, which include additional dependents or close relatives to Missouri with you.
Why Choose The Visa Pros as Your H-1B Immigration Lawyer in St. Joseph, MO?
Weinstock Immigration Lawyers, The Visa Pros, was founded by Karen Weinstock, and she is intimately familiar with the United States immigration process – she immigrated to the USA and went through multiple immigration processes herself! Weinstock Immigration Lawyers has a multilingual, multicultural staff in St. Joseph, Missouri and beyond, who possess international expertise and a combined over 100 years of legal immigration experience.
Our hands-on approach means we have over 20,000 approved cases of visas and green cards. That gives us one of the highest approval rates in the industry, with only a 1% denial rate.* Whether you’re looking to obtain a work visa to work in the USA or an employer who wants to tap into the global talent pool, turn to Weinstock Immigration Lawyers for all of your TN and H-1B visa needs in St. Joseph, MO. Get in touch today for your free case evaluation.
*Disclaimer: Past results do not ensure the same outcome.