H-2B Temporary Non-agricultural Worker Visa

Introduction

An individual who wants to work in the U.S. on a temporary basis as a non-immigrant must, under United States law, obtain a specific visa to do so. This visa is issued based on the type of work that you do. A temporary worker visa are for people who want to enter The United States for employment for a limited period of time. This work period can’t be permanent or indefinite. All of these visas require the prospective employer to first file a petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. An approved petition is mandatory for applying for a work visa.

An H2-B visa is a category that requires your employer or agent to file a petition on your behalf that must be approved by the U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services. Once this is approved by them, you can then go on to apply for a work visa.

An H2-B visa is for workers who are skilled or have an unskilled jobs. An H-2B visa is specifically for those who are coming to the United States to perform a job that is seasonal or temporary in nature. These jobs also must have a shortage of U.S. Workers to perform them. To prove this, your employer has to obtain a Department of Labor certification confirming that there are no U.S. Workers who are qualified or eligible for the type of work your visa will be based on.

The U.S. Embassy will process your application up to 90 days before the beginning of your employment status. However, you’re only able to enter the U.S under that visa 10 days before your work begins.

The H-2B visa is a temporary visa specifically for a non-agricultural worker. This visa is only allowed to be given to citizens or nationals of designated countries. There are very limited exceptions to this rule, if the person is determined to be in the interest of the United States. Some temporary worker visa categories require your prospective employer to get a labor certification or another approval from the Department of Labor on your behalf. This has to be done before filing the petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker.

A Petition for Non-immigrant Worker must be filed on your behalf by a prospective employer and approved by the USCIS. Some temporary worker categories are limited in the total number of petitions that can be approved on a yearly basis. It’s important not to make any final travel plans until the entire process is finished.

To apply for this visa, you must first complete the Non-immigrant Visa Application Form. You must pay the visa application fee unless it is being sponsored by the U.S. Government itself. Schedule your appointment with the U.S. Embassy. You must schedule and show up to the interview in order to have your visa accepted. An incomplete application and interview process will result in a visa petition not being accepted.

After the online Non-immigrant Visa Application Form is submitted and approved, it should be printed out in time to take to an interview. A photo should uploaded at the time of completing the application as well.  The documentation that must be submitted at the time of your interview includes a:

Your spouse, unmarried, minor children may only apply for the same visa category as you in order to accompany or join you on your travels. During the interview, you must be able to financially support your family once you come to the United States.