Be legal. Stay legal.

There are many ways to legally enter the United States. How you may accomplish this depends on your circumstances and what you plan to do while you are in the country. If you are an employer or an employee with employment visa concerns or questions, you may also have legal issues regarding residency and green card status

At the Law Office of Russell T. Doncouse, we work with clients to find a plan for entry that works for them. If you would like to come to the United States, either permanently or temporarily, contact us for an initial consultation.

1. How can we help workers obtain permanent U.S. residency?

Employment based Green Cards

If you are looking to obtain a green card for permanent residency in the United States on the basis of your employment, you and your employer will need to comply with strict immigration requirements. We are experienced at guiding workers and employers through the green card application and sponsorship process.

Who qualifies for employment-based green cards?

Receiving a green card requires multiple complex steps that can require several years of patience and hard-fought legal effort.
Typically, you must have worked for the employer for a period of 4 years to be eligible for a green card - the more specialized your skills are, the higher your priority will be. It can also happen that you are currently in another country but have been offered long-term employment in the United States. Either way, it may be possible for a U.S. employer to sponsor you for an employment-based green card.

In any case, your employer will likely need to complete the foreign labor certification process, and your immigrant visa and/or green card will need to gain approval from a number of different American government agencies.

Knowing how long each permanent employment visa matter can take at all phases of the immigration process, our attorneys will take every appropriate step to ensure that you have the advantage in obtaining a permanent employment visa in the most effective, efficient manner possible, while you maintain your valid temporary, non-immigrant visa status in the United States.

2. How can we help people to enter the U.S. to work?

Temporary employment visas

Have you been offered a temporary job in the United States?.
Are you an employer looking to temporarily employ someone from another country in the U.S.?.
In either case, you are facing some strict and potentially confusing immigration requirements.

There are several temporary employment visas available to foreign workers when an American company is willing to sponsor them for employment in the United States. Each non-immigrant employment visa has its own specific requirements.
We represent all types of clients seeking temporary work visas, including the following:

 

• E-1 & E-2 Treaty Work Visas
• E-3 Work Visa for Australians
• F-1 Student Visa
• H-1A "Nurse Visa" for medical professionals
• H-1B Temporary work Visa for professionals
• H-2A Visa for Agricultural jobs and other seasonal work
• H-2B Visa for unskilled workers (construction, landscaping, houskeeping)
• L-1 and L-2 visas for managers, executives and critical employees
• H-3 Trainee Work Visa
• O-1 Extraordinary Ability Work Visa
• P Visa Athlete/Entertainer Work Visa
• R-1 Religious Work Visa

Helping employers through foreign labor certification

In addition to representing prospective employees, we also represent employers who are seeking to hire employees from abroad with temporary work visas. In most cases, in order to hire foreign talent, you will need to complete the foreign labor certification process. We can guide you through the complex requirements of this procedure..

3. Unsure whether you qualify for a visa?

We have a range of experience and can help you with your immigration matters. Ask yourself these questions and see if any apply to your situation:

1. Are you married to a U.S. Citizen or have a parent, sibling or child who is a U.S. Citizen willing to sponsor you? [Family Immigration Possibilities]
2. Do you have a fiancé(e) or a relationship with a U.S. Citizen that is leading toward marriage? [K1, K3 Visas or Family Immigration Possibilities]
3. Do you have a college education, Bachelor’s degree or higher, and have a job offer in the U.S. that requires your particular skills? [H-1B, EB2, EB3 and TN-NAFTA Visa Possibilities]
4. Do you have at least 12 years experience in any “skilled” profession, and now hold a management position, and have a job offer in the U.S. that requires those skills? [H-1B, EB3 Visa Possibilities]
5. Have you become nationally or internationally recognized or known for your skills or talents in your profession? [O1, P1, EB1, and TN-NAFTA Visa Possibilities]
6. Are you academically recognized, been published, or are a leading voice in your specialty, or have you won or been nominated for any national or international awards? [O1, P1, EB1 Visa Possibilities]
7. Are you interested in studying in the U.S. to broaden your academic skills, have the financial means to pay your expenses, or have a sponsor that can cover your expenses? [F1, J1 Student and Scholastic Exchange Visa]
8. Do you own a company that has a U.S. branch for your business, or do you have an interest in opening a U.S. branch? [L1 Visa, Intracompany Transfer]
9. Are you thinking about starting or buying your own business and have more than $500,000 to invest on your own, or more than $50,000? [E2 Visa Possibilities]
10. Do you work in the fine arts at a very high level and have exhibition or performance opportunities in the U.S.? [O1, P1, EB1 Visa Possibilities]
11. Are you a highly talented musician with a large national or international following? [O1, P1, EB1 Visa Possibilities]
12. Are you a religious minister, pastor or religious worker with the offer to work with a non-profit religious organization? [R1 Visa Possibilities]
13. Do you have savings in excess of $20,000? [E2, F1, J1, TN-NAFTA Visa Possibilities]

For many, the questions above will not provide the path they were look for now, but provide possibilities for what is wanted: How to successfully gain a Visa, and perhaps, permanent residency in the United States. If your situation does not fit perfectly into any of the questions presented, but portions of your life relate to one or more of the questions, contact our office to confidentially discuss your case. Let us help you determine whether you can receive the opportunities you desire for yourself, your company, employees, or family members.