Kazmi & Sakata Attorneys at Law

Citizens of foreign countries who wish to enter the

United States (US or USA) must obtain visas, either
nonimmigrant for temporary or immigrant for
permanent residents. Temporary work visas are for
aliens to be employed for periods of time neither
permanent nor indefinite but certain. For these visas,
their prospective employers file petitions with the US
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for
preliminary approval.

H-1B: Specialty Occupation. This visa is for specialty work in intergovernmental research and development or co-production projects
administered by the Department of Defense.
H-1B1: Free Trade Agreement Professionals. Not a USCIS petition-based
visa, for work at sites in Chile or Singapore.
H-2A: Temporary Agricultural Workers. For foreign nationals of
designated countries determined to be in the US national interest.
H-2B: Temporary Nonagricultural Workers. For nationals of designated
countries determined to be in the US national interest.
H-3: Trainee or Special Education Visitors. For training other than graduate
medical or academic not available in the home country or for practical
training in education of mentally, physically, or emotionally disabled
children.

L: Intercompany Transfers. For work at affiliates of current employers as

managers or specialists after work for the same employer abroad for at least
one year continuously within the past three years.
O: Extraordinary Ability or Achievement. For work in scientific, artistic,
educational, business, or entertainment fields of expertise.
P-1: Individual or Team Athletes or Entertainers. For performance in athletic
competition or in entertainment events.
P-2: Artists or Entertainers (Individual or Group). For performance under
reciprocal exchange programs between organizations in the USA and in other
countries.
P-3: Artists or Entertainers (Individual or Group). For performance or
instruction under culturally unique programs or in traditional ethnic, folk, or
cultural musical, theatrical, or artistic performances or presentations.
Q-1: International Cultural Exchange Program Participants. For practical
training and employment sharing foreign national history, culture, and
traditions through international cultural exchange programs.

For some temporary worker visas, prospective employers must obtain

labor certification from the US Department of Labor before filing USCIS
petitions for nonimmigrant workers. Some temporary worker categories
limit the number of petitions approved annually. Before any application for
a temporary worker visa may proceed, the prospective employer must file a
petition for a nonimmigrant worker on Standard Form I-129, and USCIS
must approve it. After approving the petition, USCIS notifies the
prospective employer of its action, and the visa application process begins.

The visa application process takes several steps, the order of which may vary by
US embassy or consulate. Applicants who complete the online nonimmigrant visa
application (Standard Form DS-160) print the application form confirmation page
to bring to their interviews. Interviews are ordinarily unnecessary for applicants
less than 13 nor more than 80 years old, but consular officers may require
interviews for applicants of any age.
Visa application interviews generally take place in the countries where applicants
live but may be scheduled at any US embassy or consulate. Waiting times for
interviews vary according to location, visa category, and season, so applicants
should allow several days for scheduling. Every applicant needs to provide the
receipt number printed on the USCIS-approved nonimmigrant worker petition to
schedule an interview.
The $190 visa application fee payment may be required before the interview. When
the visa is approved, a visa issuance fee based on nationality also may be required

Applicants should prepare certain documents to present at their visa interviews:

A passport valid for at least six months beyond the sojourn in the USA. If the
passport is for more than one person, each needing a visa must apply separately.
The nonimmigrant visa application, Form DS-160, confirmation page.
Visa application fee payment receipt if required before the interview.
A photograph either uploaded onto the Form DS-160 or printed in the format
described on it.
The receipt number for the USCIS-approved nonimmigrant worker petition.
Proof of substantial home-country ties for all applicants except those for visa
categories H-1B and L to confirm their intent to return after their temporary stays in
the USA

Web: http://www.ksvisalaw.com/
Phone: 858-874-0711
Address: 4909 Murphy Canyon Rd #400, San
Diego, CA 92123
Map URL: http://goo.gl/ZXAlbA