If you are an employee outside of the United States, you may be wondering how to get sponsored as an employee by an employer in order to work in the U.S. Being sponsored by an employer means that the employer is willing to act as your petitioner in the visa application process and offer you job once you are legally allowed to enter the United States. How does this happen?
First, Know What the Work Options Are
First, in order to even obtain a work visa, you need to be familiar with the categories of visas and know which one you should apply under. This is important because the United States only offers a limited number of visas to each country and each country only gets so many visas per category.
- H-1B: Workers in an occupation that requires at least a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent on the job experience. Also includes popular fashion models.
- H-1C: Registered nurses.
- H-2A: Agricultural workers.
- H2B: Workers who fill jobs that have a shortage of qualified American workers.
- O-1: Professionals who have extraordinary abilities in science, education, business, arts, or athletics.
- O-2: Necessary support staff for professionals with O-1 visas.
- P-1: Entertainers and athletes who are internationally recognized. This visa includes the professional’s support staff as well.
- R-1: Ministers and workers of recognized religions.
There are a few other categories that are less common and more narrow, so if you don’t fit into the above categories, you may want to inquire about others.
Next, Look Through Job Ads
Spend some time looking through the job listings and help wanted ads to make a list of companies who are hiring many employees at once or one that has the same job open for months.
Take that list of employers and determine their experience hiring foreign workers. Ideally, a company who has hired foreign employees in the past are best because they may be more familiar with the immigration law and the hiring process.
Finally, Contact the Employer
Once you’ve identified the list of employers, reach out to them. You should have a specific person to contact based on the job listing. If they provide specific application instructions, follow them. Otherwise, send a letter of introduction with your resume.
That’s the basic process of finding an employer to sponsor you for a work visa in the United States. By knowing what to do and what to expect, you may be more likely to be successful with your petition.