Temporary Work Visa in USA

[CanTex 1]

1. Has anyone here ever had a temporary work visa for the United States? How did you go about that?

2. I see that people have come to the states, from Canada, with temporary work visas, but was wondering how they accomplished that.

I am seeing on Visa Pro that if hired under a H2B (Temp Work Visa) that you can be petitioned for another type of visa (perhaps the K1).

So if I'm already in the midst of a K1, here visiting for 6 months, can I find an employer that sponsors temp workers and go to work here also?

Thanks for any insight that you can give me.

[TayL 0]

Temp workers have to have no immigrant intent, so I don't think that you can be petitioning for a K1 (which, while non-immigrant, shows immigrant intent) and get a temporary worker visa.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

The regulations are super strict - you'd have to find a company first of all who is willing to jump through the work visa hoops and in these hard economic times, not many are able or willing to do it - you'd have to be in a very specialized field. I work in IT myself and most companies I've heard of just aren't doing Work VISA's much right now - it's a big burden on them to prove they couldn't hire someone already here. Depeneds on your field though, you could be doing something unique.

By the time they jump through the hoops- even if it all panned out, it would fairly lengthy and you'd be half way through 6 months or at the end not many companies are willing to interview you and then wait to see if your VISA comes through- they usually are looking for someone to start relatively soon.

I believe work VISAs get initiated through the prospective employer...someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

Good luck

[warlord 73]

Temp workers have to have no immigrant intent, so I don't think that you can be petitioning for a K1 (which, while non-immigrant, shows immigrant intent) and get a temporary worker visa.

Yep this is true. Those of us that did come here on temporary work permits, status or visa's got those before meeting the USC spouse. It was during the time while working on the status, permits or visa's that we met our spouse and got married. Thus doing everything internally in the US without having to go through any of the processes before submitting the AOS documents like the majority of people here had to do...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Plus I believe they have already filled the quota for temporary work visas (H1bs) right now and are not accepting any more applications until the fall.

As a visitor to the US you are not allowed to work. Once you get your K-1, move to the US and marry, you will have to file to 'adjust status' from a non-immigrant to an immigrant and at that time you can file for a work permit. It will take about 3 months to obtain. You used to be able to work temporarily just after you arrived on a K-1 but that is being phased out with new regulations that will prevent a K-1 from being hired.

There is unlikely to be any way you can legally work in the US at this time.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Plus I believe they have already filled the quota for temporary work visas (H1bs) right now and are not accepting any more applications until the fall.

As a visitor to the US you are not allowed to work. Once you get your K-1, move to the US and marry, you will have to file to 'adjust status' from a non-immigrant to an immigrant and at that time you can file for a work permit. It will take about 3 months to obtain. You used to be able to work temporarily just after you arrived on a K-1 but that is being phased out with new regulations that will prevent a K-1 from being hired.

There is unlikely to be any way you can legally work in the US at this time.

Yes - my own experience with the H1 visas was brutal - they get snapped up VERY quickly, the company has to act promptly and have their ducks in a row. I'm sure there's a rant from 2 yrs ago somewhere from me

Edited March 13, 2009 by Udella&Wiz

[Moosker 7]

I went to school in the U.S. so I've seen a lot of my Canadian friends go about it all in different ways. I got a one-year working visa because I graduated from the school. My friend was "sponsored" by a company and received an H1B. Every year she has to be re-sponsored and go to the border and get approved, etc etc etc. The job HAS to be in your line of work and you have to have a degree. It's hard to be sponsored, typically they go with americans. Look into the TN1 visa. Nurses get that, and other very specific lines of work. It's random, but an awesome temp work visa!

Good luck