MY FRIEND NEEDS A WORK VISA ASAP!!!!!

[D & M 0]

Please, this is so important. My friend needs a work visa as soon as possible. She is thinking about an admin job or some kind of temp job, but would they actually sponsor an immigrant????? Sorry to come off as desperate but I really need answers ASAP to help this person. This immigration stuff sucks, man; I really don't want to lose one of my best friends because of something like this.

[meowmeowmeow 1]

why would you lose her, is she illegal?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I wish I could say your friend can get a work visa quickly but immigration doesn't happen that way. She needs to find a sponsor who is willing to employ her. Then the sponsor needs to get permission to hire a non-American which means providing evidence that they have looked for an American to fill the job and can't find one with the necessary qualifications. This process can take months or even years. Once the job is approved, the employer initiates the paperwork - the immigrant can't. That also takes time. Right now with the current high unemployment situation there are many qualified Americans looking for work and fewer employers are taking the initiative, trouble and expense of pursuing employment visas. I don't hold out much hope for your friend, I am sorry.

If your friend is faced with the situation of an expiring visa then she should plan on leaving before the visa expires so that she can take advantage of future opportunities to return to the US. Good luck.

[Boiler 45,466]

You are going to have to be bit more specific, qualifications, educational achievements etc.

[D & M 0]

why would you lose her, is she illegal?

No, but she would be if she stayed a month after the visa expired.

I mean, how easy is it to get another visa to come back to the US?

[D & M 0]

I wish I could say your friend can get a work visa quickly but immigration doesn't happen that way. She needs to find a sponsor who is willing to employ her. Then the sponsor needs to get permission to hire a non-American which means providing evidence that they have looked for an American to fill the job and can't find one with the necessary qualifications. This process can take months or even years. Once the job is approved, the employer initiates the paperwork - the immigrant can't. That also takes time. Right now with the current high unemployment situation there are many qualified Americans looking for work and fewer employers are taking the initiative, trouble and expense of pursuing employment visas. I don't hold out much hope for your friend, I am sorry.

If your friend is faced with the situation of an expiring visa then she should plan on leaving before the visa expires so that she can take advantage of future opportunities to return to the US. Good luck.

Kathryn,

If she leaves Before the visa expires then that would give her more opportunies to return to the US? What if she returns to her country after the visa has expired? Like in that month of leeway after the visa has expired?

[Boiler 45,466]

No leeway

[D & M 0]

No leeway

Yes, there is one month of leeway after the visa expires.

[Boiler 45,466]

No leeway

Yes, there is one month of leeway after the visa expires.

No visa has a leeway, which one does she have?

[meowmeowmeow 1]

so she came as a tourist and wants to work in the US? that's not gonna be easy...why can't she go back home and then come back later? or be sponsored by a relative in the US? can you explain more?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I don't remember the details but I believe that there is a student visa or some similar visa that does allow for a 30 day grace period after the visa finishes to tie up affairs and leave.

Regardless, once the visa expires she is expected to leave the country unless there is another legal status available to her before her first legal status expires. There is not enough time to process a work visa even if she does have a 30 day grace period after her current visa expires unless it is already in the works. That grace period is to be used by her to 'wind up her affairs' here - and not as a time to try and figure out how to remain in the US. She may be able to qualify for an additional student type of visa but that would be dependent on her field of study, whether it has a work component related to it and other similar considerations, but it would need to be applied for before her current status expires. Again, there are criteria that she would have to meet for those (ie. proof of funds, accepted enrollment, overseas residence, etc.). If she have out of status time in the US, she runs the risk of being viewed as an immigration risk by US authorities and find it that much more difficult to get another visa. As well, if she accumulates more than 180 days of out of status time, she will incur a 3 year ban upon returning to the US even with a visa. If she incurs over a year of out of status time, she will incur a 10 year ban upon returning to the US. So, if she wishes to retain credibility as a potential future employee in the US or wishes to obtain future visitor visas (or any other type of visa) she needs to protect her 'good name' immigration-wise - which means not overstaying her visa/grace period now.

Edited November 1, 2009 by Kathryn41

[Sc0tt28 26]

No leeway

Yes, there is one month of leeway after the visa expires.

No visa has a leeway, which one does she have?

This "leeway" the person is referring to is called "visa revalidation" and depending on the type of visa, the person can re-enter the US using an expired visa, as long as the person has not been out of the states for more than 30 days, and has not left contigous territory (Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean islands except Cuba). Of course the person cannot overstay the time that is on their I-94.

Edited November 2, 2009 by Sc0tt28

[JERIII 8]

No leeway

Yes, there is one month of leeway after the visa expires.

No visa has a leeway, which one does she have?

It depends how you look at it.

Students on F-1 visas have an accompanying I-20 which determines when their program ends. They have a 60 day "grace period" after that during which they can travel, etc. in the US before they have to leave. J-1 visa holders have a similar period after the expiration of their DS-2019, but it is only thirty days. I suppose you could call that leeway.

[Sc0tt28 26]

No leeway

Yes, there is one month of leeway after the visa expires.

No visa has a leeway, which one does she have?

Ok guys, look at http://travel.state.gov/visa/laws/telegram...grams_1441.html

One of the key points it makes is in section 1, part ii. Visa revalidation does not only apply to F, M, and J visas...these visas are probably where you see it the most but they are not exclusive.