Our attorneys can represent you in U.S. immigration matters regardless of where you are located because U.S. immigration law is federal: you can be in any state, or in any country in the world.

Contact Us | About Us

521 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1700, New York, NY 10175, U.S.A., Telephone: (212) 488-6899

Working in the US

This page discusses the general requirements for a non-U.S. citizen to lawfully accept employment in the U.S., assuming that the individual does not already have some type of work authorization (e.g., greencard). It does not address family based avenues of immigration (for individuals who have family members in the U.S. willing to sponsor them for U.S. immigration benefits); nor does it discuss any special immigration programs which may be available to persons meeting special circumstances, such as: the green card lottery, asylum, special protected status sometimes offered to individuals from particular countries, experiencing turmoil; or individuals who were born in the U.S. but departed when they were infants, etc.

First, the general rule of U.S. law is that in order for any non-U.S. citizen to accept employment in the U.S., he or she must have some type of work authorization from the U.S. government. This "work authorization" takes several different forms. Sometimes it takes the form of a visa, in the sense that certain visas include "work authorization", within certain conditions, as incident to the particular status. Examples of this are the H-1B visa, and the L-1 . Similarly, the B-1 visa (for individuals on business trips) contains some very limited employment provisions for completing business work for a foreign employer.

On the other hand, sometimes "work authorization" is not automatically included with the particular visa, but can be petitioned for by showing that one meets certain qualifications. For example, the F-1 visa, for students, does not automatically include work authorization, but the F-1 visa does provide for certain types of work authorization to be requested, such as "practical training" work authorization.

In addition, apart from temporary visas, work authorization is also provided for any non-U.S. citizen who obtains "permanent residency" in the U.S. This is what is commonly referred to as the "green card" (based on their original color, although they are no longer green). There are a number of different avenues for obtaining permanent residency, as discussed on our permanent residency page; however, in general the process is much more lengthy than obtaining a temporary work visa.

There are basically two types of temporary work visas and avenues for obtaining permanent residency: the first involves being "sponsored" by a U.S. employer; and the second involves sponsoring oneself. The latter, sponsoring oneself, however, is generally only available to persons with extraordinary or exceptional abilities, as defined by U.S. immigration law (which has gotten ever more strict in its definition of these qualifications). Consequently, the vast majority of individuals obtaining work authorization in the U.S. each year do so by being sponsored by a employer, for a particular type of visa.

Furthermore, U.S. law favors persons who are highly skilled, such as professionals (e.g., engineers, physicians, teachers, etc.), or persons who are entering the country to fill positions for which no U.S. worker can be found. Similarly, there are certain visas (such as the E-2) which are available for investors of a substantial amount of capital into a U.S. enterprise, which they will actively direct.

Consequently, for most individuals seeking U.S. employment, the first order of business is determining whether one's occupation qualifies for a temporary work visa. If such a visa is available for one's occupation, then one must either obtain a employer willing to sponsor one for such a visa; or (e.g., in the case of a L-1 intracompany transferee) request that one's employer transfer one to the U.S.

Reader Comments

Work for a nonUS employer while in the US, waiting for greencard

My wife entered the US on a K1 visa and after our marriage we applied for an adjustment of status so she could receive a greencard. At the same time, she applied for a work permit (EAD I-765). We are still waiting on the adjustment of status and the EAD.

When she entered the US, she was already employed by a university in the United Kingdom and was expected to keep working while in the US. She initially had a temporary 3 month work permit which she got when she entered the US.

The 3 month temporary permit is about to expire. Can she continue to reside in the US (waiting for adjustment of status/greencard) and work for a non-US employer (the UK university)?

Can't find a straight answer. EADs are needed by US employers. But she doesn't work for a US employer.

Thanks for any advice,

nonUS employer

The situation you describe really requires a legal consultation.

However, as a general matter, in order for a foreign national to be employed in the U.S., he or she requires proper work authorization, irrespective of whether the employer is a "nonUS employer" or a U.S. employer.  There is an exception, however, for certain types of "Business Visitors" (B-1 or visa waiver) who may undertake certain types of limited employment activities for a foreign employer.

In any event, and more importantly, someone who has applied for an EAD card, and has not received it after 90 days, should take appropriate action with the USCIS.  Sometimes, however, the issuance of the EAD card is delayed because of security checks.  It is advisable to obtain a consultation with an immigration attorney for this purpose. 

Jobs in The US

Hi, my Name is Muryango Kassim. I'm American Embassy's driver's for 13 years. I want to come TO WORK IN the US withy my family. thank you

Contact Antao & Chuang

To contact Antao & Chuang, fill out the following form and press the Send button:

(U.S. state, or country if outside the U.S.)
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
3 + 5 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.


Search for H1B Visa Employers

You can search for "H1B Visa Employers" using this database, which was compiled by Antao & Chuang, Attorneys at Law from government sources. This database identifies those U.S. employers who have filed for H-1B visas in the past, or who have at least started the process by filing for the LCA. If you find an employer you are interested in, you can then contact them to inquire as to whether they have any current job openings in your field. Please tell your friends about this valuable resource.

Use this form to search for H1B Visa employers.

"FMG Friendly" Employers

Foreign Medical Graduates ("FMGs") should be aware that there are "FMG Friendly" employers, and "FMG Unfriendly" employers. This database (compiled by Antao & Chuang, Attorneys at Law from government sources) identifies those U.S. employers who have filed for H-1B visas for foreign medical graduates in the past (or at least started the process by filing for the LCA), and who can therefore be deemed "FMG Friendly". Please tell your colleagues about this valuable resource.

Use this form to search for "FMG Friendly" employers in a given state.

Recent comments

Antao & Chuang

AntaoandChuang.com

© 1996-2024 Antao & Chuang, Attorneys at Law

Important Notices/Disclaimers

This website located under the world wide web domain "AntaoAndChuang.com" ("website"), and any subdomains, are owned, and maintained by Antao & Chuang, Attorneys at Law, whose practice includes U.S. Immigration Law. Since U.S. Immigration Law is federal in nature, Antao & Chuang, Attorneys at Law, serves clients who are located throughout the U.S. and the world in U.S. immigration matters, from their offices located at 521 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1700, New York, N.Y. 10175. Antao & Chuang, Attorneys at Law’s attorneys are licensed attorneys in the states where they practice. However, since said states do not recognize any specialization in U.S. immigration law (attorneys in said states are simply licensed in said states to practice law in general), Antao & Chuang, Attorneys at Law does not claim any such specialization, and nothing on this site should be deemed to constitute any such claim. Antao & Chuang, Attorneys at Law does not claim expertise in the laws of states other than where our attorneys are licensed. This website is an advertisement. This website is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Antao & Chuang, Attorneys at Law does not accept clients on the strength of advertising materials alone but only after following our own engagement procedures. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. The information contained on this site is intended to educate members of the public generally and is not intended to provide solutions to individual problems. Readers are cautioned not to attempt to solve individual problems solely on the basis of information contained herein and are strongly advised to seek competent legal counsel before relying on information on this site. See Terms of Use.