H-1B Specialty Occupations 

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields such as in architecture, engineering, mathematics, science, and medicine. This Visa would potentially allow you to work in the U.S. for a temporary and specified period of time.The H-1B visa requires a job offer from a United States employer for a position in a “specialty occupation.” Specialty occupations include positions in the fields of computer science, physical therapy, dentistry, architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine, business specialties, accounting, law, teaching, and others. H-1B status is available for a total of six years. Read more here.

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L-1 Intracompany Transferees

 

The L-1 visa is a great option for many sitautions. This visa allows companies to transfer executives, managers, or specialized knowledge employees to the company's U.S. office, subsidiary, or affiliate. The L-1 can even be used to open a new office in the United States. The employee being transferred must meet certain minimum requirements to qualify. They must have been employed for over one year in the previous three years as an executive, manager, or specialized knowledge employee, and be coming to the U.S. to work in an executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge capacity. The job does not have to entail the same work in the United States that he or she was doing abroad. Executives and managers (L-1A) are eligible to stay in the U.S. for up to seven years. Specialized knowledge employees (L-1B) are eligible to stay in the U.S. for up to five years. 

E-1/E-2 Treaty and Investment Visas

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Certain treaties allow foreign nationals to come to the United States to develop and direct an investment in the United States or to conduct trade with the United States. A treaty trader must conduct “substantial” trade between the treaty country and the United States. A treaty investor must make a “substantial” investment in the United States. There is no limit on the period of stay in treaty investor or treaty trader status, as long as the investment or trade continues.

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E-3 Australian Treaty Professionals

The E-3 visa is for professionals from Australia who have a job offer in a specialty occupation from a U.S. employer. The U.S. employer must pay the prevailing wage. 

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O-1 Extraordinary Ability Workers

A common visa for musicians and performers, of which there are numerous in the Nashville area, this viais for foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, as demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim. These persons must be able to demonstrate their recognition, achievements, and reputation.  They must continue to work in their area of extraordinary ability in the U.S., but their work in the U.S. does not have to be at a level requiring extraordinary ability.

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R-1 Religious Workers

A foreign national who for the previous two years has been a member of a religious denomination having a bona-fide nonprofit religious organization in the U.S. may work for the religious organization in the U.S. as a minister, or religious professional or worker. R-1 classification is available for up to 5 years.

 

TN NAFTA Professionals

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), nationals of Canada and Mexico may come to the U.S. to engage in “business activities at a professional level” for a U.S. entity. The eligible professionals are listed in the NAFTA treaty, and include accountants, engineers, graphic designers, hotel managers, lawyers, management consultants, dietitians, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physicians, nurses, biologists, meteorologists, physicists, or teachers.