Get a US Work Visa Without a Job Offer (2024)

FAQs

Get a US Work Visa Without a Job Offer? ›

A short answer is No. Unfortunately, you can't apply for a work visa without a job offer. Your prospective employer must be willing to sponsor you for the visa and petition on your behalf.

There is no way to apply for a work visa on your own without a job offer, or without the support of a U.S. employer. Working in the United States is not as simple as applying, getting a job, and moving to the U.S. Instead, you need to have a valid work visa or work permit in order to legally work in the U.S.

E-2 Visa. If you wish to work in the US by starting or investing in a US business, an E-2 Visa may be an option for you. E visas are US work visas for people working in the US investment. E visas can only be issued to countries where there is a treaty between the foreign national's country and the USA.

Individuals hoping to work or invest in the United States have three options for employment-based permanent visas: non-employer-sponsored (self-petitions) or investor visas. If you do not have an employer that will sponsor you for permanent residency, you will need to seek a self-petition.

If you are a non-citizen and want to work in the United States, you will need to have one of the following three documents: A permanent resident card (green card) An Employment Authorization Document (work permit) An employment related visa which allows you to work for a specified employer.

Most work visas can be obtained within about a year and often within a matter of a few months even if an interview at a U.S. consulate abroad is required. In most of the cases discussed in this article, it would be wise to engage a U.S. immigration attorney to help an applicant with their application.

You do not need to be a permanent resident to get a work permit, but you need to have an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa that allows you to live and work in the United States. DACA recipients can also get work permits. It costs $410 –$495 to apply for a work permit and takes 2-7 months to get one.

If a visa application is approved during a visa interview, the average processing time is 7-10 working days. At least a further 2-3 workdays should be allowed for delivery. If you are eligible for the 'Interview Waiver Program' and submit your application by courier without attending an interview.

The US student visa (F-1 visa) is one of the fastest visas to process. In fact, the study permit is often processed directly before your embassy interview.

How can I move to USA without a job offer or sponsor? ›

Two of these ways are: (1) the EB1A visa; and (2) the National Interest Waiver. Through both of these options, you do not need a job offer and you do not need a company to file an immigrant visa petition on your behalf. Instead, you apply for the immigrant visa on your own behalf.

Some of these visas, such as the EB-1 visa allow self-petitioning. This means that in some cases, if you have such extraordinary abilities you can sponsor your own visa. You must submit all the documents and pay the fees yourself. Other visas, such as the EB-5 visa only work through self-petitioning.

H-1B Visa Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the H1B visa, you will need: A valid job offer from a U.S. employer for a role that requires specialty knowledge. Proof of a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in that field.

One of the questions we receive the most during this time of year is, “Can I apply for an H-1B visa without a sponsor?” The short answer is no. The reason is that an H-1B visa petition always requires an American company, called a Petitioner, to file the visa.

The application fee for the most common nonimmigrant visa types is US$160. This includes tourist, business, student, and exchange visas. Most petition-based visas, such as work and religious visas, are US$190.

$410. You may be exempt from paying the filing fee. See the form instructions for more information.

If you live outside the United States and want to work here, you generally must apply for a visa from the U.S. Department of State (DOS), unless a visa is not required for people from your country of nationality. You may visit DOS' Travel Without a Visa page for more information.

Visas typically grant temporary entry into a country for a specific purpose, such as tourism, business, or study. They may also allow for short-term employment or training. Work permits, on the other hand, are designed specifically for individuals who will be working in a foreign country for an extended period of time.

How can I get a work visa fast? ›

You can generally request expedited processing by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or by asking Emma after you have obtained a receipt notice.

In a Nutshell

During this waiting period, you can't legally work in the United States unless you have authorization. If you want to work while you're waiting for your green card to be approved, you have to apply for a work permit using Form I-765: Application for Employment Authorization.

Applying for an Expedited Appointment

Pay the visa application fee. Complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) form. If the Embassy approves your request then you will receive an email alerting you to schedule your expedited appointment online.

The US Embassy at New Delhi has the shortest wait for tourist and business visa appointments - 247 days. The United States has been taking more steps to reduce visa wait times for Indians, including moving workers from other departments around the world to visa offices in India.

All sponsors must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be at least 18 years old, and be living in the United States (including territories and possessions) when they file the affidavit of support. When and how do I file the affidavit of support?

What if I am an international candidate? Walmart and Sam's Club are committed to complying fully with the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). Walmart and Sam's Club can provide sponsorship for work visas and legal permanent residence for certain professional or specialized management positions.

H1B Visa Sponsorship Cost

An H-1B Visa or H-1B transfer will cost you around $5000 (including government fees). H1B attorney fees should costs $2000 to $3000, while filing fees are around $3000. An employer must have enough money in the bank necessary to pay the H1B employee's salary for a reasonable period of time.

Can you move to USA without a job? ›

Yes, it is possible to immigrate to the USA without a job offer. However, you must meet certain criteria and have sufficient funds available for your stay in order to be eligible. Additionally, you may need to apply for a visa or other type of entry permit before entering the country.

The H1B level 1 salary is the lowest wage a foreign worker can pay while working in the United States under the H1B visa program. The salary of this level is valued at between $38,000 and $51,000 per year.

Since costs can be hefty for some of them, many have routinely given up hiring H-1B workers because there is a high risk that USCIS will reject their petition. Sponsoring foreign employees for U.S. work visas can be costly and time-consuming – luxuries that small businesses may not have.

You can stay in the US for 60 days if you lose your H1-B job. USCIS allows a grace period of up to 60 days for non-immigrant workers in E-1, E-2, E-3, H1B, H1B1, L-1, O-1, and TN status.

The simplest way to find an H1B sponsor is to look at the website H1BGrader.com, which has H1B Visa Sponsors Database. They have taken data from USCIS H1B Data Hub and H1B LCA data published by the US Department of Labor for public disclosure and nicely put up search options to find sponsors using the below options.

A joint sponsor can be a friend or family member. They do not have to live with either spouse, but if they do, they need to fill out Form I-864A (officially called the “Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member”).

How Much Does It Cost to Sponsor a Visa? In general, a visa sponsorship costs approximately $4000 but may cost $8-9,000 if a company has more than fifty employees and 50% of those employees are foreign nationals.

Any US employer can sponsor an H-1B petition, provided it has an IRS Tax Number, also known as an IRS Number or Tax ID Number. This number is needed for obtaining approval of the Labor Condition Application (LCA), which is an essential preliminary to the H-1B petition itself.

The H-1B visa costs between $1,700 and $6,500. The precise amount of how much it will cost you will depend on many variables like optional fees, attorney fees, and employment criteria.

“Self-sponsored” means the application does not need to be approved or prepared by your employer. The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) at Yale recommends using a qualified immigration attorney for any self sponsored LPR application.

What is the easiest way to go to USA? ›

What Is The Easiest Way To Immigrate To The US? The easiest way to immigrate to the US is by obtaining a Green Card through the Green Card Lottery. To do this, go to the following link to the Diversity Electronic Visa Program. There are other possible routes to immigrate to the United States.

Can US companies hire foreign workers? Yes, US companies can hire foreign workers either as full-time employees or independent contractors, with the option of either working remotely in their home country or relocating to the US with the relevant labor certification and visa.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) just announced that individuals travelling to the United States on a business or tourist visa are now eligible to apply for positions and even attend interviews.

In a Nutshell

During this waiting period, you can't legally work in the United States unless you have authorization. If you want to work while you're waiting for your green card to be approved, you have to apply for a work permit using Form I-765: Application for Employment Authorization.

In general, it takes about 15 months for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process Form I-765. Previously, USCIS processed work permit applications within 5.7 months, but a growing backlog has caused additional delays.

Visa processing takes approximately 21 workdays from the date on which the application is received by the Embassy. A further 2-3 workdays should be allowed for the return of your passport.

Nonpermanent resident aliens can apply for a home loan using a work permit or other visa in their passport, and a valid Social Security number. Before applying for a mortgage, be prepared to document how long you can legally live and work in the U.S.

The most common fees for nonimmigrant work visa sponsorship are: Petition fee: $460. Application fee: $190. American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act charges: $750 to $1,500.