H-2B Visa “Seasonal Workers”

Visa for qualified workers

There are many people out of many different professions who wish to temporarily work in the US. In general, US authorities are more interested in higher qualified foreign workers – with the objective of securing the highest qualified workers worldwide for their own country.

However, people who do not have a college or higher academic degree are still granted the option of obtaining a work visa.

Still, applying for the H-2B visa is significantly more difficult than applying for a work visa with a higher qualification. First of all, similar to the H-1B cap, the H-2B visa has a cap also (i.e. only a limited number can be issued every year). Furthermore, US law requires a labor certification, which means the US labor market has to be checked first for able and willing US workers to fill the position.

Do I need a job offer from a US company?

What qualifications does the foreign worker need?

What requirements does the job offer from the US have to meet?

How does the labor certification process work?

How does the rest of the application process work?

If I am already in the US, can I still change to the H-2B status?

Is there a cap on H-2B visas?

What are the application deadlines?

For how long is the H-2B visa valid?

Can I change my status to another visa category?

What type of visa do accompanying family members get?