People who wish to obtain a US visa for a short period of time, especially those whose country of residence is not a participant in the USA waiver scheme, are advised to apply for a B1 business visa or submit a B2 travel visa application. A B1 business visa permits a candidate to enter the country for a maximum duration of six months, while a B2 travel visa allows a foreigner to travel to the USA temporarily, for the purpose of tourism or to visit family and friends.

If a person wishes to stay in the country for a longer period of time, for example to live and work, he or she must apply for an L1 visa, H1-B visa or another non-immigrant visa. The US L1 visa application requires a confirmed employment offer from a US company, while the US H1-B visa permits an employer in the USA to recruit foreign employees for specialty jobs, for periods of up to six years.

For anyone intending to live in the USA permanently, some of the routes available are based on family ties, employment and the annual “Green Card Lottery.”

For workers with “exceptional” ability, the employment-based routes for Green Cards via the EB-1 visa and EB-2 visa services will allow them to immigrate to the country.

The EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5 visas are designed to permit qualified individuals to apply for permanent residency in the country through employment opportunities.

A person may also apply for a Green Card if he has a family member living in the USA; this includes siblings, parents, spouse or fiancé. In addition, the annual Green Card lottery aims to allow worthy candidates from under-represented countries to live and work in the USA.

If employment demand is suffering badly from the evil effects of global recession in the UK, the US, however seems to be experiencing twice the pain. Statistics, recently released, show that around 2,800 mass layoffs occurred during February, leaving almost 300,000 workers unemployed.

On average, each mass layoff resulted in around 50 workers losing their jobs. Reports also show that the manufacturing sector has been experiencing the most pain, with almost 1,300 layoffs, resulting in an estimated 153,000 unemployed workers. In the following month, layoffs increased even more, by roughly 500, increasing to over 200,000 unemployed. From December 2007, which is widely accepted as being the start of the recession and for 15 months after, to sometime in February 2009, layoff figures reached an estimated 30,000, resulting in around 3,000,000 workers becoming unemployed. The unemployment rate for the month of February 2009 was 8.1%, compared to the preceding month’s 7.6% and the previous year’s 4.8%.

February’s mass layoffs gave the western region of the country the top position for the highest number of unemployed, with 65, 792 layoffs. Next in the list was the mid-west region with 64,943 lay offs; third was the southern region with 55,542 layoffs and finally the northeast region with 32,131 layoffs.

On a more positive note, skilled professionals with special abilities are still in great demand and will be considered for visas to America, even in the midst of the recession.

The rules and regulations concerning US immigration are quite strict and differ quite substantially from the UK’s immigration laws. If you don’t follow the guidelines properly, you will run the risk of having your visa application denied. No matter which visa you are applying for you will need to fill out a form giving your basic details, such as name, address, birth date, etc., as well as more information regarding your work history, disabilities or any criminal convictions you may have.

Once you have decided on the visa you wish to apply for, you will then be asked to provide documents and evidence to back up your application. For example, if you are applying for an H-1 Visa (as a skilled migrant worker) you will need to produce a detailed report of your career achievements and qualifications.

When you have gathered all the necessary documents for your application, you will then be requested to apply for an interview at the US Embassy. This is when you will provide the documentation supporting your application and also be questioned on what you plan to do in the US, where you will live and your reasons for applying for an immigration visa. There is also a fee for applying for a US visa, so it is worth contacting the US Embassy for the latest rates. Once you have completed your interview it will take an average of four to eight weeks to receive a decision, depending on the type of visa you have applied for.

There are two main types of US visa that anyone wishing to travel to the United States can apply for. A non-immigrant visa is for short visits, such as tourism, business and study reasons and an immigrant visa is for those who are looking to move to the country permanently.

US visas were issued to over 6 million foreign nationals last year, for a wide variety of reasons. There are huge economic incentives to travel to America, which is the epicentre of world capitalism. The country also presents the biggest opportunity for work and is a place in which it is possible to live in relative safety.

However, the thing that everyone should not forget about a US visa is that it is entirely a form of permission. The final decision on whether or not you will be granted permanent permission to stay in the United States of America will only be taken at the immigration office through which you try to gain access. The US visa acts simply as a pass card to get you to the point at which you will be subjected to a strict set of regulations, questions and investigations before being admitted.

Applicants for visas have to provide proof of the nature of their visit, the length of their stay and their intent to leave. If a single one of these cannot be proven to the satisfaction of the immigration officer, it is very likely that you will not be granted entry.

Immigration into the United States of America as a US medical professional or for the purposes of pursuing a career in the medical field can be attained through the visa application process. Those US medical professionals who wish to migrate into the country on a temporary basis are allowed to apply and acquire a J-1 visa. This is a non-immigrant and multi-purpose visa service that is commonly used by au pairs, students and persons entering into the United States to take part in training schemes or for various cultural programs like exchange programs.

For US medical professionals entering into America for a long-term basis, these immigrants may use the H-1B visa whilst the professional non-resident wishing to migrate to the United States permanently can apply for a permanent resident card to obtain legal permanent residency. This card, for the US medical professional as well as everyone else, is more commonly called the US green card.

The benefits of being a US medical professional and having the J-1 visa are many. The US medical professional holding this visa is allowed to transfer into the United States to pursue training or observe or conduct research or teach. The J-1s, being non-immigrant visas, bypass some of the requirements for the H1-B long-term visa. However, to be considered for this visa, candidates have to have successfully met some requirements.

The US medical professional wishing to hold the H1-B visa can begin the process together with the process of obtaining the US green card. Permanent residency in the United States presents a wealth of opportunities for successful candidates.

American or US immigration – travelling into the United States of America – refers to the movement or migration of non-residents to the United States of America. Throughout most of United States’ history, US immigration has contributed to the cultural change and population growth of the country.

The social, political, and economic aspects of US immigration have been a source of controversy as regards religion, job trends and growth, ethnicity, settlement models, economic gains, effect on social movement, nationalities, moral vices and values, political biases, work patterns and habits, and heights of criminality. In 2006, legal US immigration was the highest in the world. The United States accepted a total of 37.5 million immigrants as permanent residents.

Whilst the influx of immigrants and new residents coming from different cultures creates challenges, the United States continually encourages this and the government is always energised by the immigrant population. In 1998, the then US president Bill Clinton, whilst delivering the commencement address from Portland University, expressed support to US immigration, which includes immigrants coming from Latin America and Asia. He stated that America has time and again drawn spirit and strength from wave upon wave of non-residents and that the influx of immigrants has constantly proved that they are the more industrious, adventurous, restless and innovative people.

On the flip side, illegal US immigration is always expensive, dangerous, and difficult, especially across the Mexico-United States border. International travel by jet has made legal US immigration easy, and the new and legal American citizens enjoy much from their new home in America.

If you want to gain entry into the Unites States of America for immigration purposes then you should do it the right way.  Applying for an immigration visa is a complicated procedure.  It involves a lot of paperwork and requirements.  The only way to be successful is to make certain you are diligent in sticking to all of the requests.  When applying to immigrate to the United States there are no short cuts for anyone.  Immigration applications could take a long time before you receive an answer.  Of course everyone wants a positive outcome, and for this reason you must not be taken in by immigration services offered by people pretending to know the immigration law of the US.  Some go so far as to pretend they are accredited representatives.

It is your right to make use of a legal representative when making an application with the USCIS.  But the representative must be from an organisation that is recognised.   If you use a representative in the United States that person must be accredited in order to gain access on your behalf from the USCIS.  If you use a representative for your application outside the borders of the United States that person must be recognised as a legal representative in that country.  Any other person is not allowed to represent you to the USCIS.  It is permissible for an applicant to get legal advice about immigration for a reduced fee if the applicant cannot afford to pay what is required.

Many students wish to go and study in the United States of America.  There are some specific regulations in this regard.  The subject of student visas falls under the Immigration and Nationality Act.  For those who wish to pursue an academic curriculum they will have to understand and apply for the US-F1 Academic Student Visa.  If you are a ‘non-immigrant’ then the F visa is for you.  This is the visa that is used for academic studies.  For those wanting to take part in language programmes then the F visa will also apply.  There are certain criteria that must be met in order for any foreign student to enter the country in order to study.

The first requirement is that a foreign student is properly enrolled in a programme that is for the purpose of academic or language training.  It must be at an institution that has been permitted to accept non-immigrant students.  This can only be done by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.  The foreign student must enrol in a course that is full time.  Part time students are not eligible.  The student is expected to have some proficiency in the English language.  If not, the student must be registered in a training programme to become proficient in English.  Having sufficient finances during the whole study period is a prerequisite.  While studying in the United States the foreign student must have a home abroad that he or she wants to keep.  In other words, the foreign student must have a home outside the United States that he or she plans to return to.

There are many types of visas for which you can apply.  One of the little known types is the Investor Visa.  The Investor Visa is a visa that is provided by the United States for an individual that makes a qualifying investment. The Investor Visa is a programme that was established in 1990.  The Investor Visa has two programmes – one with a requirement of a one million-dollar investment and one with a half-million investment price as well as providing ten new work positions of employment in the US for either programme.  This can be through establishment of a new business or by purchasing and expanding a current one. The Investor Visa process is very strictly regimented by the USCIS (”US Citizenship and Immigration Services”). 

The Investor Visa not only ensures employment for the person who is submitting for the visa but at the same time allows for additional employment opportunities for others.  This creation of jobs is a boost to the economy.  Getting an Investor Visa provides permanent residency for the applicant and immediate family. There are 10,000 available Investors’ Visas per year.  To apply for an Investor Visa you must petition by filing a form called “Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur”.  You will also need to submit the necessary supporting documentation to show your business as well as financial summary and assets.  The application for an investor Visa is reviewed by the USCIS.  Each application for an Investor Visa is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  Anyone interested in applying for an Investor Visa should review the information online.

Students from all over the world who have gained acceptance to any US learning institution need to acquire a visa before they can embark on their quest for knowledge. There are various visas tailored for such purposes. There are three student visas which can be awarded to such students. These are US F-1 student visa, the M1 visa and the J1.

All the visas mentioned above are meant for students entering the United States for educational reasons.  The visas are defined as non-immigrant and are usually time bonded.

Although the F-1 visa, the M1 and the J1 visa are all meant for students, they differ greatly in terms of their specifics. The US F-1academic student visa is issued to those students joining well-recognised colleges and universities in the United States on a full time basis.

What this means is that one cannot engage in employment while holding a US F-1 academic student visa. The M1 visa is issued to those attending vocational training institutions while the J1 visa is issued to student on academic exchange programmes.

It is possible to convert from a US F-1 academic student visa to a H1-B visa. The conversion makes it possible for the student to be able to engage in employment. To convert to a H1-B visa status you need a sponsor in the form of an employer. If the conversion process is successful, then you can work for the sponsoring employer.

Although the US F-1 academic student visa is for students, the screening process for obtaining the visa is just as rigorous and thorough as any other type of visa application process. Regardless of whether one has been invited to the learning institution by virtue of a scholarship, several provisions need to be met before a US F-1 academic student visa can be awarded.