Types of US Visas

It is the world's most complex immigration system ever devised by humans and all from a country that states it has open arms to the "poor, tired and huddled masses". So a system whereby the only people who are guaranteed to benefit from the mess that now exists is already wealthy immigration attorneys, there must be something wrong.

However this is not an editorial on the merits of the process as that is left for another article. This is to explain some of the different visas and my promised secret tip on how to get your visa for usa. So below I will list some of the different types of visas and what they are best suited for and some of their side benefits.

E3 - This work visa is designed for Australian citizens only to work for a period of two years at a time and can rollover for further two increments indefinitely if the company agrees to continue to sponsor you and the consulate/embassy issues you a new visa. The benefits of this visa versus others are its own annual via quota numbers, the ability for a spouse to work and the lower cost/simple paperwork.

J1 - This visa is actually used in a variety of areas but the main areas are for the Work and Travel program (for students currently at higher education institution) allowing people to work in their summer holidays. It is also for Internships and some government sponsored high school exchange programs.

F1 - This is a student visa mainly used by college and graduate students. Compared to most student visas it is much more restrictive about allowing part time work with your studies. The most annoying thing for International students is passing all the initial requirements for enough capital to support yourself which is excessive.

H1B - This is a work visa similar to the E3 visa accept it is for all countries around the world with a fixed annual quota. It is very competitive to get given so many apply and there are greater costs associated with it as well as spouses not being able to work. However it is much easier for these visa holders to switch over and apply for a green card.

H2B - This is a visa designed for a work in more manual labor orientated situations where a bachelors or college degree is not required. It can be a great to work in the US temporarily but more often than not you may be in amusement parts or manufacturing/construction outside major cities but there are many exceptions.

Ok and now for the secret tip you have been waiting for.

When applying for jobs for the E3/H1B visas ensure you put a US phone number (and probably address) too on your resume to get far more call backs. You can get US numbers via Skype while still being at your home country.