E1 VISAS: TREATY-TRADERS

E1 VISAS: TREATY-TRADERS

By Christopher Kerosky, Esq.

Certain countries have treaties with the U.S., nationals of that country may enter the U.S. for the purpose of directing and developing the operations of the enterprise (E-2) or for the purpose of conducting trade (E-1). 

The requirements of the E1 visa are as follows:

• Citizenship of a Treaty Country.  The investor, either a person, partnership or corporate entity, must have the citizenship of a treaty country. At least 50 percent of the business must be owned by persons with the treaty country’s nationality.

·       Substantial Trade. The international trade must be substantial, meaning that there is a sizable and continuing volume of trade.

·       Trade must be between U.S. and Treaty Country. More than 50 percent of the international trade involved must be between the United States and the treaty country.

·       What is Trade? Trade means the international exchange of goods, services, and technology. Title of the trade items must pass from one party to the other.

·       Must be Executive, Manager or Essential Employee. You must be an essential employee, employed in a supervisory or executive capacity, or possess highly specialized skills essential to the efficient operation of the firm. Ordinary skilled or unskilled workers do not qualify.

Am I eligible for an E-1 visa?

You may be eligible for an E-1 visa if you are an entrepreneur, manager or employee who needs to live in the US to oversee a company that is involved in substantial and principal trade.

What can I do on an E-1 visa?

As an E-1 visa holder you can:

·       Work legally in the U.S. for the petitioning U.S. company

·       Travel freely in and out of the U.S.

·       Stay in the U.S. with unlimited two year extensions as long as you maintain E-1 status

·       Bring your dependents to the U.S.

How long can I stay in the U.S. on an E-1 visa?

Visas are typically given for two years with unlimited five year visa extensions or two year status extensions as long as you maintain E-1 status.

How does One apply for the E-1 visa?

If the applicant is outside the U.S., he or she can apply directly at the Consulate.  An application with the Immigration Service first is not necessary, as it is with some other visas. 

Can I apply for a Change of Status

If the applicant is in the U.S., he or she can apply for a change of status without leaving the U.S.

Can I bring my dependents on an E-1 visa?

Yes, you may bring your spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 years to stay along with you. They may stay in the U.S. as long as you maintain your E-2 status.

WARNING: The above is a summary discussing legal issues. It is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. We recommend that you get competent legal advice specific to your case.

H1b VISA QUOTA IS GONE; OPTIONS IF YOU’RE TOO LATE

H1b VISA QUOTA IS GONE; OPTIONS IF YOU’RE TOO LATE.

It took only five days for the yearly visa quota for the H1b professional visa to be used up this week. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced this week that it has reached the congressionally-mandated 65,000 H-1B visa cap for fiscal year 2020.

So what are your options if you or your employee have submitted your H-1b application in time?  What if you are not eligible for an H-1b visa?

This article will provide an overview of these non-immigrant visas in the U.S. based upon employment or business purposes.  Some of these options surely will not apply; but perhaps there is one or more that can provide a short-term or long-term option for you or your employee.

F-1 visa: Student visa.  Visa for an unspecified period of time while the student is enrolled full-time in an approved program of study.  This may be a good option if you were a student before applying for the H-1b and you can extend your study or go back to school.  It usually is an expensive solution as you need to study full-time and pay international student tuition.  Generally, you cannot work with this visa.

J-1 visa: Training visa.  Visa for up to 18 months while the person is enrolled in an approved program of training for a specific company.   This can be a good option for persons having completed college recently.  You obtain a work permit, but it is supposed to be “on-the-job” training only.

         B-1 visa: Business visa.  Available to persons doing business in the U.S.  It is usually valid for six months or less, but may be extended in the U.S. by simple application to the CIS.  This can be a possibility to extend your time here in order to search for business partners and contacts, as long as you adhere to the visa terms: no working, visa ends in six months or less. 

B-2 visa: Tourist visa.  It is usually valid for six months or less, but may be extended in the U.S. by application to the CIS.  This can provide a short-term solution, allowing the foreign national to stay a few months longer before returning home for touristic reasons.  Filing the extension application automatically extends one’s legal stay in the U.S. until a decision is reached.

L-1 visa: Intra-company transferee.  This is a good option for foreign nationals employed by a multi-national company doing business here.  A visa for an executive or person with specialized knowledge, sponsored by a company abroad with a related company here.  The first visa is valid for 1 year , but may be extended up to 7 years.  It provides the right to work for the sponsoring company.  Does not require that the applicant have a degree.

E visa: Treaty trader or investor visa.  This is a good option if you happen to have a “substantial” amount of money to invest in the U.S. and want to start a business here.  Requires a treaty with the country of origin of the applicant and substantial investment in the U.S. or trade with the U.S.

R-1 visa: Religious worker.  A visa for persons sponsored by a religious institution, valid for 2 years but may be extended.  A very good alternative for persons offered work by a church, synagogue, school or other religious institution.

O/P visa: Artist or entertainer.  A visa allowing artists, entertainers or athletes to stay in the U.S. for the purpose of specific performances for a specific limited period.  The government requires that they document their “outstanding” qualifications and “international acclaim”.   The standards are quite high.

Every person’s unique case must be evaluated specifically to determine which non-immigrant visa might offer the best chances for extending their legal status here.  These categories are not broad and the options are limited, but in many cases, one may find a solution if their H1b visa dreams were unfulfilled this year.

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CHRISTOPHER A. KEROSKY is a partner with Wilson Purves in the law firm of KEROSKY PURVES & BOGUE, with offices located in San Francisco, Santa Rosa, San Rafael, Ukiah, Napa, Walnut Creek, San Jose, Sacramento and Los Angeles.  Mr. Kerosky has been an attorney licensed to practice law in California for 25 years.  He is a graduate of UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall) School of Law and a former trial lawyer for the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C.  For 10 years, he has been honored as one of Northern California’s top lawyers by “Super Lawyers” www.SuperLawyers.com.  Mr. Kerosky speaks English, Spanish and Polish and has also working knowledge of Russian.

WARNING: The article above is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. We recommend that you get competent legal advice specific to your case.

VISA OPTIONS IF YOU’RE TOO LATE FOR AN H1B VISA .

As predicted, within days, the visa quota for the H1b professional visa was used up in April this year. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced this week that it has reached the congressionally-mandated 65,000 H-1B visa cap for fiscal year 2019. USCIS has also received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to meet the 20,000 visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap. 

So what are your options if you or your employee have gotten your H1b application in time?  What if you are not eligible for an H1b visa?

This article will provide an overview of these non-immigrant visas in the U.S. based upon employment or business purposes.  Some of these options surely will not apply; but perhaps there is one or more that can provide a short-term or long-term option for you or your employee.

F-1 visa: Student visa.  Visa for an unspecified period of time while the student is enrolled full-time in an approved program of study.  This may be a good option if you were a student before applying for the H1b and you can extend your study or go back to school.  It usually is an expensive solution as you need to study full-time and pay international student tuition.  Generally, you cannot work with this visa.

J-1 visa: Training visa.  Visa for up to 18 months while the person is enrolled in an approved program of training for a specific company.   This can be a good option for persons having completed college recently.  You obtain a work permit, but it is supposed to be “on-the-job” training only.

         B-1 visa: Business visa.  Available to persons doing business in the U.S.  It is usually valid for six months or less, but may be extended in the U.S. by simple application to the CIS.  This can be a possibility to extend your time here in order to search for business partners and contacts, as long as you adhere to the visa terms: no working, visa ends in six months or less. 

B-2 visa: Tourist visa.  It is usually valid for six months or less, but may be extended in the U.S. by application to the CIS.  This can provide a short-term solution, allowing the foreign national to stay a few months longer before returning home for touristic reasons.  Filing the extension application automatically extends one’s legal stay in the U.S. until a decision is reached.

L-1 visa: Intra-company transferee.  This is a good option for foreign nationals employed by a multi-national company doing business here.  A visa for an executive or person with specialized knowledge, sponsored by a company abroad with a related company here.  The first visa is valid for 1 year , but may be extended up to 7 years.  It provides the right to work for the sponsoring company.  Does not require that the applicant have a degree.

E visa: Treaty trader or investor visa.  This is a good option if you happen to have a “substantial” amount of money to invest in the U.S. and want to start a business here.  Requires a treaty with the country of origin of the applicant and substantial investment in the U.S. or trade with the U.S.

R-1 visa: Religious worker.  A visa for persons sponsored by a religious institution, valid for 2 years but may be extended.  A very good alternative for persons offered work by a church, synagogue, school or other religious institution.

O/P visa: Artist or entertainer.  A visa allowing artists, entertainers or athletes to stay in the U.S. for the purpose of specific performances for a specific limited period.  The government requires that they document their “outstanding” qualifications and “international acclaim”.   The standards are quite high.

Every person’s unique case must be evaluated specifically to determine which non-immigrant visa might offer the best chances for extending their legal status here.  These categories are not broad and the options are limited, but in many cases, one may find a solution if their H1b visa dreams were unfulfilled this year.

****************************************************************

CHRISTOPHER A. KEROSKY is a partner with Wilson Purves in the law firm of KEROSKY PURVES & BOGUE, with offices located in San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Ukiah, Napa, Walnut Creek, San Jose and Sacramento.  Mr. Kerosky has been an attorney licensed to practice law in California for 25 years.  He is a graduate of UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall) School of Law and a former trial lawyer for the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C.  For 8 years, he has been honored as one of Northern California’s top lawyers by San Francisco Magazine, “Super Lawyers” edition.  Mr. Kerosky speaks English, Spanish and Polish and has also working knowledge of Russian.

WARNING: The article above is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. We recommend that you get competent legal advice specific to your case.