As the largest city within Silicon Valley, San Jose is consistently ranked one of the best cities for foreign-born professionals to live and work. In fact, more than 39% of San Jose’s population are immigrants. At Alcorn Immigration Law, we work with employers and foreign-born professionals to secure corporate visas and green cards in the United States. To learn more about how we can help, consider connecting with us at +1(855) 546-0015 today.
Corporate Immigration Visas
We are proud of our reputation as the go-to law firm for corporate immigration visas, serving foreign professionals, U.S. companies, and international business communities. Our practice is client-centered: we take the time to understand your company’s needs to deliver a strategy that honors your vision. Some of the most common corporate visas and cards we have secured for our clients include:
- For employees seeking to work in the United States, the H-1B visa is a common choice. This visa is designed for highly skilled workers in specialty occupations, allowing employers to sponsor foreign nationals for employment in the United States.
- The O-1A visa is reserved for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement in their field, making it suitable for employees with exceptional skills or talents.
- L-1 visas allow multinational companies to transfer employees from an affiliated foreign office to a branch, subsidiary, or affiliate in the United States. This visa category facilitates the temporary transfer of employees with managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge roles.
- Under the North American Free Trade Agreement and the USMCA, the TN visa allows citizens of Canada and Mexico to work in the United States in specific professional occupations.
- The E-3 visa is exclusively for Australian professionals seeking employment in the United States in specialty occupations.
- Singaporean and Chilean employees can leverage the H1-B1 visa, which allows professionals with these citizenships to work temporarily in the United States.
- Employers exploring treaty trader, treaty investor, or exchange visitor opportunities for their employees can pursue additional visas like the E-1 trade, E-2 investment, and J-1 researcher visas.
- Attaining permanent residence status in the United States is a significant milestone for foreign employees. Through categories like EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability), EB-1B (Outstanding Researcher or Professor), EB-1C (Multinational Manager or Executive), PERM and EB-2 (National Interest Waiver), employees can secure permanent residency.
How Can Foreign Nationals Obtain Permission to Work in the United States?
The United States immigration system establishes two avenues for people interested in spending a great deal of time living and working in the country: nonimmigrant visas and permanent residence. While a visa allows a foreign national to remain in the country for a finite amount of time, permanent residence allows the individual to live in the U.S. permanently. While both types of entry can allow a foreign national to work in the United States, it is important to pursue a visa in the right established eligibility category depending on the experience, background, and goals of the professional.
How Can an Employer Help an Employee Get a Green Card?
To obtain an employer-sponsored green card, companies need to follow a structured process that involves several key steps:
Step 1: Determine Eligibility for Sponsorship
The initial step in securing an employer-sponsored green card is to assess the employee’s eligibility for sponsorship. Employers must evaluate criteria such as the nature of the employee’s role, the duration of their employment, and whether the position aligns with the company’s sponsorship policies.
Step 2: Confirm Employer Sponsorship Availability
Employers should verify their willingness and capacity to sponsor an employee for a green card. This involves confirming that the company is prepared to fulfill any financial obligations associated with the sponsorship and that the employee’s role meets the specified criteria for sponsorship.
Step 3: Select the Appropriate Green Card Category
Employers and employees must identify the most suitable green card category based on the employee’s qualifications and the company’s needs. Selecting the appropriate category is crucial, as it determines the specific requirements and steps involved in the application process.
Step 4: Initiate the PERM Labor Certification Process
For many green card categories, the employer is required to obtain a Labor Certification (PERM) from the Department of Labor. This process involves demonstrating that there is a shortage of U.S. workers who are qualified and available to work in the role, requiring a wider scope of recruitment efforts.
Step 5: File the Form I-140 Petition
Once the PERM is certified, employers can proceed to file the Form I-140 Petition for Alien Workers with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This petition serves as an official request to classify the employee under a specific employment-based immigrant category.
Legal Launch™
We are no strangers to guiding large corporate entities, human resources managers, and emerging companies through the complex and dynamic U.S. immigration system. To help streamline application procedures and quickly determine whether applicants meet the required immigration criteria, we created Legal Launch with Alcorn. With this four-week assessment program, you can move forward with securing the fastest immigrant visas and green cards for your employees with confidence and clarity.
How to Choose the Best Immigration Attorneys for Your Business
Investing resources in identifying the right immigration attorney for your company helps ensure compliance and mitigates errors in filings. The right attorney will serve as a trusted advisor to your business and safeguard your interests when challenging immigration and compliance concerns arise.
First, source attorneys who have experience handling immigration cases for founders, startups, and corporate organizations. Next, ensure that the attorney is responsive, puts your interests first, and has a demonstrated record of success in handling similar issues. This background is key to successfully overcoming your company’s immigration challenges.
The Alcorn Method
Alcorn Immigration Law was founded by Sophie Alcorn, a Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law by the State Bar of California and best-selling author of Ask Sophie™: The Founder’s Guide to Visas & Green Cards. This rich experience translates into the Alcorn Method, our proven four-step process to secure consistent approvals for our clients across a range of immigration cases:
- Strategize a proactive solution that optimizes the long-term success and growth of your company.
- Prepare the strongest case possible to enhance your chance of approval.
- File all forms and application materials according to the stringent requirements of USCIS or the State Department.
- Win. After helping thousands of companies secure corporate immigration visas for their founding members and key personnel, we have celebrated countless successful outcomes.
Immigration Resources for Companies
Whether your company is in the initial stages of recruiting global talent or has already identified qualified candidates to join your team in the U.S., our immigration resources for companies serve as a good starting point to determine your next steps and identify potential pitfalls down the line:
- Ask Sophie™ as seen in TechCrunch
- The Sophie Alcorn Podcast
- Order the Book
- Register for Events
- Alcorn Academy
- Legal Launch
Accomplish, Together
We handle immigration concerns strategically and efficiently for the companies we serve. Your approval is our focus. To connect with our team of experienced corporate immigration attorneys in San Jose, CA, contact Alcorn Immigration Law at +1(855) 546-0015 today.
