Immigration
Frequently, international business firms and their employees frequently require representation in immigration matters, whether working in the US or in Brazil. Our firm can represent and assist in the filing for various work and residency visas in both the US and in Brazil.
A description of the various Visas which are available to qualified foreign nationals follows:
Immigration Visas
Immigrant visas are for foreign nationals who want to live permanently in the U.S. Nonimmigrant visas are for foreign nationals with their permanent residence outside the U.S., but who wish to be present in the U.S. on a temporary basis, i.e. for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work or study.
The U.S. laws pertaining to immigration are often a source of confusion. The procedures resulting from those laws correspond with the very precise rules regulating the criteria of eligibility. The information on this website is designed to give you a general idea about the visas which may be available.
If you wish to apply for a particular visa, and wish to consult about your particular situation, you should either contact our office by telephone to make appointment for a consultation by phone or in person or write us by e-mail.
There are two general types of U.S. visas. First are temporary visas (also called nonimmigrant visas), and second are permanent visas (also called immigrant visas). These types of visas are described below:
Temporary Visas
(a\k\a nonimmigrant visa)
The temporary visas are given to the persons who desire to remain in U.S. for a limited period of time. They correspond with different objectives of the holder such as employment, studies or the tourism. The temporary visas are identified by the letters. Depending on what type of temporary visa you will be allocated you could remain in the U.S. for a period between few months to few years. However, the activities that you could undertake in the U.S. must be limited to the strict specifications defined by the type of the visa you have obtained. Temporary visas, by their nature as temporary, necessitate that the applicant provided a proof of their intention to return to their country of origin upon the expiration of the visa. However, this condition does not apply to E, H1B or O-1 visas.
There are two types of temporary visas, K and V visas, which are not in practical terms temporary visas, because they are destined for persons who desire to settle in the U.S. The K visa, will allow you to arrive to the U.S. to rejoin a fiancé(e), your spouse or you family member provided he or she is a Lawful Permanent Resident.
The following is a listing of the various types of visas:
Work visas:
- B-1 BUSINESS VISA
- E-1 TREATY TRADERS
- E-2 TREATY INVESTORS
- E-3 SPECIALITY OCCUPATION
- H-1B SKILLED WORKERS
- H-2 TEMPORARY WORKERS
- J-1 EXCHANGE VISITORS
- L-1 EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS
- O-1 EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY
- P-1 ATHLES AND ARTISTS
- R-1 RELIGIOUS WORKERS
- TN-TRADE NAFTA
Student visas:
- F-STUDENT
- J-EXCHANGE STUDENT
The M visa is for students desiring ‘hands-on’ professional training.
Formation visas:
- H-3 PROFESSIONAL FORMATION
- M-PRACTICAL PROFESSIONAL FORMATION
Other categories of the visas:
- B-2 TOURIST
- K-FIANCE OR SPOUSE
- V-RELATIVE
Permanent Visas
Permanent visas are given to foreign nationals who desire to live permanently in the U.S. A person who obtains a permanent visa automatically obtains the status of a U.S. permanent resident. The ‘Green Card’ is the equivalent of a permanent visa. If you reside outside of the U.S., you have three options in applying for permanent residence status.
- a member of the close family is an American citizen or holder of the green card
- employment or investment
- Green Card Lottery
For the persons already present in the U.S. there are other possible options, such as request of political asylum.