Engineering: Professional Worker Visas and Immigration Law
Engineers are professionals with extraordinary ability trained to work in a broad range of industries including the oil and gas industries, technology, aerospace, telecommunications, construction and city planning. Whether you are an engineer seeking an opportunity in the United States or you are a business owner seeking to invest in the talents of an overseas engineer, it is important to understand your rights, options, and alternatives under immigration law. At Ilagan & Associates, P.C., our attorneys understand that your employees are an invaluable asset when building a business in any industry. We work to get the assistance you need, compliant with immigration laws.
Our attorneys will protect your rights, prevent delay, and handle all aspects of your immigration matter. Call 713-888-0811 (or toll-free at 866-664-2603) or contact us by e-mail for an initial consultation or case evaluation.
Professional worker visas under immigration law
Our firm offers experienced, strategic advocacy to business owners interested in recruiting engineering professionals from overseas. We represent small to medium-sized companies in need of immigration assistance while bringing employees from all engineering disciplines. Throughout the Houston, Galveston and the South Texas region, as well as nationwide, our firm handles all aspects of immigration on behalf of companies hiring engineers involved in the oil and gas industries, aerospace, telecommunications and construction.
While the immigration laws and regulations limit eligibility for employment of foreign employees, there are options for businesses and workers. We will help employers follow legal processes to hire temporary or permanent professional engineers.
H-1B Visas and Other Temporary Employment Visas for Engineers
Every employer seeking an H-1B visa has several responsibilities. The employer must submit a completed Labor Condition Application (LCA), which attests to the wages, working conditions, and benefits provided to the H-1B employee. Our firm understands the importance of completing this process in a timely manner to secure professional engineering employees for your business.
There are other temporary visa options for engineers. Canadian and Mexican engineers can apply for TN work visas. Australian engineers are eligible for E-3 professional visas. Certain engineers can qualify for L-1A executive/manager or L-1B specialized knowledge visas and be transferred to a U.S. company from a foreign related company. As your attorneys, you can trust that we will explore every alternative to accomplish your objectives.
Labor Certification Process and Permanent Residence
There is generally a three-step process to sponsor a foreign national engineer for permanent residence: labor certification, the I-140 immigrant visa petition, and application for adjustment of status to permanent residence (to obtain a green card). Labor certification is the process by which the U.S. Department of Labor makes a determination that no U.S. workers can be found who are qualified, able, willing and available to fill the position that the employer intends to provide to the foreign national for whom the labor certification application is filed; and the foreign national's employment will not "adversely affect" the wages and working conditions of similarly situated U.S. workers. A test of the market must show that there is an insufficient number of U.S. workers available who are interested in taking the job.
We can explore options to bypass labor certification for certain highly qualified engineers and, if necessary, help you through the entire labor certification process.
Please call 713-888-0811 (or toll-free at 866-664-2603) or e-mail our office to schedule an initial consultation or case evaluation with an experienced professional worker visas and business lawyer serving Harris County, Houston, Texas, and nationwide.
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