If you are a U.S.-based employer hiring or seeking to hire international employees, you should know that the Immigration Act of 1990 spells out five immigration categories for international workers.

An experienced Las Vegas immigration attorney can help you determine which visas you’ll need for your employees. A good immigration lawyer can also offer advice regarding compliance with the special hiring and employment regulations that impact immigrants and their employers. These are the immigration categories for international workers:

  • The EB-5 “Investor Immigrant” category is for international investors who can place a minimum investment of $500,000 into a new or ongoing U.S. business and create at least ten full-time jobs. An experienced Las Vegas immigration attorney can help developers who are seeking EB-5 investment funds.
  • The EB-4 “Special Immigrants” category is for religious employees, medical workers, former U.N. employees, and similar individuals.
  • The EB-3 “Skilled Workers, Professionals and Other Workers” category includes three subcategories. EB-3(A) status is for “professional” employeeswith a job offer in the U.S. and a U.S. bachelor’s degree or the foreign equivalent. EB-3(B) status is for “skilled” employees with job offers in the U.S. for work requiring at least two years of training or experience. EB-3(C) status is for “unskilled” workers with U.S. job offers for work requiring less than two years of experience or training.
  • The EB-2 “Professionals and Aliens of Exceptional Ability” category is for immigrants with advanced degrees or with “exceptional ability” who will boost the U.S. economy, enhance U.S. educational or cultural interests, or otherwise benefit the United States.
  • The EB-1 “Priority Workers” category is for immigrants with “extraordinary ability” in the arts, sciences, business, education, or sports, “outstanding professors and researchers,” and international executives and business managers.

If you have questions about hiring international employees in the U.S., speak at once with an experienced Las Vegas immigration attorney who can explain your options and guide you through every step of the process. If you’re hiring, understand that it takes some time to obtain employment visas, so make the call as quickly as possible.