Employment immigration is very important to both the businesses and the workers themselves. It gives businesses a chance to seek high-level employees in any part of the world—not just the United States—and it gives those workers a chance to relocate and seek new job opportunities.
Some employees are given a first preference (E1) and considered to be priority workers. There are three different groups to consider when using this classification.
Managers and executives
To start with, the E1 designation may be given to a manager or an executive who has already been working for the U.S. employer in another location. They need to have held this position for at least one of the three previous years. For instance, they could be an executive in their home country and are being transferred to the United States to take a job in the home office.
Researchers and professors
Similarly, the government looks for those with three years of experience in either research or teaching as professors. There needs to be some level of international recognition within their field. Universities and institutions of higher learning may want to bring these individuals to the United States, either to teach students at the university or to do research on its behalf.
Extraordinary ability
Finally, this designation can be given to any employee who has an “extraordinary ability” in athletics, business, education, arts or the sciences. They need to show documentation to back this up, demonstrating that they have been recognized for their expertise or excellence. These applicants may not even have standing job offers, but the individuals know that their skills are marketable in the U.S. and want to immigrate to look for jobs.
Navigating this process can be complex, so it’s important for those involved to know what legal options they have.
