
A US visa or employment sponsorship means that the employer in the US is hiring you. They are guaranteeing to the US visa authorities that you will be a legal working resident. The employer will state that you will work the job position they hired you for.
Does an employer have to sponsor a work visa?
These visas are temporary and must be renewed regularly. Visa sponsorship means an employer is willing to obtain a work visa for highly-qualified candidates who live outside the United States. It’s not a simple process for employers. They must prove that they were unable to fill their vacancies with qualified American workers for sponsoring a visa.
What does it mean to require a sponsorship for employment?
“ Employment sponsorship ” is when an employer “sponsors” or provides some financial or legal backing to enable an individual to do something: most commonly, obtain an employment visa. Sometimes this means if there is somebody you really don’t want to sponsor, he or she might be just the person you need to sponsor.
Will you require visa sponsorship?
Even within the US work visas, for very short seasonal work you might not need a sponsorship. But you must keep in mind that most employment offers in the US will need a visa sponsorship. The US visas have groups of nonimmigrant and immigrant visas. Below are the ones that need employment sponsorships. Nonimmigrant Visas Employment Sponsorship
What are the requirements for sponsorship?
- Your details, including your name and address
- Proof of citizenship or lawful permanent resident status
- Information about the person you are sponsoring
- Your employment and financial information, including your financial assets and income
- Your dependents (household members) and your marital status

Who needs sponsorship for employment visa status?
Skilled Workers, Professionals and Unskilled Workers Skilled workers – individuals with at least 2 years of training or work experience (excluding temporary or seasonal work) Professionals – individuals whose occupation requires at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited university, college, or foreign equivalent.
How do you get sponsorship for a work visa?
How to Sponsor an Individual for an H-1B VisaStep 1: Review the Job Description to Ensure It Qualifies as a Specialty Occupation. ... Step 2: Determine the Rate of Pay for the Position. ... Step 3: Notify the U.S. Workforce. ... Step 4: Submit Labor Condition Application (LCA/Form 9035/9035E) to the DOL for Certification.More items...
How much is a visa sponsorship?
Petitioning for foreign workers in the H-1B and permanent employment-based visa sponsorship processes can be an expensive. Sponsoring a nonimmigrant employee for the H-1B can cost anywhere between $1,250 to $4,500 in filing fees alone, not including fees paid to attorneys to facilitate the process.
How much does it cost to sponsor an employee?
In general, a visa sponsorship costs approximately $4000 but may cost $8-9,000 if a company has more than fifty employees and 50% of those employees are foreign nationals....How Much Does It Cost to Sponsor a Visa?Visa/FormCostFraud Prevention and Detection Fee$5004 more rows•Mar 16, 2022
How can I get a sponsor to work in USA?
Options to Find an H-1B Visa SponsorshipLook for employers who also sponsor H1B for open job offers.Search H-1B Visa Sponsors Database.Find an Internship, and eventually progress to an H-1B visa.Contact Boutique IT Consulting Companies in the USA or in your country of residence.More items...•
Can I get a US work visa without sponsorship?
Yes, it is possible to obtain a work visa without sponsorship from an employer in the United States. There are three types of visas that allow this, and they are known as EB-1, O-1, and EB-5. An immigration attorney can help with obtaining one of these visas.
How can an employer sponsor a foreign worker in US?
Under certain conditions, U.S. immigration law may allow a U.S. employer to file a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on behalf of a prospective foreign national employee.
Who can sponsor work visa in UK?
Who can get a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK? Any foreigner who has the required skills, qualification and experience to do a job in either Tier 2 or Tier 5 of the point-based system, is eligible to get a sponsor employer in the UK.
What Does a Visa Sponsorship Mean
A visa sponsorship means that a person or entity (a sponsor) is taking responsibility for you and your actions during your stay in that country.
Who Needs a Visa Sponsorship?
Depending on the country and purpose of your visit, you may or may not need a visa sponsorship.
Necessary Documents for a Visa Sponsorship
The process of providing a visa sponsorship depends on the individual country and its visa policy.
What is a US Visa Sponsorship?
The company you plan to work for must know that you are not a US citizen or Legal Permanent Resident (LPR). If the employer is aware and still wants to hire you, then they agree to sponsor you.
What does it mean to sponsor an employer?
If the employer is aware and still wants to hire you, then they agree to sponsor you. A US visa or employment sponsorship means that the employer in the US is hiring you. They are guaranteeing to the US visa authorities that you will be a legal working resident. The employer will state that you will work the job position they hired you for.
How Do I Get a Sponsor Letter for US Visa?
As explained, getting a sponsorship employment visa requires you to have an offer from a US employer. The US employer must send you a contract to sign, which will then be part of the sponsorship documents.
How Long is the Sponsor visa USA valid?
Once you go to the US, you can start working. But if you have a nonimmigrant work visa, then its validity is temporary. This means that after some time, it will expire.
How much does the sponsor visa cost?
Especially to the US employer who has to pay most of the fees. Depending on the visa, it might cost up to a few thousand dollars to sponsor a foreign employee. Because it is so expensive, employers are reluctant to do it.
What is a nonimmigrant visa?
Nonimmigrant Visas Employment Sponsorship. US nonimmigrant visas are for temporary stays in the country. They are not Green Cards and do not give the right to their holders to become US citizens. There are many types of US nonimmigrant visas, but some of the most popular are the employment ones.
How long is a non-immigrant visa valid?
How long the nonimmigrant work visa is valid depends on the type of visa you have. Some like the H-1B visa are valid for 3 years, while others could only be valid for 1 year. So you must check the details of your visa to not overstay. When the time comes for your visa to expire, some can get extensions.
What is an employment visa?
Employment visas allow a foreign national to work in the U.S. for a temporary period of time. This usually involves sponsorship for employment visa status by U.S. employer to relocate the worker to the U.S. for a short period of time for work. Employment visas are sometimes called work visas or work permits. There are usually quotas ...
What If the Employee’s Sponsor goes out of Business?
A requirement for all work visas is that the foreign national be employed at all times by their sponsoring employer.
What Are the Different Types of Employment Visas?
These are based on the type of employment, the nature of the employee/employer relationship, and various other factors . There are many classes of employment sponsorship visas, but some of the most common ones include:
What is the requirement for a work visa?
A requirement for all work visas is that the foreign national be employed at all times by their sponsoring employer. If the employer becomes incapacitated, or the company goes out of business, the employee will lose their work qualifications and their visa may be suspended.
What is visa sponsoring?
Visa Sponsorship is a set of documents which states and guarantees working status and job profile within the United States. Ideally, if you are looking to relocate to the US, you would need to find a job, and the employer, in turn, has to be willing to hire a non-resident employee for the particular job profile.
Who Can Sponsor a Visa?
Ideally, getting a Visa sponsorship is possible only when you have a working job offer in your name from a US company. In other terms, the employer would sponsor the Visa and submit related documents on your behalf. But they can make the sponsorship only in certain situations.
What happens if a visa is approved?
At this point in time, the employee can start the actual Visa application process in their home country, with the US Embassy.
How long does a sponsor visa last?
For instance, if you opt for an Immigrant Visa, it is a permanent solution. This effectively means you are a Green Card holder with a validity of 10 years, followed by unlimited extensions. You can also apply for permanent citizenship after five years of your stay in the United States.
How long does it take for a visa to be approved?
This takes some time, depending upon the total number of pending cases with the USCIS. Sometimes, it takes months for the application to be processed.
How much does a visa sponsorship cost?
In general, a visa sponsorship costs approximately $4000 but may cost $8-9,000 if a company has more than fifty employees and 50% of those employees are foreign nationals.
Can a non-immigrant sponsor a green card?
This is valid for individuals who are only temporarily moving to the country. This means Non-immigrant visa holders are not eligible for Green Cards, indicating that the Visa does not qualify for US citizenship later.
What is an employee sponsor?
An employee sponsor is typically someone in upper-level management or executive professional within an organization who financially supports an employee from another country. The financial backing employers provide to sponsor foreign employees is usually assistance with getting a work visa so an employee can temporarily work for the hiring company.
Types of work visas
There are several types of work visas that support employee sponsorship, and the specific work visa that your organization needs can depend on the type of job you hire foreign talent to perform. Work visas fall into two categories: non-immigrant and permanent work visas.
Who is eligible for work visas and sponsorship of employment?
Foreign employees seeking sponsorship through temporary work visas must meet several eligibility requirements specific to the type of visa they're applying for. Essentially, temporary work visas are available to candidates whose work belongs in one of the following categories:
How to sponsor an employee
If you're pursuing an employee sponsorship program, the following steps can provide some insight into the steps you can expect to take in the process:
Benefits of employee sponsorship programs
Sponsoring a foreign employee can be extremely beneficial for an organization, so if your leadership role gives you the ability to find and sponsor highly qualified candidates from other countries, consider some reasons why many specialized industries may sponsor foreign employees:
How to apply for an immigrant visa?
To be considered for an immigrant visa under some of the employment-based categories below, the applicant's prospective employer or agent must first obtain a labor certification approval from the Department of Labor. Once received (if required), the employer then files an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the appropriate employment-based preference category. (NOTE: Persons with extraordinary abilities in the Employment First preference category are able to file their own petitions.) When filing the Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, see the detailed form instructions, as well as more detailed requirements information on the USCIS Permanent Workers webpage.
Where does the NVC send the visa application?
NVC then sends the file, containing the applicant’s petition and the documents listed above, to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where the applicant will be interviewed for a visa. The applicant, attorney, and third-party agent, if applicable, will receive appointment emails, or letters (if no email address is available), containing the date and time of the applicant's visa interview along with instructions, including guidance for obtaining a medical examination.
How long do you have to wait to get an immigration visa?
Immigrant visas cannot be issued until an applicant's priority date is reached. In certain heavily oversubscribed categories, there may be a waiting period of several years before a priority date is reached. Check the Visa Bulletin for the latest priority dates.
What form do I need to file for an alien worker?
The prospective employer must provide a job offer and file an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, with the USCIS.
Can you get a visa if you are misrepresenting a fact?
Attempting to obtain a visa by the willful misrepresentation of a material fact or fraud may result in you becoming permanently ineligible to receive a U.S. visa or enter the United States.
Do you need a labor certification for special immigrants?
Labor certification is not required for any of the Certain Special Immigrants subgroups. Special Immigrants receive 7.1 percent of the yearly worldwide limit of employment-based immigrant visas.
Can My Family Members also Receive Immigrant Visas?
Based on your approved petition, your spouse and minor unmarried children, younger than 21, may apply for immigrant visas with you. Like you, they must also fill out required application forms, obtain required civil documents, pay the required fees, and undergo medical examinations. Same-sex spouses of U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), along with their minor children, are now eligible for the same immigration benefits as opposite-sex spouses. Consular officers at U.S. Embassies and Consulates will adjudicate their immigrant visa applications upon receipt of an approved I-130 or I-140 petition from USCIS. For further information, please see our FAQ’s.
What Is Employment Sponsorship?
To do this, they will need to find the right candidate and then fill out the proper paperwork and pay the fees necessary to obtain a visa. Because foreign workers seeking employment in the U.S. cannot apply for a visa themselves and an employer must do it for them, the process is called employment sponsorship.
How to get a work visa for a foreigner?
The process begins by first finding an employer willing to hire her for a particular position, as the employee cannot apply directly to the government for a work visa. The employer will then petition for an employment visa, also called a "work permit" or "work visa." Companies seeking to hire immigrant workers will need to choose the right type of visa for the position and then file the appropriate paperwork and fees, generally with the help of an immigration attorney. The process can be long and expensive and the limited number of employment visas available means that many of those who apply and qualify will not be approved.
Why do employers hire non-US workers?
workers, particularly through the H-1B or H-2A visa programs, is that it allows employers to fill roles for which there are not enough U.S. workers able or willing to do a particular job. In the H-1B cases, this may mean that there are not enough skilled workers available in a highly technical field, and in the H-2A cases it may mean that Americans are unwilling to do low-paying work in the agricultural industry. Either way, bringing in employees from outside the country allows an employer to tap a whole new set of workers willing and able to get the job done.
What degree do you need to get a visa?
For an employee to obtain one of these visas, he must have at least a bachelor's degree or some level of equivalent experience in their field (the employee will have a higher chance of being accepted in the visa lottery if he has a master's degree or above, though).
Why is it important to hire immigrants?
Aside from the obvious necessity to get workers from outside the country if there are not enough available inside of it, hiring immigrants can also bring new perspectives to a company, which can be particularly beneficial to companies in creative industries. Simply having someone with a different background can help spark creativity among all employees as ideas are bounced back and forth between employees.
Why do we need H-2A visas?
H-2A: The American agricultural industry often requires foreign workers to aid in seasonal harvests because there are too few native workers to fill these roles. That's where these visas, designed specifically for temporary agricultural workers, come in.
Is it bad to hire immigrant workers?
Of course, there are always downsides to hiring immigrant laborers as well, aside from the substantial cost of the visa application process. For example, while some people see it as a benefit working with many people from many different cultures, it can also cause problems even with those who consider themselves to be fairly open-minded. That's because people with similar cultural backgrounds know the acceptable social norms for behavior among coworkers. It can be easy for people from different cultures to accidentally offend one another.