Kravitz and Guerra

Genilde E. Guerra
Attorney at Law

Law Offices of Kravitz & Guerra, PA.
Immigration*Real Estate*International Corporate Law
800 Brickell Avenue, Suite 701, Miami, Florida 33131 - USA
MIAMI (+1) 305 372-0222 FAX (+1)305 372-0400

 

IMMIGRATION

Temporary Visas vs. Permanent Residence

The U.S. Immigration system divides immigration to the U.S. in two major segments: Temporary Visas and Permanent Residence petitions. Temporary visas are, well, temporary – they have a certain date in which they expire and the person has to return to his/her home country. Permanent Residence does not expire as long as the person continues living in the U.S., and can lead to U.S. citizenship in a few years.

Temporary Visas

The most common types of temporary visas to come to the U.S. are:

  • The Visa Waiver program – available to countries participating in the visa waiver program, allows its citizens to enter the U.S. without the need to apply for a visa at a U.S. consulate prior to traveling. Upon arrival, the visitor traveling without a U.S. visa will invariably receive a 90-day authorization to stay. Such stay authorization cannot be extended for any reasons. The foreign visitor will lose the right to visit the U.S. under this program if he/she overstays the 90 days or works while in this status.

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  • The Visitors visa – B1 for visitors on business, B2 for visitors on personal trips (vacation, visit family, etc.). Generally, visitors classified under the B1-business category will receive a 30-day stay unless they request a longer stay due to the length of the business they have to attend to in the U.S. The B-1 classification for visitors on business has many applications. It can be used for an employee of a foreign company to work in the U.S. (for the foreign company) for limited periods of time (widely used by multinational companies transferring employees to the U.S. for short projects or assignments). It can also be used by foreign athletes competing in the U.S., by domestic workers (nannies, maids) accompanying foreign families visiting or staying in the U.S. temporarily on business or for work-related reasons, or even by foreign domestic workers of U.S. citizen families living abroad, on vacation in the U.S.

    Visitors classified under the B-2 classification will generally receive a 6-month authorized stay. Under both classifications, it is possible to request an extension of time or request change to a new type of stay, like an employment or student stay, before expiration of the time originally authorized.

  • Employment Visas- There are many types of employment visas. The two major ones are ... read-more

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