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Doing Business Guide.
Visas - Moving People Across the Border
Visas are required for foreign companies and individuals to conduct business in the United States. Immigration laws are under constant change and legal advice is suggested. Summaries of common visas needed to do business follow:
B-1 - This is the most common category for a person initiating business activity in the United States. The B-1 allows an individual to incorporate in the U.S., acquire property, sign contracts and much more. It impedes the individual from directly managing any U.S. business or in any way receiving wages from a U.S. source, even if self-owned.
L-1 - This visa is available to individuals who own or are employees of a foreign corporation in which they have worked for at least one of the previous three years. The employer must be a U.S. corporation directly related to the foreign company. It carries a maximum approval of seven years.
E-1 - The E-1 is available to individuals from a nation that has signed a treaty of trade and commerce with the United States. It is available for an unlimited number of years and it allows the spouse and minor dependents to live and attend school in the United States.
E-2 - The E-2 is similar to the E-1 in that it allows a foreign individual or corporation to invest actively in a U.S. business and remain in the U.S. while operating it. There is no limit on the number of years.
H-1B - These are available to individuals with a four-year bachelor's degree seeking a professional position with a United States employer. The employer can be a foreign owned corporation. It is available for a maximum of six years and can lead to permanent residency.
O-Visa - These are set aside for aliens with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics, aliens assisting those aliens, and their family members.
P-Visa - This category covers those entertainers and athletes who cannot qualify under the extraordinary ability standard of the O category.
TN Visa - These are available only to citizens of Mexico and Canada. Under NAFTA a citizen of a NAFTA country may work in a professional occupation in another NAFTA country provided they meet certain specific requirements.
For more information link to the website About Nonimmigrant Visas.
Temporary and Permanent U.S. Visa Options - There are other visa options available. For additional information regarding green cards, employment visas, family visas and investor visas, and NAFTA contact US Visa Associates.