U.S. Visa Application
An H1B visa requires sponsorship by a US based employer. Foreign nationals cannot apply by themselves for this type of visa, a US employer must petition for their entry. The application date can be as long as six months before the actual start of employment based on the US fiscal year.

H1B Requirements
The H1B visa is designed for workers in specialty occupations or professions that entail expertise or specialised knowledge. The minimum requirement is normally a job-relevant tertiary education, equivalent to a 4-year US Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent of a three-year course plus three years of relevant work experience. Undergraduates can qualify for a H1B visa if they have at least 12 years of relevant work experience. Professional practitioners are required to pass the licensure exams mandated by the government.

Duration of Stay
H1B holders can work in the USA for a maximum of three years during their first term. This visa can then be renewed for up to two years and for one further year thereafter. When the six-year maximum residency ends, H1B workers must leave the USA and wait for one year before applying for another visa.

Rights of H1B Workers
Should an H1B worker be dismissed prior to the expiration of his visa, the sponsoring employer is liable for the expenses he incurs in returning to his previous foreign residence.

You can normally get visas through your travel agents, but don’t rely on them to get it sorted, we would ask them about visa requirements when your booking.

We have heard story’s about family’s getting to the airport and not having visas for say Cuba, sometimes the visas can be issued at the airport.

We have found a Travel blog which covers a couple of popular destinations, such as Belfast, Cairo and Amman.

In June, President Bema announced that in three months, “USCIS will launch a vastly improved website that will, for the first time ever, allow applicants to get updates on the status of their applications via e-mail and text message and online…This is going to save [families] huge amounts of time standing in line, waiting around, making phone calls, being put on hold. It’s an example of some things that we can do administratively even as we’re working through difficult issues surrounding comprehensive immigration. We’re going to leverage cutting-edge technology to reduce the unnecessary paperwork, backlogs and the lack of transparency that’s caused so many people so much heartache.”

Anyone who has ever tried to navigate through the confusing pages of the old immigration website, is sure to be hopeful that these improvements will finally help in the processing of their applications.

The number of H-1B “specialty worker” visas has been updated by the USCIS for the fiscal year 2010. According to the service, on 26th June 2009, an estimated 44,800 H-1B cap-subject petitions and 20,000 advanced degree cap exemption petitions, the annual cap is 65,000, were received.

The type of visa required depends on the country of residence of the traveller. Some countries are required to have their citizens obtain a direct air transit visa when visiting the United Kingdom.

Visitor visas enable their holders to stay in the country for six months. This includes business trips and medical treatment.

There is a points system in place to obtain a UK visa. The most talented applicants are considered for Tier 1 and British companies may sponsor foreign workers.

Anyone with capital, who wishes to invest in the country, can apply for an Entrepreneur Visa while those with talents or innovative ideas might apply for an Investor Visa. To obtain an Entrepreneur Visa, there must be proof of sufficient funds to start a business, invest in or buy an existing one. The holder is barred from seeking employment in other companies.

The government issues UK visas for professional training and education. There are several types of student visas, including the Post Study Work Programme and the Youth Mobility Scheme, which allows only a short stay.

Anyone who has been living legally in the country can apply to become nationals of the United Kingdom. They receive numerous benefits, including the right to work or reside in other EU countries.

The US business visa or B1 visa, allows a foreign national to enter the country on short-term business activities, such as attending conferences, but actually carrying out work is not permitted. A B1 visa usually allows a candidate to enter the USA for up to six months, but the total validity period of this visa is anywhere from one to 10years, in most cases.

The B2 travel visa, allows a foreigner to travel around the USA, temporarily, for tourism purposes and to visit friends and family.

The L1 or H1B visa is issued to people who wish to live and work in the country for a longer period of time.

For anyone wishing to establish a business in the country, an E1 or E2 visa must be applied for. These two visas have five-year validity and holders of E1 and E2 visas have the opportunity to pursue a US Green Card.

Anyone intending to relocate in the USA permanently should go down the employment-based routes for US Green Cards by first applying for EB-1 and EB-2 visas.

The EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5 visas permit qualified individuals to apply for permanent residency in the country through employment opportunities.

An individual may also apply for a Green Card through specific categories of family relationship, such as a sibling, spouse, parent or fiancé.

The annual US “Green Card Lottery” is aimed at giving candidates from under-represented countries the opportunity of obtaining a Green Card and of living and working in the country.

Canada is one of the countries that pursue that line of inquiry before you can expect to gain residency status. Although you may still enter the country, unless you have a sponsor or an employer, gaining a job in Canada is just as hard as anywhere else in the world. While waiting to find a job, without an employer or sponsor, you should ensure you have enough funds to go on living in the country.

Funds that the immigration authorities will want check normally focus on your own assets, which cannot be borrowed from someone else. Bringing your dependents with you is another point of interest. Since they literally do depend on you, you will need to have a greater sum of money available, specifically funds you have generated your home country. All the necessary documents and proof are required if you are to be successful in obtaining a Canadian immigrant visa.

H1B or specialty occupation visas are available to skilled workers who have attained the equivalent of a US college or university education or relevant training. Emigrants or those educated outside the USA are required to have a relevant or partly relevant degree, plus three or more years of work experience in the target position. For anyone seeking to practice their profession, such as medicine, law or accountancy, a relevant state or federal licence is required.

The dependents of aliens holding a US work visa are prohibited from working in the USA unless they qualify for a work visa in their own right and have a US employer that will sponsor them. Nevertheless, dependents of the US visa holder may study in the country. They must obtain their derivative visas at the same time as the principal US visa holder.

H1B visa holders can remain in the USA for three years, though the duration of stay can be extended to six. Despite this limit, H1B visa holders are not required to stay for a specific period in the job, which they originally sought when they applied for visa.

You begin the Australian immigration process by applying offshore, which is to say in your current country of residence and it is only completed successfully when you have moved to Australia. Skilled workers are needed to support the dynamic workforce and industry and in order to be able to work in Australia involves obtaining a skilled class of visa. These include the Skilled Independent Regional Visa, Skilled Independent Visa, Skilled Sponsored Visa and the Employer Nomination Scheme.

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Family-based visas are also available, such as the Contributory Parent visa or the Last Remaining Relative Visa. Your spouse or unmarried partner can join you in the country by obtaining a Spouse Visa, De Facto Visa or Prospective Marriage Visa.

Australia is divided into several states or territories and State/Territory Nominated Independent Visas are available for anyone with business or investment concerns. Other business-related visas include the Investor Visa, Business Owner Visa, Business Talent Visa and Senior Executive Visa.

Indian Tourist visas are granted for a maximum of six months, but holders are not allowed to work during their stay in the country.

Indian business visas can be granted as a single or multiple entry type. For the granting of this visa, a letter from the sponsoring Indian firm must be submitted, together with an introductory letter from the employer in the country of residence of the applicant.

Indian work permits or Indian employment visas are normally employer led and are granted to skilled workers or applicants who are providing specialised services.

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Indian student visas can be issued for a maximum of five years or for the duration of the applicant’s course. An unconditional offer from an acknowledged educational institute in India is also required.

Medical visas are given to anyone who intends visiting the country for medical treatment. “M” visas are initially granted for a maximum of one year and can be extended as necessary, as long as an applicant can provide medical evidence showing a need for continued treatment.

For permanent residency visas, India grants Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards.

The PIO cards, which are granted for 15 years, allow their holders to travel in and out of India. OCI cards, however, are granted for life and offer numerous other benefits.

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The H1B or Specialty Occupation Visa is aimed at skilled workers. It grants a minimum of three years of residency, which can be extended twice, up to a maximum of three more years. To qualify for the H1B visa, you need to be a graduate of a job-relevant course and have at least three years of relevant work experience. If the educational qualification is not relevant to the target job, at least twelve years of related work experience will suffice.

L1 or Intra-Company Transfer Visas are intended for foreign nationals who must work in the USA on the instructions of their employer. This type of visa is designed for those who are relocating to the US subsidiary or branch of their employer.

E Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor Visas are intended for the employees of accredited Treaty Traders or Treaty Investors. E visas are valid for only two years, but can be renewed indefinitely.

Employment-based green cards come in three types. EB1 is for managers and experts in the fields of science, arts, business, education and sports. EB2 is given to foreign nationals who have earned notable achievements in their respective fields. EB3 is for professionals who are sponsored by US employers to work in the country. This type of visa imposes a minimum level of work experience and educational qualification, as does the work visa.