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.

The most common types of South African visa are listed below.

Work Visa
This visa is often granted to foreign professionals when there is a skill shortage in the South African market. Information technology, engineering, accountancy and finance are some of the most highly sought-after positions in South Africa.

Spouse and Life Partner Visa
A South African relative or permanent resident must sponsor this visa.

Retirement Visa
South Africa is a popular destination among retirees, owing to the anti-discrimination provisions of its constitution and the climate. A retirement visa grants temporary or permanent residency and is available to anyone who is financially capable of supporting themselves. To qualify, South African visa applicants must have a pension account or annuity amounting to at least R20,000 per month. Unlike a work permit, a retirement visa does not require employer sponsorship, though retirement visa holders enjoy the right to work in South Africa if they wish to.

Business Visa
This type of visa offers temporary residence to businessmen. Its closest foreign counterparts are the UK investor visa and the US EB-5 visa. To qualify for a business visa, applicants must have a minimum investment of R2.5million. Visa applicants must also submit a comprehensive business plan and must be employed in the planned venture. Proof of entrepreneurial skills and business experience are also required.

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.

In the case of the Intra Company Transfer, the company must meet several conditions. First, it should have a recognised presence both in the UK and in South Africa. Third, both must be part of the same international group. If these three conditions have been satisfied, the candidate for Intra Company Transfer may then be considered for transfer from the UK office to the South African subsidiary or division.

As far as Secondment work permits are concerned, the applicant cannot move to South Africa to work. Secondments only allow candidates to visit the company’s South African office or branch and as part of their job description, to provide services, but not transfer there. A typical example of the type of services that could be carried out on a Secondment working permit is the installation of equipment, software or similar. The work being done is strictly observed, in order to ensure that only essential and specialised services are being provided. It is clear that only very skilled and experienced workers will be able to claim a Secondment working permit.

Before these work permits are issued, South African officials will consider further criteria in order to ensure that a candidate is fit to be issued with one. Of course, the individual must be able to carry out the job, but another major criterion is that the candidate should have worked for the company for period of at least six months.

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.

Because South Africa is endowed with massive natural resources, mining and extraction is a good industry to consider when looking for employment. The health of the South African economy relies heavily on mining and extraction, from diamonds to petroleum. One of the largest companies in the industry is BHP Billiton. This is a multi-national that employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide and had a turnover of US$31.8 billion, in 2005. South Africa is one of the world leaders in aluminium extraction, in Richards Bay and coal mining in Mpumalanga. It is also a leading player in the field of heavy metals. There are many job opportunities in BHP Billiton, which offers its employees an extensive range of training and award programmes.

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SAB Miller is heavily involved in the consumer and manufacturing sector of South Africa, being the second largest brewery in the world. The company was formed in 2002, following a merger involving South African breweries and Miller Brewing. Even though the base of operations and headquarters is in London, the South African branch has a major presence in the country. It has seven breweries, including two in Johannesburg and others in Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Pietersburg. It had a turnover of US $2,522 million and manufactures a large number of globally recognised lager beers, in addition to a number of soft drinks. Benefits and salaries are generous and the company insists that their employees work on a flexible schedule and have a balanced and healthy lifestyle. The company also provides competitive training, which is designed to help employees achieve their full potential.

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.

Before anyone can enter and live in the United States, a USA visa must be obtained. Depending on the reason for travelling to the United States, processing a USA visa will require various documents. Living and working in the United States will require the applicant to prove that he or she will be working in the country upon entry.

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Work permits are granted to people who qualify for a certain job after thorough evaluation of their skills and qualifications. Another option, if you want to live in the United States, would be to show the immigration office that you have a spouse, family member or relatives already resident in the country.

There are certain agencies that can do the processing for you, for a fee, of course. Either talk to them or send them an enquiry; most agencies have websites that explain what you need to do and they will process your application for you.

Remember, a USA visa will not be processed overnight. If you need to go to the country at a specific time, it is best to start processing your USA visa months before your expected arrival date.