After a week hiatus I am back writing posts again and ready to help you all answer your most pressing immigration and US work visa questions.

Even during this mini break I have still been answering emails and comments trying to help people navigate the immigration system and some common themes have been coming up recently so I thought I would address them today.

The US Visa system as you know is difficult at the best of times to navigate but there are some people it certainly is almost impossible for beyond the green card lottery

The H-1B visa, E-3 visa and J-1 visa are all meant for people with university or college degrees and occasionally people who have years of corporate experience in lieu of a degree. Increasingly it is becoming more and more geared to people who have post graduate qualifications like a masters degree.

So people who have trade qualifications like a plumber or electrician, people who have skills in an area like construction, non-skilled laborers, people who work in an assistant/reception type capacity and people who are in business for themselves of moderate size are not helped at all by the US Visa system.

The EB-5 Investor Visa is designed for those who want to commence their own business in the US, however you have to prove that you are going to commit upwards of a million US dollars of your own capital as well as numerous other criteria regarding  the location and employing of local staff.

So my best advice to people and their families who fall under this criteria is to plan in advance your path for getting to the US as it may be a years long journey. It may involve getting a degree in the US via a F-1 visa or at home.

As there are only 2 ways to get US visas for the most part; Family Sponsored or Employer sponsored, you need to pass many criteria, waiting lists and quotas to even get a US visa if you do qualify. So to qualify look at the type of life you want to enjoy in the US and understand the compromises you may have to make to get there.

Good Luck!!

CJ