U.S. work visas and employment green cards

Two broad paths: temporary status or a green card

U.S. employment immigration splits into two tracks. Temporary (nonimmigrant) work classifications let you work for a set period, usually for a sponsoring employer and in a defined role. Employment-based green cards give permanent residence, with freedom to change jobs once you hold the card. Many professionals use both: they start on a temporary visa and their employer later sponsors a green card.

Types of U.S. work visas at a glance

• H-1B – professional jobs that normally require a bachelor's degree in a specific field. Most private employers must enter an annual lottery; universities and some research nonprofits are exempt. The lottery has been weighted by wage level since the FY 2027 season, and the $100,000 payment is blocked by court orders as of October 2026.
• L-1 – transfers of managers, executives (L-1A) and specialized-knowledge staff (L-1B) from a related company abroad after one year of employment there.
• O-1 – people with extraordinary ability in sciences, business, education, athletics or the arts, or extraordinary achievement in film and TV. No lottery and no annual cap.
• TN – Canadian and Mexican citizens in listed professions under the USMCA. No cap; renewable in up to three-year periods.
• E-2 – investors and key employees of businesses owned by nationals of treaty countries.
• F-1 OPT and STEM OPT – work after U.S. study, up to 12 months, plus 24 more months for qualifying STEM graduates.
• H-2A and H-2B – seasonal or temporary agricultural (H-2A) and non-agricultural (H-2B) work.

Employment green card options

• EB-1 – extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational managers and executives (EB-1C, often the next step after L-1A).
• EB-2 National Interest Waiver – advanced-degree or exceptional-ability workers whose work benefits the United States; you can self-petition without a job offer.
• PERM labor certification – the standard employer-sponsored route for EB-2 and EB-3, requiring a recruitment test of the U.S. labor market.
• EB-5 – investment-based green cards, covered in our investor hub.

See the full employment green card hub for timelines and costs.

How to choose the right work visa

1. Your citizenship. Canadians and Mexicans should look at TN first. Nationals of treaty countries may qualify for E-2. Australians, Chileans and Singaporeans have their own specialty-occupation categories (E-3 and H-1B1) that sit outside the main H-1B lottery.
2. Your employer. If you already work for a multinational abroad, L-1 may avoid the lottery. A university or affiliated nonprofit can usually file H-1B petitions at any time of year.
3. Your record. Strong evidence of awards, publications, press or high pay may support an O-1, and possibly an EB-1 or NIW green card.
4. Your timeline. H-1B cap cases follow a fixed calendar: registration in March, filing from April, start dates on October 1. Missing the window usually means waiting a year.
5. Your long-term goal. If you want to stay permanently, ask early how the temporary visa connects to a green card. H-1B and L-1 allow "dual intent"; TN and most visitor categories do not.

Our work visa finder, H-1B lottery odds estimator and sponsorship cost calculator can help you compare options. When you are ready, email us to be connected with a participating immigration attorney.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

• $100,000 H-1B payment. Introduced by proclamation in September 2025 and extended to September 21, 2027, but not collected as of October 28, 2026 because federal courts vacated the agencies' implementing policies. Appeals are pending.
• Wage-weighted H-1B lottery. A DHS rule effective February 27, 2026 gives higher-wage registrations more entries. It was first used for the FY 2027 selection in March 2026.
• Higher premium processing fees. Since March 1, 2026, most Form I-129 premium requests cost $2,965.
• Proposals not yet final. As of October 2026, DHS has proposed a $103,265 fee on cap-subject H-1B petitions, new fees of $70,000 for initial OPT, and an end to the 60-day grace period after job loss. None of these is in effect; follow the policy tracker.