Houston Work Immigration Lawyer 

While you’ll find plenty of information on the Internet about employment visa applications or permanent residence through an employer or your own company, it’s all too easy to make mistakes. If your goal is to open your own business in the United States as an entrepreneur, work for a company on a temporary basis or a permanent basis, invest in your own business or in a regional center project, or simply to study in the United States, you’ll need help from an immigration lawyer you can trust to handle every detail with competence and care. That’s precisely where Zavala Law Firm PLLC can help.

Zavala Law Firm PLLC has the skill and knowledge to tackle your business immigration matter in a manner that best serves your needs. Zavala Law Firm PLLC will work hard to see to it that your visa application or permanent residence process goes smoothly by providing the attentive, personalized service you deserve. As your immigration lawyer, Zavala Law Firm PLLC will work tirelessly to bring your case to a successful conclusion, patiently answering your questions and addressing your concerns every step of the way.

Types of Visas

Temporary/Non-Immigrant Work Visas

Business Immigration Attorney, Texas

If you want to work in the U.S. for a fixed period of time, we can assist you and/or your prospective employer with securing a temporary work visa that matches your needs and qualifications.

The most popular temporary work visa is the H-1B. The H-1B program allows workers in specialty occupations to work in the U.S. for up to a total of six years. An H-1B requires a higher education degree or equivalent experience.

Before you can apply for a temporary worker visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, your employer must file a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129 on your behalf and it must be approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In most cases, an H-1B requires proof of a job offer and duration of employment.

These visas go quickly as Congress has set the current annual cap for H-1B visas at 65,000.

Employment-Based Visas

Every year between October 1 and September 30, there are roughly 140,000 employment-based immigration visas made available to foreign workers. To be considered for a work visa, your prospective employer must first obtain a labor certification approval from the Department of Labor.

Once received, the employer files an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the appropriate employment-based preference category.

EB1 for Priority Workers

People with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.

  • Do not need a specific job offer to enter the U.S. just proof of continuing their work
  • Can file own Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, I-140 Form

Outstanding Professors and Researchers

  • Three years of experience in teaching or research, internationally recognized
  • Must be pursuing tenure, tenure track teaching, or comparable research position at an institution of higher learning
  • Must provide proof of job offer and file an I-140 Form

Multinational Managers or Executives

  • Employment outside of U.S. must have been in a managerial or executive capacity and must be continuing that same line of work
  • Must have been employed for one of the last three years by an overseas affiliate, parent, subsidiary, or branch of U.S. based employer
  • Must provide proof of job offer and file an I-140 form with USCIS

EB2 for Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees and Persons of Exceptional Ability

  • Required job offer and labor certification approved by the Department of Labor
  • The employer must file I-140 form
  • Must be professional with an advanced degree and have exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business

EB3 for Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers (Other Workers)

  • Skilled workers with a minimum of two years training or work experience in roles not considered temporary or seasonal
  • Professionals whose jobs require at least a baccalaureate degree from a U.S. university or college or its foreign equivalent degree.
  • Unskilled worker capable of working in a role that requires less than two years of training or experience that is not temporary or seasonal

EB4 for Religious workers

  • Ministers and non-ministers in religious vocations and occupations who will perform religious work in a full-time compensated position
  • Cap of 5,000 workers who may be issued a special immigrant non-minister religious worker visa during each fiscal year

EB-5 for Immigrant Investors

  • Required to make either a $500,000 or $1 million capital investment amount into a U.S. commercial enterprise
  • Investments must result in the creation of 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers. These jobs must be created within a two year period after you receive your conditional permanent residency.

Once approval has been granted, your employer will file an I-140 form or Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the employment-based preference category that matches.

As a Houston immigration attorney, Zavala Immigration Lawyer provides experienced guidance for employers and foreign nationals navigating complex business and employment-based immigration matters, including temporary work visas, employment-based green card petitions, and intracompany transfers to help you and your workforce succeed in the U.S. market. Beyond employment immigration, our team also assists families through Immigration for Families with spouse, fiancé(e), and adjustment of status petitions, and we offer solid defense for individuals facing enforcement actions on our Deportation / Removal Defense & Bonds page. If inadmissibility issues arise during your visa or green card process, we prepare strong hardship applications on the Provisional & Extreme Hardship Waivers page, and military families can find tailored support through Military Parole in Place services. For those on the path to permanent status and civic participation, visit our Citizenship & Naturalization page for comprehensive naturalization assistance and interview preparation.