Visa category
US work visas
Temporary work visas for professionals, skilled workers, and specialty occupations in the United States.
07
guides in this category
Each covers eligibility, the filing process, fees, documents, and typical timelines, with the date it was last reviewed.
Almost every US work visa is tied to a job rather than to the person holding it. An employer files on your behalf — or, for the E-2, the business you invest in anchors the status — and your permission to work generally covers that employer and that role. Changing jobs usually means a new or amended filing before you start, not after.
The categories on this page split along two lines. The first is who qualifies: degree-level professionals in specialty occupations (H-1B), employees transferring within a multinational (L-1), Canadian and Mexican professionals under USMCA (TN), nationals of treaty countries investing in a US business (E-2), religious workers (R-1), and temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers (H-2A and H-2B). The second is scarcity. Cap-subject H-1B petitions are limited each year and usually decided by lottery, and H-2B has its own annual cap. TN, L-1, E-2, R-1, and H-2A have no annual lottery.
Each guide below covers eligibility, the filing sequence, which fees fall on the employer and which on you, the documents to gather, typical timelines, and what the status allows a spouse and children to do. Once the status is approved, the money questions begin — your first payslip, Social Security and Medicare withholding, and building a credit file from nothing — and the visa money guides pick up from there.
- E-2
E-2 Treaty Investor Visa
The E-2 visa allows nationals of qualifying treaty countries to enter the U.S. to develop and direct a business in which they have invested — or are actively investing — a substantial amount of capital at risk.
Reviewed 2026-07-14 - H-1B
H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa
The H-1B lets a U.S. employer temporarily hire a foreign professional for a specialty occupation that normally requires at least a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in a specific field.
Reviewed 2026-07-14 - H-2A
H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Visa
H-2A lets U.S. employers hire foreign nationals for temporary or seasonal agricultural work when enough qualified U.S. workers are unavailable.
Reviewed 2026-07-14 - H-2B
H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Worker Visa
H-2B allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for temporary non-agricultural jobs — such as hospitality, landscaping, or seafood processing — when qualified U.S. workers are unavailable.
Reviewed 2026-07-14 - L-1
L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa
The L-1 lets a multinational transfer an executive, manager (L-1A), or specialized-knowledge employee (L-1B) to a related U.S. office after at least one continuous year of qualifying foreign employment within the prior…
Reviewed 2026-07-14 - R-1
R-1 Religious Worker Visa
The R-1 visa allows a foreign national to work temporarily in the U.S. as a minister or in a religious occupation for a bona fide nonprofit religious organization.
Reviewed 2026-07-14 - TN
TN NAFTA/USMCA Professional Visa
TN status lets Canadian and Mexican citizens work temporarily in the U.S. in designated professional occupations under USMCA. There is no annual lottery.
Reviewed 2026-07-14
Common questions
- 01Which US work visa is easiest to get?
- It depends on your nationality, your employer, and your career so far. Canadian and Mexican citizens in a listed USMCA profession often find TN the most direct route, because there is no lottery and Canadians can often apply at a port of entry. Employees of a multinational may qualify for an L-1 after one continuous year with a related company abroad in the past three years. For most other degree-holding professionals the H-1B is the main route, but a cap-subject petition depends on being selected in the annual lottery.
- 02Can I change employers on a US work visa?
- Usually only with a new filing. An H-1B worker can generally start with a new employer once that employer has properly filed a new petition, but the petition itself is not optional. An L-1 is tied to the sponsoring company group and does not carry over to an unrelated employer, and a TN professional needs new TN approval for a new employer. Starting work for anyone not covered by your approval is unauthorized employment, which can end your status.
- 03Can a work visa lead to a green card?
- It can, but categories treat immigrant intent differently. The H-1B and L-1 are dual intent: you can pursue permanent residence, typically through employer sponsorship, without undermining your temporary status. Most other work categories, including the TN, require you to show nonimmigrant intent, so starting a green card process while holding them takes more care and usually professional advice.
- 04Do work visa holders pay US taxes?
- Yes. Wages are generally subject to federal income tax, state income tax where your state has one, and Social Security and Medicare tax. Whether you are taxed as a resident or a nonresident is decided by the substantial presence test rather than by your visa type, and most workers present for a full year become residents for tax purposes. H-2A agricultural wages are a notable exception to Social Security and Medicare tax.
Already know your status?
The visa guides cover getting the status. For what comes next — opening a bank account, understanding your first payslip, building credit, and sending money home — start with the visa money guides or browse the free calculators.