Section 01
The routes in, the lottery, and what it costs
FreeThe United States has no single work visa you can apply for yourself. Almost every route needs an employer to petition for you, and the main one is decided by a lottery. Understanding which door you are standing at matters more here than in any other market on this list.
The routes that actually exist
| Route | Who it is for | Cap | Maximum stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| H-1B | Speciality occupation, degree required. Employer petitions. | 65,000 plus 20,000 for US master's holders | 6 years |
| H-1B cap exempt | Same, but employed at a university, an affiliated non-profit, or a non-profit or government research organisation | None. No lottery, file any time of year. | 6 years |
| O-1 | Extraordinary ability with sustained national or international acclaim | None | Renewable |
| L-1 | Internal transfer after 1 year with a related company abroad in the last 3 | None | L-1A 7 years, L-1B 5 |
| TN | Canadian and Mexican citizens in a profession listed under USMCA | None | 3 years per entry, no lifetime limit |
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Section 02
Permanent residence, and the queue nobody tells you about
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Section 03
Licences, credentials and the American résumé
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