H1B –H1B is a non-immigrant visa category that allows a foreign worker to come to the U.S. and work in a “speciality occupation,” which includes most professional positions. The H1B gives a foreign national permission to work in the U.S. and a status that allows her/him to lawfully remain in the U.S. on a temporary basis. Generally, the maximum period that a worker can be in the U.S. with the H1B is six (6) years, which can be granted in increments of no more than three (3) years at a time. There are exceptions to this rule that accord USCIS the authority to grant an employer’s request for a worker to be approved for more than six years, but these rely upon the foreign worker’s being sponsored for lawful permanent resident (commonly referred to as “green card”) status.

TN –The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) created special economic and trade relationships for the United States, Canada and Mexico. The TN Non-Immigrant classification permits qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to seek temporary entry into the United States to engage in business activities at a professional level. There are two different types of TN status, a TN-1 for Canadian professionals and a TN-2 for Mexican professionals. It is important to note that there are slight differences between the requirements for each TN category. The main difference is that a Mexican national must obtain a TN visa stamp from a U.S. consulate before they can enter the United States while Canadian professionals can apply for their visa stamp directly at the border.

E3 Visa –The E-3 visa is a United States visa for which only citizens of Australia are eligible. It was created by an Act of the United States Congress as a result of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA), although it is not formally a part of the AUSFTA. The legislation creating the E-3 visa was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on May 11, 2005. It is widely believed to have grown out of the negotiation of a trade deal between the USA and Australia. Annually, 10,500 e3 work visas are issued to Australian citizens wanting work in the USA. The e3 is similar to the H1B visa for speciality occupations. In fact, the e3 visa requirements and eligible e3 job categories are virtually identical. And the process by which you get an e3 visa begins the same way by getting hired for a job with a sponsoring U.S. employer. Unlike the H-1B, the E-3 does not require adjudication from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to the beneficiary applying for a visa at a US consulate. USCIS involvement is required only when the beneficiary is in the US and applying for a change of status to, or an extension of, E-3 status. Unless extending or changing the status to E-3, the beneficiary applies in person at a US consulate for an E-3 visa by presenting Form ETA 9035 Labor Condition Application (LCA) issued by the University of Washington. Departments may begin the E-3 process up to six months in advance of the employment start date.