Sometimes, domestic companies hire international talent because there is a lack of available professionals in the United States. In the engineering sector, for example, there tends to be more demand than there are viable candidates for openings.
As such, companies may choose to hire foreign professionals to fill vacant domestic jobs. Other times, companies may want to consider transferring employees who staff their international locations to a facility in the U.S.
Conducting an intracompany transfer could involve securing a special type of visa that is less competitive than the visas for highly skilled employees and those with specialized educations.
Managers and executives may qualify for L-1A visas
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves visas for a variety of business needs. There is a special visa program that provides visas for transfers within the company as opposed to new hires.
Frequently, companies growing their domestic operations may want to bring an executive or manager with a track record of success abroad to the United States. The employer can sponsor the employee for an L-1A intracompany transfer visa. This visa is specifically available for professionals in managerial and executive roles.
Occasionally, there might be reason to transfer a specialized employee who is not an executive or manager. Those with unique experience with an industry and a company’s practices could also potentially be eligible for intracompany transfer visas. The L-1B visa allows companies to bring foreign workers with specialized knowledge from a foreign facility to a domestic one.
Learning more about different visas that companies can secure for professionals could help organizations address vacant positions. Businesses seeking employment visas often need legal guidance throughout that process.