Margaret W. Wong, immigration attorney, and CEO and Founding Partner of Margaret W. Wong & Associates LLC, answers the question:
“How do I come to America legally, and how could I stay in America legally?”
“And then even if I’m here legally on a tourist visa or a student visa, how could get a work permit?”
I would like to talk about how to legally come to America, to go to school, to live, to work. How could I do this?
While it would seem there would be easy ways to do it, nothing is easy in the world anymore.
But you can always apply for a tourist visa, a student visa, a work visa like an H-1B. If you’re a Mexican or Canadian citizen, you can apply for TN visa.
The best is an H1B. You apply for it every February. If you are chosen in the lottery of 65,000, then you file your H1B in April. And if your H1B is accepted, you can start work in October. H-1B is getting much more selective.
TN visas area a rolling process. That means when I get a job yesterday, today I can file for TN. Normally it takes only about two or three months. Mexicans have to go to the American embassy. Canadians can apply for it through the border.
Speak with an immigration attorney about all your options. I am happy to speak with you.
