Immigrant Work Visas

A job opportunity, professional achievement, or investment in the United States may open the door to something more permanent. If you qualify for an immigrant work visa, you may be able to pursue lawful permanent residence based on your employment, skills, qualifications, or investment. The challenge is determining which immigration category fits your situation and what you need to prove. 

At Rafael Tirado & Associates, our Phoenix, AZ immigrant work visa lawyers help workers, professionals, employers, and investors pursue employment-based immigration. We can assess your options, explain the requirements, and assist with the filings needed to move your case forward. Contact us today to schedule a consultation. 

Employer-Sponsored and Self-Petition Options

You may need a U.S. employer to sponsor you for permanent residence, but that depends on the employment-based category you qualify for. If your case requires employer sponsorship, your employer may also need to complete the permanent labor certification process before filing an immigrant petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 

You may have another route that does not require an employer to sponsor. For example, you can self-petition if you qualify for EB-1 extraordinary ability. If you qualify for an EB-2 national interest waiver, you may be able to pursue permanent residence without the usual job offer and labor certification requirements. EB-5 provides another route if you qualify through investment. 

Our immigration lawyers in Phoenix, AZ can determine whether you need an employer sponsor or may qualify to petition on your own. If you are an employer seeking to sponsor a foreign worker, we can explain what your business must do and assist with the immigration filings required for the case. 

Employment-Based Immigration Services We Handle

Employment-based immigrant visas can lead to lawful permanent residence, commonly called a green card. Federal immigration law divides these visas into five preference categories, and the appropriate option depends on factors such as your education, work experience, professional achievements, proposed employment, or investment. 

At Rafael Tirado & Associates, we assist clients with employment-based categories that include: 

• EB-1 Priority Workers: We assist people with extraordinary ability, qualifying outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational executives and managers with EB-1 immigration matters. 

• EB-2 Advanced Degree and Exceptional Ability: We help professionals with advanced degrees and people with exceptional ability pursue EB-2 classification, including qualifying national interest waiver cases. 

• EB-3 Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: We assist employers and foreign workers with EB-3 cases involving qualifying permanent positions. These cases generally require a permanent job offer and labor certification before the employer files the immigrant petition. 

• EB-4 Certain Special Immigrants: We can evaluate whether you fall within one of the specific groups eligible for EB-4 classification and explain the requirements that apply to that classification. 

• EB-5 Immigrant Investors: We assist qualifying investors who are pursuing permanent residence through investment in a U.S. commercial enterprise. EB-5 applicants must meet investment and job-creation requirements established under federal immigration law. 

You do not need to determine the right category on your own before speaking with us. We can review your background and goals, identify potential options, and explain what each option would require. 

How We Help With the Immigrant Work Visa Process

An employment-based immigration case can involve several stages, and the required steps depend on the category you pursue. We can assist with: 

• Reviewing your qualifications and employment-based immigration options 

• Determining whether employer sponsorship or labor certification is required 

• Assisting with qualifying employer-sponsored cases 

• Preparing applicable employment-based immigrant petitions and supporting evidence 

• Preparing eligible self-petitions 

• Documenting education, experience, professional achievements, and other qualifications 

• Responding to USCIS requests for evidence 

• Reviewing priority dates and immigrant visa availability 

• Assisting eligible applicants with adjustment of status when pursuing lawful permanent residence from within the United States 

• Assisting with consular processing if you are pursuing an immigrant visa from outside the United States 

Approval of an employment-based petition does not automatically grant you permanent residence. Employment-based visas are subject to annual limits, so visa availability may affect when you can complete the green card process. We can explain how these requirements affect your case and assist as it progresses from the initial petition toward permanent residence. 

Why Work With Rafael Tirado & Associates?

Employment-based immigration can involve both immigration requirements and business considerations. At Rafael Tirado & Associates, we draw on experience in immigration, corporate law, international trade, and cross-border business matters when helping professionals, employers, and investors pursue employment-based immigration. 

Our founding attorney, Rafael Tirado, has more than 20 years of legal experience and has prepared immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications for individuals, businesses, healthcare institutions, and educational organizations. He is licensed in both the United States and Mexico, holds an LL.M. in International Trade Law from the University of Arizona, and has extensive experience helping clients structure and operate businesses across the two countries. He is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. 

Associate attorney Aadi Palaniappan brings additional experience relevant to immigration and business matters. Before joining our firm, he worked primarily in corporate law, and his legal education included Immigration Law & Policy coursework and work in an Immigration Clinic. He has also volunteered with public-interest organizations focused on immigration. 

We bring this immigration and business experience to each stage of an employment-based case. Throughout the process, we keep you informed about what is required and what comes next. 

Start Your Immigrant Work Visa Case With Us

Whether you are a professional pursuing permanent residence, an employer seeking to sponsor a foreign worker, or an investor considering an employment-based immigration option, the appropriate strategy depends on the facts of your case. Understanding which category applies is an important first step. 

At Rafael Tirado & Associates in Phoenix, Arizona, we help clients in the surrounding areas pursue employment-based immigration and permanent residence. We can review your qualifications, determine which options may be available, and assist with the required immigration process. Contact us today to schedule a consultation about your immigrant work visa case.