Employment Immigration Lawyers - NATIONWIDE
Select a State to contact an Employment Immigration Attorney >>>

Employment Immigration Information

There are three U.S. departments involved: the Department of Labor (DOL) and its federally-funded state agency, the Employment Development Department (EDD); the Department of State (DOS) and its Visa Office; and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

The first step is for a company to apply for an AEC in the foreign national's behalf. (The AEC is also called a Employment Immigration). It is a statement by the DOL to the INS that there are not qualified and available U.S. workers to take the permanent job that is offered to the foreign national.

The second and third steps, which are filed with the INS and may be filed concurrently, are the I-140 (Petition For Alien Worker) and I-485 (Application for Permanent Residence).

Some foreign nationals may bypass the EDD and the DOL and file the I-140/I-485 directly with the INS. These include foreign nationals with extraordinary ability, outstanding researchers and professors, multinational executives and managers, foreign nationals whose presence in the U.S. would serve the national interest, registered nurses, and physical therapists.

If you have questions regarding any of these immigration law issues, see our FAQ's page and/or seek out an Employment Immigration attorney (lawyer) in your area for help.

Select a State to contact an Employment Immigration Lawyer >>>