U.S. work visa: how to get one (requirements by type)
Updated on 7/15/2026
A 'work visa' is not a single visa — it is a family of visas, each with different rules, timelines and audiences. Picking the wrong type is the most common way to lose time (and money).
This guide sums up each type's requirements in plain language, and the step-by-step that applies to all of them: getting an offer from an employer that sponsors.
Live numbers from official records364,447 jobs with verified sponsorship in the portal · 120,863 employers with government-approved history (DOL) · refreshed daily
Requirements by visa type
What each path requires from you:
- EB-3 Skilled (green card): job offer + 2 years of experience OR technical training for the role.
- EB-3 Other Workers / unskilled (green card): job offer. No degree or experience required — the green card queue is somewhat longer.
- EB-2 (green card): bachelor's + 5 years of experience, or a master's degree. The NIW variant needs no employer.
- H-1B (temporary, 3+3 years): degree in the field + employer entering the annual lottery (registration in March, start in October).
- H-2B (temporary, seasonal): a seasonal offer in a non-agricultural role (hospitality, construction, parks). No education requirement.
- H-2A (temporary, agricultural): a seasonal farm offer. Employer-provided housing at no cost.
- TN (Mexicans and Canadians only): a profession on the USMCA list + job offer. No lottery, renewable.
The step-by-step that applies to everyone
1) Pick the right type for your profile (above). 2) Target openings from employers with a REAL sponsorship track record — DOL public records show who has approved; that is what our badges verify. 3) Apply on the official posting, in English, with a U.S.-style resume. 4) With the offer, the EMPLOYER files the process (DOL certification and USCIS petition). 5) You handle the consular stage in your country: forms, fees, medical exam and interview.
You control your resume, your English and your aim at the right companies. The employer controls the petition. Distrust any shortcut sold outside this order.
Who pays for what
In the employment green card, PERM (labor certification) costs belong to the employer under DOL rules. In H-2A/H-2B, the employer funds the petition, and recruiting costs cannot be passed to the worker. Your legitimate costs sit at the consular stage: visa fee, medical exam, translations and travel (in H-2A, transport is reimbursable by rule).
Free account — real openings with sponsorship proven by public records.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a U.S. work visa?
You don't get one on your own: land an offer from a U.S. employer that sponsors (DOL records show who already approved), and the employer's petition opens the visa path.
Do I need a job offer for a work visa?
Yes — every path except the EB-2 NIW self-petition, which is for qualified professionals proving national interest.
Does the employer pay for the process?
In the employment green card, PERM costs are the employer's under DOL rules. Anyone charging candidates for a 'guaranteed job' is outside the rules — treat it as a scam.
Which work visa is the easiest?
There is no universal 'easiest' — there is the right one for your profile: without a degree, H-2B/H-2A (temporary) and EB-3 unskilled (green card) hire at scale; with a degree, H-1B and EB-2/EB-3 Skilled; Mexicans and Canadians have TN, the fastest of all.