How can I get a US visa?

There is no other country doing the following Acts of Treason to their own people.

How can I get a US visa? HARSIMRAN SINGHINDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2005 12:56:11 AM]
Whether it’s the farmer from the rural hinterland or uber urbanite, student or businessman, priest or programmer, the US of A beckons all. One can always try to hop on an airplane as a stowaway and try to sneek into the US. But most times illegal immigrants are caught and packed off home. Under which categories can you apply for a US visa? How to go about it? We answer some of the frequently unasked questions of legally entering the land of opportunity. How can I go to US as a temporary worker? If you possess specialised skills like software programming, accounting and are willing to work in the US on a temporary basis, there are a variety of visa categories you may fall into:
H-1B visa: It applies to people with highly specialised knowledge requiring completion of a specific course of higher education. Generally at least the equivalent of a job-relevant four-year US bachelor's degree is required. The US H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa, which allows a US company to employ a foreign individual for up to six years. You cannot apply directly for an H-1B; your US employer has to file a petition on your behalf. H-1B visas are subject to annual numerical limits. Currently the cap is 65,000 which was subscribed fully within one day. The cap was revised to add 20,000 more visas.
It takes 3-6 months to process an H-1B visa. If your US employer fires you before the expiry of your H-1B, he has to bear the cost of your return transportation to India.
Engineers, lawyers, accountants, teachers, healthcare and IT professionals can work under H-1B. You can search hundreds of websites offering H-1B sponsorships for jobs in software firms, schools, universities, hospitals, accounting firms and law firms.

H-2A visa: Applies to you if you are willing to go to US as a temporary or seasonal agricultural worker.
H-2B visa: Applies to temporary or seasonal non-agricultural workers. This classification requires a temporary labour certification issued by the Secretary of Labor.
H-3 visa: Applies to trainees other than medical or academic. If you are trained in the education of handicapped children, this visa applies to you.
How can I go to US as an athlete/entertainer/artist?
P-1 visa: Applies to you if you are an athlete, or member of an entertainment group that is internationally recognised.
P-2 visa: Applies to artists or entertainers who will perform under a reciprocal exchange programme;
P-3 visa: Applies to artists or entertainers who perform under a programme that is culturally unique.
Q-1 visa: Applies to participants in an international cultural exchange programme for the purpose of providing practical training, employment, and the sharing of the history, culture, and traditions of the alien's home country.
How can I go there as an intra-company transferee?
L-visa: Applies to intra-company transferees who, within the three preceding years, have been employed abroad continuously for one year, and who will be employed by a branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of that same employer in the US in a managerial, executive, or specialised knowledge capacity. Does US encourage people with extraordinary abilities... For how many years is an L-1 visa issued? An L-1 petition may be approved initially for up to three years, with the possibility of extension for up to four more years. In the case of a "new office" in the US, the L-1 will be limited to one year initially with extensions provided thereafter if the new office flourishes. Can dependents of L-1 come to the US? The spouse and children (under 21 years and unmarried) of L-1 can obtain L-2 visas allowing them to enter the US L-2s can obtain employment authorisation to get a job or do their own business.
Does US encourage people with extraordinary abilities?
O-1 visa: Applies to persons who have extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics, or extraordinary achievements in the motion picture and television field. How can I go to the US as a journalist? If you are a representative of a media group travelling to the US on an assignment, you are eligible for an I-visa. Only those who are actually involved in the newsgathering process are eligible. People involved in associated activities such as proofreaders, set designers, etc are not eligible for I-visas. Can family members also accompany? With the exception of Q-1 Cultural Exchange Visitors, your spouse and minor children under any of the above classifications may also be classified as non-immigrants in order to accompany you. But your spouse or child cannot accept employment in the United States. However, you must be able to show that you will be able to support your family in the United States.
How can I go to the US as a fiancee? If you’ve decided to get married and your would-be husband/wife is a US citizen, then the K-visa is there for you. Your fiance has to file a petition with the USCIS on your behalf. The K-visa is valid for 90 days, within which the marriage must take place. What if I decide to marry someone else on entering US? Then, you’ll be deported back. It’s as simple as that! Even if the marriage doesn’t take place within 90 days, your K-visa will be cancelled, and you’ll be required to leave the US. Also, you can enter the US only once through the fiancee visa route. Can I work in the US with a fiancee visa? No, you cannot. You’ve to apply for a work permit. Also, you have to become a permanent resident if you wish to stay longer in the US. Your children from previous marriage, if any, can accompany you. But, they should be unmarried and under 21 years of age.
How can I go to US as a religious worker?
R Visa: If you are proceeding to the US to work in a religious capacity, then R is the visa for you. But you cannot go to US as a lay preacher. You have to demonstrate a lifelong commitment to religious life, such as taking vows. Examples include nuns, monks and religious brothers and sisters. What is the definition of a religious worker? You have to be authorised by a recognised denomination to conduct religious worship and perform other duties usually performed by members of the clergy like administering the sacraments or baptising. Examples include liturgical workers, religious instructors or cantors, catechists, workers in religious hospitals, missionaries, religious translators, or religious broadcasters. It does not include janitors, maintenance workers, clerks, fund raisers or solicitors of donations. What are the visa requirements for a religious worker? The applicant must be a member of a religious denomination having a bona fide non-profit religious organisation in the US; s/he has been a member of the denomination for two years immediately preceding admission; The applicant is entering the US solely to carry on the vocation of a minister. S/he should be able to furnish: A letter from an authorised official of the specific unit of the employing organisation certifying any of the following: That, immediately prior to the application for the R visa, the applicant has been a member of the religious denomination for the required two-year period; That, if the applicant is a religious professional, he or she has at least, for entry into the religious profession. baccalaureate degree or equivalent, and that such a degree is required. Family members: A religious worker's spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age may be granted derivative status. They may study but cannot accept employment in the US. Time limits: Holders of R visas may remain in the US for up to five years to pursue their calling.
How to apply for a temporary work visa? Your prospective employer or agent must file Form I-129, (Petition for Non-immigrant Worker), with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Once approved, the employer or agent is sent a notice of approval, Form I-797. The approval of a petition does not guarantee you visa issuance. What is the required fees and documentation? For a temporary work visa you have to pay a non-refundable $100 application fee and submit: 1) An application Form DS-156E, completed and signed. Blank forms are available without charge at all US consular offices 2) A passport valid for travel to the US and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the US. 3) Photo requirements 4) A notice of approval, Form I-797 (issued by the US-INS, earlier) Other Documentation: With the exception of the H-1 and L-1, applicants you may also need to show proof of binding ties to a residence outside the US. This is to guarantee that you won’t settle in the US and are going there only as a temporary worker.
How can I go to US as a student?
The "F" visa is for academic studies, and the
"M" visa is for non-academic or vocational studies. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is designed to monitor school and exchange programs and F, M and J category visitors.
SEVIS is an internet-based system that maintains information on non-immigrant students (F and M visas), exchange visitors (J visa), and their dependents (F-2, M-2 and J-2). F-1 visa: Approval for attendance of academic students may be solicited by an accredited college or university that awards bachelors, masters, doctorate or professional degrees, a seminary; an institution that provides language training or instruction in the fine arts. M-1 visa: Approval for the attendance of non-academic students may be solicited by a community college or junior college that provides vocational or technical training and awards associate degrees; a vocational high school; a trade school or a school of non-academic training other than language training. J visa: The exchange visitor programme is designed to promote the interchange of persons, knowledge, and skills in the fields of education, arts, and sciences. Participants include students at all academic levels; On-the-job trainees, teachers, professors, research scholars; professional trainees in the medical and allied fields; and international visitors coming for the purpose of travel, observation, consultation or demonstrating specialised knowledge or skills, or participating in organised people-to-people programs. Keep in mind that June, July, and August are the busiest months in most consular sections, and interview appointments are the most difficult to get during that period. Students need to plan ahead to avoid having to make repeat visits to the embassy. What are the requirements for a student visa? All applicants should be prepared to provide: • Degrees and diplomas from previous institutions attended; • Scores from standardised tests required by the educational institution such as the TOEFL, SAT, GRE, GMAT, etc.; • Financial evidence that shows you or your parents who are sponsoring you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses during the period of your intended study. Each applicant for a student visa must pay a non-refundable $100 application fee and submit: 1) An application Form DS-156, completed and signed. Blank forms are available without charge at all U.S. consular offices; 2) A passport valid for travel to the US and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the United States. 3) Photographs 4) For the "F" applicant, a Form I-20A-B. For the "M" applicant, a Form I-20M-N. 5) Evidence of sufficient funds.
At the interview you must be able to satisfactorily demonstrate to the consular officer that you have no plans of settling in the US, that you have binding ties which will bring you back to India.
So, pick your visa and pack your bags to pursue your dreams in the land of opportunity.
The Economic Times Online Printed from economictimes.indiatimes.com > Politics/Nation
©Bennett, Coleman and Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1121833.cms