Green card

Nonimmigrant visa

Multinational Executives and Managers

Temporary Agricultural Workers

Corporate executives, High-level managers, Business owners

Agricultural workers, Seasonal farm workers, Horticultural employees, Forestry workers, Dairy farm workers, Orchard workers

• The U.S. job must be in an executive or managerial capacity.

• You must have been employed by a foreign branch, parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of the U.S. sponsor.

• You must have worked for the foreign company for at least one year within the three years preceding the visa application.

• The sponsoring company must have been operating in the U.S. for at least one year.

• The employment must be of a temporary or seasonal nature.

• Employers must prove there are no available U.S. workers who are willing, qualified, and able to perform the temporary work.

• Employers must certify that hiring H-2A workers will not adversely impact the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.

• Provides complete flexibility to work, live, and study in the U.S.

• No labor certification is required, simplifying the application process.

• Offers the fastest pathway to a green card among EB categories.

• The application process closely mirrors the L-1A visa process and uses similar documentation.

• Direct path to citizenship after 5 years.

• Provides a legal pathway for foreign agricultural workers to work in the U.S.

• Addresses critical labor shortages in the agricultural sector.

• Allows for seasonal employment flexibility, matching crop harvest cycles.

• Requires sponsorship and a specific job offer from a U.S. company with a qualifying relationship to the foreign company.

• Limited to multinational executives and managers, significantly restricting eligibility.

• Limited exclusively to agricultural work and subject to seasonal demands.

• No pathway to permanent residency or long-term employment.

• Spouses and dependents do not receive work authorization.

• Employers must undergo a rigorous certification process.

• Requires employer sponsorship and a specific job offer.

Required

Required

Permanent residency

Duration of labor certification, up to 1 year, renewable twice in 1-year increments for a total of 3 years.

Every 10 years

Twice in 1-year increments for a total of 3 years.

10-18 months¹

1-3 months¹

45 business days²

15 business days

Yes

No

¹Applicants from India, China, or Mexico may experience longer wait times.

²Available only for the first stage of the process, while the second stage typically takes an additional 9-18 months.

¹Varies based on processing center workload and employer need; fee applicability uncertain.