Passport, visa, work permit
Immigrate To United States — Types of US Visas — Conditions for immigration to America? ✈️ ✈ 👇👇👇👇👇👇
Regardless of the reason for your stay, you should contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Paris for information on the regulations governing entry and stay in the United States, which you must comply with.
Once there, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service will take over. Under no circumstances are you allowed to work in the United States without a proper permit.
The Consulate of France in the United States is not the competent body to answer your requests for information concerning your stay in the United States.
The following information is provided for information purposes only and is subject to change. For further information, please contact the U.S. Embassy in France.
The different types of visa
France is part of the visa waiver program. If your stay is less than 90 days and meets certain conditions, you may not need a visa for your trip to the United States but simply the electronic travel authorization "ESTA".
Student Visa
Type F visa
reserved for people wishing to pursue higher education and/or participate in language programs in the United States.You will have to prove that you have the necessary resources to pay the registration and living expenses for the first 12 months, that you have ties in France and that you intend to leave the United States at the end of your stay.
full-time students may work on campus for a maximum of 20 hours per week.
In all cases, a bachelor's degree level is required as a minimum and, in the case of a program of study, there must be a real match between the candidate's initial training and the training envisaged in the United States. You will need to be a full-time student and have a good command of the English language.
The type M visa
reserved for the pursuit of extracurricular, technical and professional studies.
it does not authorize you to exercise a professional activity.
you will have to prove that you have sufficient resources for the total duration of your stay.
In both cases you will need to be enrolled in an accredited educational institution in the United States or in an exchange program. You will then be issued an I-20 form which must be registered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Registration is subject to a fee (US$200). You will need to prove payment of the SEVIS registration fee at least three days before the date of the interview.
Visa in the framework of an exchange program, an internship or an au pair stay
Type J visa
reserved for exchange programs, research and assistantship activities, medical studies, summer jobs, internships and au pair stays.
Exchange programs :
You will have to justify sufficient financial resources for your living expenses, your ties in France and your intention to leave the United States at the end of your stay.
Persons undertaking training will have to attest to their diplomas or qualifications and attach a description of the program. As for F and M visas, prior registration in an educational institution in the United States or in an exchange program is mandatory, as well as SEVIS registration (see above), the cost of which is US$180.
Internships :
An internship in the United States is not permitted under the Visa Waiver Program. Even if you leave for less than 90 days, you must obtain a J-1 visa, whether you are paid or not.
There are two profiles of interns:
Trainees are apprenticeship trainees. They either have a higher education degree plus at least one year of work experience or at least five years of work experience. The maximum duration allowed for an internship is 18 months.Interns are trainees in a company. They are still enrolled in a higher education institution in their country of origin, or have held a higher education degree for less than 12 months. The maximum duration allowed for an internship is 12 months.
The trainee must have a level of English that allows him/her to communicate easily within a company. Recognition of the level can be requested through a recognized English test, university or school certification, or through a video or telephone interview.
The trainee has the possibility to look for a future employer by his own means but cannot obtain a J-1 visa without going through an approved organization often called "sponsoring organization". This organization must be approved by the U.S. Department of State. The sponsoring organization is authorized to provide you with a certificate of eligibility called the DS-2019 certificate, which is required to apply for a J-1 visa.
In addition to the DS-2019, the trainee must submit the DS-7002 "Training / Internship Placement Plan" form to the U.S. Embassy Consular Service.
Au pair stays :
You must apply for an exchange program approved by the American Cultural Services. The list of approved French organizations is available on the website of the U.S. Embassy in France.The SEVIS registration is mandatory and paying (35 US dollars).You must be between 18 and 26 years old.
A photocopy of your baccalaureate or high school graduation certificate must be attached to your file.
Work visas
There are several categories of work visas (types H, L and Q) depending on the applicant's professional status, field of activity or specific qualifications. The length of stay authorized and the possibility of extending one's stay depends on the type of visa. The table of different categories of work visas is available on the website of the U.S. Embassy in France.
For all work visas, a job offer is required. The employer in the United States must file a request with the U.S. Immigration Services (Department of Homeland Security - DHS). If the application is approved, the employer receives a notice of approval, which is required to apply for a work visa, but which does not guarantee that the visa will be issued. The work permit must also be confirmed electronically so that the consular services can issue the visa. The time required to obtain this confirmation ranges from two to five days, but may be longer in the case of work permit extensions.
The H1B visa
This is the most common type of work visa.
It is intended for specialized jobs requiring a higher education degree or a "special activity" (artists, entertainers, sportsmen and women, renowned models, etc.): the applicant must prove that he or she has obtained a university degree and that his or her training is in line with the job envisaged in the United States.
The duration of the visa is a maximum of three years. The visa can be renewed but cannot exceed a total period of six years.
The number of H1B visas is limited to 65,000 visas per fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) and for the entire world. However, the first 20,000 applications by holders of a U.S. degree at the master's level or higher will be exempt from this quota. In addition, applicants who will be employed by a higher education institution, non-profit entity, or government research organization will also be exempt from the quota.
Type L(1) visa
It is intended for directors or senior managers of multinational companies who are transferred to a subsidiary or to the company's headquarters. They must have at least one year's experience within the company.
Permanent residence
The immigrant visa
This type of visa (immigrant visa) is intended for people wishing to settle permanently in the United States, whether or not to seek employment. The possession of an immigrant visa is necessary to obtain a permanent resident card or green card once in the United States.
In most cases, you cannot apply for an immigrant visa yourself. The application must be filed on your behalf by a third party (sponsor) who is a U.S. citizen or has permanent resident status in the United States. However, they can only sponsor their spouse or children, regardless of age. Note that immigrant visas for family and professional reasons are divided into several preferential categories.
There are four categories of immigrant visas:
Immediate Relative Visa: A close relative is defined as a spouse, unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents of a U.S. citizen 21 years of age or older;
family-based visa: this visa applies to siblings or married children of a U.S. citizen or the spouse of a permanent resident of the United States. Note that there is a quota for this type of visa;
employment-based visa: this type of visa is divided into five preference categories. The application must be submitted by the employer in the United States. The number of visas is limited to 140,000 per year;
fiancé(e)" (fiancé(e)-based) visa: allows the foreign fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen to enter the United States, marry within 90 days in the United States and then apply for a green card in the United States.
Lottery (Diversity Immigrant Visa Program or green card lottery). In most cases, the sponsor cannot apply for an immigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. Immediate relative, employment-based and fiancé(e)-based visas must be filed with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the United States. In most cases, the sponsor must be established in the United States.
Once the application is approved by USCIS, a notice of approval is sent to the sponsor and the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC then contacts the prospective immigrant and forwards the visa application to the U.S. Embassy in France. As with other types of visas, an interview is necessary and documents are required. You will also have to undergo a medical examination.
You will find detailed information on immigrant visas on the website (English version) of the Embassy of the United States in France.
Permanent Resident Card
Once the visa is obtained, you have six months to enter the United States and apply for an alien registration card or green card. This will allow you to work and reside in the United States. Please note that the Department of Homeland Security requires several months to issue your residence card. While waiting to receive this document, the stamp affixed to your passport upon entry into the United States and indicating your alien number will allow you to reside and work in the United States for one year.
The Permanent Resident Card is valid for 10 years and must be renewed, usually six months before its expiration date. Any change of address must be reported within 10 days. If you stay outside the United States for more than one year, but less than two years, you will need to apply for a re-entry permit.
You may lose your permanent resident status in various cases, including if you settle permanently in another country and, under certain conditions, if you stay outside the United States for an extended period of time.
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (Diversity Lottery)
This lottery offers a maximum of 55,000 permanent resident visas each year. Selected applicants are drawn by a computer from among the eligible applications and based on the number of visas available for each region and country.
Visas are divided into six geographic regions, with more visas granted to regions with low immigration to the United States. Within each region, no country can obtain more than 7% of the visas granted by the lottery. The lottery ends as soon as the 55,000 visas have been granted or at the end of the fiscal year, which runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year.
However, participation in this program is subject to conditions:
the applicant must, in most cases, have been born in a country authorized to participate in the lottery. This is not necessarily the country of your nationality or where you reside. Under certain conditions, it is possible to use the country of birth of the spouse or parents. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes each year a list of countries that can participate in the lottery;
the applicant must have a secondary school diploma or two years of work experience within the last five years in a job that requires at least two years of training or experience. To find out if your work experience qualifies you to participate in the lottery, you can consult the U.S. Department of Labor's database. For the lottery, these are occupations in Zones 4 and 5 and rated on the Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) scale 7 or higher. Participation in the lottery is free of charge. The registration period for the lottery usually starts each year in early October and information is posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website in August.
Applications are submitted electronically only (the only U.S. government site for the U.S. lottery is : DVlottery.state.gov).
Only one application per person is allowed. A couple may enter separately if each meets the eligibility criteria. If one is selected, the other will be selected as the eligible entrant. It is recommended to apply as soon as possible.
You will be able to find out if your application has been selected through a list called the "Incoming Status Check" on the program website. The Department of State no longer sends e-mail notifications or letters by postal mail to selected applicants.
Please note: Since the number of successful applications is greater than the number of visas granted, selection does not automatically guarantee a visa. You must therefore take the necessary steps to obtain a visa as quickly as possible, bearing in mind that at least one year elapses between the registration of the application on the Internet and the issuance of the corresponding visa.
Social security card
If you want to work in the United States, obtaining a Social Security Card is a priority. Your Social Security Number will be your permanent identification number with the U.S. government and is used to determine if you are eligible for social security.
There are two ways to apply for a Social Security Card :
In your home country, at the same time as your application for an immigrant visa. In this case, you will not have to go to one of the Social Security offices upon arrival.
Upon your arrival, by going to the Social Security office nearest to you.
When you are not allowed to work in the United States, you do not need a Social Security number. Please note that you do not need a social security number to obtain a driver's license, private health insurance, to enroll in a school, canteen, or subsidized housing. However, if you are asked for your social security number by a government or private agency, ask if you can be identified by some other means. This is not a problem in most cases.
If you apply for a Social Security card when you are not allowed to work in the United States, you will need to find a valid reason for the request (for tax reasons, for example).
For more information, contact the Social Security Administration.