Understanding US Visa law for companies is very important.
Human Resources (HR) departments often need to cover much ground regarding employment Visas and other Visas that can be secured by the people working in/for a business. Moving staff from an office in Europe, for example, to the US branch will likely mean investing in legal support to better understand the process. For example, you might find that you need to get an executive and their family into America to help deal with a quickly changing situation.
Here are some essentials to focus on when it comes to managing Visa applications within your HR department.
Results are never as quick as you would like
Sadly, it is almost impossible for a Visa to be dealt with and declared immediately. The Visa process is a slow one, and this means that you should never expect a fast answer. If you have someone (and/or their family) waiting to get into the country, you must be prepared to deal with Visas ahead of time.
In the tardy world of US Visa applications, there is never really any way to simply ensure that you get your Visa quickly. The Visa program is highly bureaucratic, so every Visa application must go through various platforms to reach an agreement.
No matter your company’s size, you should not expect preferential treatment. As such, you should always have Visa applications ‘in the post’ as soon as possible. The sooner your HR department can be informed of a potential need for a Visa, the sooner an application can be processed and a decision made.
Always gather information ahead of time
Often, an HR department can be blamed for Visa delays when it is not their fault. The most common reason is that the individual requiring the visa must arrive soon. The best thing your HR team can do is gather all the information they need to begin processing Visa documents.
This is very important, as you might need a lot of identifiable information to add to the Visa application. It is vital that you can have as much information at hand as possible so that any smaller details can be quickly gathered and added to the application. Where possible, you should look for a legal firm to help you expedite the review of information.
With their help, they can assist in drafting the Visa application while ensuring it has all the relevant information attached and included.
Look into short-term Visa solutions
If someone has to get into the USA while their application is ongoing, you can do so with relative ease. You should contact your HR department more familiar with a B-1/B-2 Visitor Visa. This allows the individual in question to come to America and engage in what is known as ‘non-productive’ tasks.
This often means events like business meetings, trade shows, and conferences. They mustn’t do any actual work on a Visitor Visa, though. Taking part in daily work activities violates US visitor status, which could cause serious issues down the line.
Make sure that you are aware of all potential short-term solutions that could be used. While it might mean they cannot participate in the required task until they receive a full Visa, a Visitor Visa allows someone to get involved in meetings and events surrounding the topic. In many cases, this is a better-than-nothing solution, but it is still worthy of consideration.
