The International Professional Visa is very similar to the Temporary Visa for Professional. The main difference being that the International Visa for Professional leads to the Green Card (permanent residency through work); most countries, including Canada, are admissible.

CONDITIONS OF ADMISSIBILITY

1. Be a citizen of an eligible country (such as Canada and most countries in Europe);
2. The beneficiary must have at least a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent;
3. The US position filed by the beneficiary must require at least a Bachelor’s degree;
4. The salary paid to the employee must reflect the importance of the position held.

ANALYSIS OF EACH CRITERIA

1. Be a citizen of an eligible country

Most countries of the world are admissible to this type of visa. The beneficiaries from Canada are treated just as any citizens of the world when applying for an International Professional Visa.

This means that they cannot obtain it at a Port of Entry as for other types of temporary visas. A beneficiary must apply as a citizen of the country from which he rightfully has the citizenship from and not the country where he lives.

2. The beneficiary must have at least a Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent

Unlike the Temporary Visa for Professional, there are no specific categories of professional admissible. All professionals are admissible as long they have a Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. Otherwise, we have to demonstrate that their experience has the same value as a university degree.

The rule is quite simple: 3 years of work experience equals 1 year of university. In order to get recognition for the experience of the client, we send a complete resume and a list of all courses and training followed by the applicant to a Credential Evaluation firm in the United States. This firm can certify that the client’s background is the equivalent of a university degree.

3. The US position filed by the transferee must require at least a Bachelor’s degree

This criteria means that a mechanical engineer cannot enter the United States under this type of visa to work as a mechanic in a garage. To determine if the position filed requires a university degree, we use the standards of Dictionary of Occupational Titles (D.O.T.).

4. The salary paid to the employee must reflect the importance of the position held

The salary paid to the employee has to be approved by an agency of the Department of Labour. The US authorities want to be sure that no US employers hires “cheap labour” from foreign countries.