Non-Immigrant Visas
Temporary Work Visas
The only way to enter the United States and work temporarily is with a visa, and only U.S. Consular officers are authorized to issue visas.
The Immigration and Naturalization Act offers different types of non-immigrant visas for those who wish to work temporarily in the United States. In order to obtain a temporary work visa, the employer or his representative offering work must submit a petition for temporary workers (form I-129) to the Department of Homeland Security. At the time of the potential temporary worker’s interview, he should present the original of the approved petition (form I-797). An applicant cannot schedule his appointment for an interview until he has received his approved H2B petition from an employer in the United States, and groups of workers planning to work for the same employer should schedule their appointments together by employer, recruiter, or agency.
In El Salvador, there are some agencies who are hired by businesses in the United States to recruit temporary workers, but they cannot guarantee work nor visas. No one can assure you for any amount of money that you will be granted a visa. Each applicant must present himself personally for an interview with a Consular Officer and demonstrate that he will return to El Salvador after a temporary work period. Any misrepresentation on the part of the applicant may have severe consequences.
The Consular Section does not require any additional payments for the processing of temporary work visas. The fee for processing a visa charged by the Consular Section is $131, as it is for any type of non-immigrant visa. Do not let yourself be fooled! Specific information regarding temporary work visas (H2B) for workers or petitioners.
Groups of applicants for temporary work visas should contact the Visa Information Center to set up a group interview. At the time of the interview, each applicant should present his application form (DS-156), with all three pages printed out from using the on-line application system (EVAF).