Can your work visa help your family travel, too?

Some people can enter the United States because they already have family living here. Others may seek opportunities through their education or employment. When your company expands into the United States or you learn of a job opportunity with a company in the United States, you could secure a non-immigrant visa. A work-based visa can help those with exceptional job skills or professional backgrounds obtain non-immigrant work visas. Such visas allow those professionals to enter the United States. After enough time living in the country, they may potentially qualify for a green card and, then, citizenship. Securing an opportunity to enter the United States for work won't feel very meaningful if it means you have to separate from the people that you care for the most. Can your family potentially travel with you when you secure a work visa from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)?

Certain family members can obtain subordinate visas

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You can typically travel with your immediate family when you have a non-immigrant work visa. Just like you need to pass a background check and provide medical records to prove that you qualify to enter the United States, the same will be true of any immediate family members who want to travel with you. You can potentially bring your spouse and some of your children with you. There is no limit to the number of children who can potentially travel with you, but they will generally need to be under the age of 21 and unmarried to secure a visa related to your own work visa. Like you, they will be subject to strict oversight while living in the United States. Certain criminal offenses or long-term reliance on state welfare benefits may make them ineligible to remain in the country or to qualify for a green card. Also like you, they will be able to renew their visas. If they stay in the country for long enough, your family may eventually qualify for a green card based on their compliance with immigration rules and lawful time in the United States. Understanding the rules that apply to employment-based immigration can help you speak the most effective tools for your family's current needs.