New York · est. 2013Saturday, September 5, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Formularios · Employment

Temporary work visas

Temporary work in the United States runs through Form I-129, filed by the employer, for classifications like H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, L-1, O-1, P, R and TN. Several categories need a Department of Labor certification first. Approval produces an I-797 that supports either a visa application abroad or a change of status inside the country.

Tiempo habitual: 0.5 months with premium processing and 5.3 months without in FY 2026, plus consular wait times.Tarifas: For an H-1B: about $780 base plus $600 Asylum Program Fee plus $500 fraud fee plus $750 or $1,500 ACWIA, so roughly $2,600 to $3,400 before legal fees, plus $215 for registration and $2,965 if premium processing is bought.

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Para quién es. U.S. employers and agents sponsoring temporary workers, and the workers themselves as beneficiaries.

Los formularios, en orden

9 formularios
ETA-9035ETA-9142AETA-9142BETA-9141I-129I-907I-129SDS-160I-539
  1. 1

    Get the required labour certification or attestation

    ETA-9035ETA-9142AETA-9142BETA-9141

    Quién
    The employer
    Cuándo
    LCAs are reviewed within 7 working days; H-2A and H-2B certifications take longer
    Tarifa
    $0 to the Department of Labor

    H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 need a certified LCA; H-2A and H-2B need a temporary labour certification; O, P, L and TN do not.

  2. 2

    For cap-subject H-1B, register in the electronic registration process

    Quién
    The employer
    Cuándo
    The annual registration window, usually in March
    Tarifa
    $215 per beneficiary

    Registration is a lottery. Only selected registrations may file a petition.

  3. 3

    File Form I-129 with the certification and evidence

    I-129I-907I-129S

    Quién
    The employer
    Cuándo
    0.5 months with premium processing, 5.3 months without, in FY 2026
    Tarifa
    $780 or $730 for H-1B, $1,385 for L, $1,055 for O, $1,015 or $965 for E, TN, H-3, P and Q, $510 for R, plus the $600 Asylum Program Fee, plus fraud and ACWIA fees where they apply

    Small employers and nonprofits pay reduced base fees and a reduced or zero Asylum Program Fee.

  4. 4

    Apply for the visa abroad, or change status inside the United States

    DS-160I-539

    Quién
    The worker and dependants
    Cuándo
    Consular wait times vary by post
    Tarifa
    $205 for a petition-based visa, $315 for E, plus $470 to $520 for a dependant's work permit where allowed

    Dependants use Form I-539 to change or extend status inside the country.

  5. 5

    Extend or amend the petition as the job changes

    I-129I-539

    Quién
    The employer
    Cuándo
    Before the current I-94 expires
    Tarifa
    The same fee schedule applies to extensions

    A material change in job duties or location needs an amended petition.

Dónde suele fallar

  • The H-1B cap lottery is the binding constraint for most new specialty occupation hires.
  • Working before the petition is approved, outside cap-gap or portability rules, is unauthorised employment.
  • H-1B and L-1 heavy employers with 50 or more U.S. staff face the $4,000 or $4,500 Public Law 114-113 fee.
  • An LCA filed more than six months before the start date is invalid.
  • A defective public access file is the most common finding in a Wage and Hour investigation.

Qué cambió en 2025 y 2026

  • The $100,000 H-1B payment requirement was vacated on June 8, 2026 in State of California v. Mullin and the First Circuit denied a stay on July 24, 2026, so DHS is not collecting it.
  • Form I-129 has a 02/27/26 edition.
  • The Farmworker Protection Rule H-2A forms remain suspended; employers use the pre-June 2024 versions.

Trámites relacionados

Fuentes: uscis.gov · flag.dol.gov · dol.gov · uscis.gov · egov.uscis.gov · uscis.gov · travel.state.gov