Visas for the United States: the B1 “in lieu of H1B”

What you should know

This is the visa that must be processed to send workers to provide services based on the existence of a contract for the provision of the same between a Spanish company and an American company.

It is a requirement to be able to process this visa to make it very clear that the worker will not receive any type of financial compensation from an American source. It is also important to justify a high qualification on your part that can be demonstrated with the existence of a university degree or qualified experience.

Traveling with a B1 visa  “in lieu of H1B” ensures that we do not have problems either when entering the country or at the workplace, since it explicitly includes authorization to work in the North American company that has purchased the equipment.

This visa can only be applied for while outside the United States, so we have to process it before traveling.

This visa has to be stamped in the passport, so the traveler will have to process an interview at the consular section of the United States Embassy in Madrid. The Barcelona consulate does not process visas.

Visas for the United States. The B1 visa in lieu of H1B.

Visa duration.

By duration of the visa we have to understand the period during which the visa is valid and therefore we can use it to travel.

In the case of the B1 “in lieu of H1B” visa  , the duration of the visa will depend on the duration of the work to be carried out, but it could be up to 10 years.

Visas for the United States. The B1 visa in lieu of H1B.

Maximum stay allowed and number of entries and exits.

The maximum stay allowed in the country when one enters with a B1 visa “in lieu of H1B”  is 6 months, although the final decision on how long we will be allowed to stay in the country will be made by the border control officer who receives us. it arrives and it will stamp on the I-94. There is no limit on the number of B1 industrial worker visas that we can process per year, nor on the number of days that we can spend in the United States in a year.

Visas for the United States. The B1 visa in lieu of H1B.

Can it be extended?

This visa cannot be extended.

If you need to stay longer you will have to leave and reapply for a new B1 visa “in lieu of H1B“.

In principle there are no limits on the number of visas that can be applied for in a year.

Visas for the United States. The B1 visa in lieu of H1B.

Processing time

By processing time we have to understand the time it takes for the United States government to manage a B1 visa “in lieu of H1B“.

The average processing time varies depending on the time of year but it can be calculated that it will be around 5 calendar days from the moment the interview is carried out.

The interview, depending on the work that the consular section of visas of the embassy has, can be given to us many months away. It can even happen in the event that, at the time of the request, there are no spaces available and we have to wait.

If the term is extended beyond what would be acceptable for our interests, there are cases in which it is possible to request an urgent interview.

We must take into account that the preparation of the documentation that is necessary to provide with each file is complex and its preparation may require many days, so it is advisable to start processing the B1 visa “in lieu of H1B” between 2 and 3 months before the need.

Visas for the United States. The B1 visa in lieu of H1B.

Processing fees

LThe official fee charged by the United States government for processing a B1 visa in lieu of H1B is 160 $.