You have a plan for doing business in the U.S.  Now who is going to help make that happen? As companies get ready to do business in the U.S. they often delay in thinking about one key matter: making sure the people needed to implement their strategy can obtain the visas or other permission required to work in the U.S. Some U.S. hiring is possible, of course, but often key personnel are needed from abroad. If you’re going to be sending someone like Oscar winning Penélope Cruz, it may be easy to verify that a visa is available. Sometimes even experienced business personnel or their contemplated jobs, however, do not match what the U.S. immigration authorities require. Even a visa for a superstar can take a significant amount of time to arrange. It’s terrible when a project gets delayed or cannot take off because the right person isn’t ready with the right work authorization.

The next installment in GSB’s Resource for Doing Business in the U.S. sets out the basic visa options for working in the U.S. It outlines the types of visas and the associated process and requirements, which should help in timely and efficient planning.