Work Visa Lawyer in Austin, Texas
A temporary work visa lets you live in the United States for employment that lasts a set period. A work visa lawyer in Austin works out which category fits the job and the person, then handles the petition your employer has to file with USCIS before you can apply.
A temporary work visa lets you work here for a period. A green card lets you stay. This page covers the first; employment-based permanent residence is a separate route.
Permission to Work, for a Period
With a temporary work visa you can live in the United States for employment that lasts a designated period. The sequence matters: your prospective employer files a petition with USCIS first, and only if that is approved do you apply for the visa itself. You are not the applicant at the start of your own case.
Duration varies more than people expect. A temporary work visa is valid from 3 months to as many as 10 years, depending on the type of visa and the terms of your employment contract, and it also depends on continuing to meet the conditions in that contract and those set by immigration authorities. There is no single answer to how long one lasts.
Almost all of these visas are tied to the employer who petitioned. That is the defining constraint of the temporary route and the thing that most often brings people to a consultation: a job change, a layoff, or an expiry date approaching with no plan behind it. Some categories allow a change of employer with a new petition and some do not.
- Your employer petitions first. You apply for the visa afterwards
- Validity runs from 3 months to as many as 10 years depending on the category
- Most of these visas are tied to the employer that petitioned for you
- A temporary visa is not a green card, and does not become one by itself
Which Visa the Job Points To
One line each, because each of these deserves its own page and is getting one. What matters here is recognising which conversation you are in.
H-1B
For specialty occupations, normally requiring a degree in the field. The best known of these visas and the most competitive to obtain.
TN
For Canadian and Mexican professionals in listed occupations, under the North American trade agreement. A different and usually faster process.
L-1
For managers, executives and specialised-knowledge employees transferring within a multinational company.
O-1
For people with extraordinary ability or achievement in the sciences, arts, education, business, athletics or film. This one has its own page.
Temporary Work Visas at a Glance
Who petitions, how long it lasts, and whether it leads anywhere permanent.
The petition goes to USCIS before you apply for anything.
Depending on the category and your employment contract.
Which is why a job change needs advice before it happens.
Whether they may work depends on the category and the dependent visa.
Not automatically. It is a separate route that can run alongside.
Extensions, changes of status and departures all have their own timing.
How a Petition Runs
Four stages, and the first one is not yours. That surprises people who have only dealt with visitor visas, where the applicant starts the process.
Establish the Category
Match the role, the qualifications and the person to a category that actually fits. Filing in the wrong one wastes the fee and the time both.
UsThe Employer Petitions USCIS
The company files, with the evidence about the role, the wage and the worker. Some categories have premium processing available at a fee USCIS publishes.
Employer, with usYou Apply for the Visa
Once the petition is approved, the application goes to a consulate abroad, with an interview. If you are already in the United States lawfully, a change of status may be possible instead.
You, with usAdmission, and What Follows
You are admitted for the period the category allows. Extensions, changes of employer and the move to permanent residence are all separate applications with their own timing.
UsIf a visa expires within the year, or a job is changing, that is the call to make now.
Whether you can extend, change status or refile at all depends on where you are in the current approval period.
Temporary Visa, or the Permanent Route
Many people end up doing both, in sequence. Knowing which one you are on, and whether the other is running in parallel, is what stops a gap in status.
| Temporary work visa | Employment-based green card | |
|---|---|---|
| What it gives you | Permission to work for a set period | Permanent residence, with no expiry on your status |
| Tied to an employer | In most categories, yes | Sponsored by one, but the card is yours once approved |
| Who files first | Your employer, with USCIS | Your employer, after a labor certification |
| If you lose the job | Your status is at risk and time is short | Your residence is not affected once the card is issued |
| Numerically limited | Some categories are, some are not | Yes, every category, and country of birth matters |
| How long it takes | USCIS publishes petition times; some have premium processing | Longer, and a Visa Bulletin wait on top |
The two routes are not alternatives so much as stages. A great many people arrive on a temporary visa and start the permanent process years later, and the useful question at a consultation is whether both should be running.
What We Will Ask For
Split by who holds it. In a temporary work visa case the employer’s half usually arrives slower than the worker’s.
What People Say After the Case Closes
Pablo Nossa is hands down the most well rounded lawyer i have had the pleasure to deal with. Not only was he available close to 24/7, but he would always engage with a positive attitude and informed advice. He definitely saved the day for us when setting up our foundation and transferring foreign national employees from Europe to the US. I would be happy to recommend Pablo to friends any day for immigration-related needs.
Neisan M.I’m a commercial attorney who needed some help at the intersection of immigration and employment law, and Nossa Law was able to direct me towards hard-to-find relevant legal precedent. He knew his stuff, responded quickly, and was able to save me hours of time and money in order to help my clients. Great work. Thank you.
Abbas M.When my Wife and I started this process we interviewed several immigration attorneys and one Law Firm stood out well above all others; Nossa Law Firm. Pablo Nossa and his staff took care of all of our needs and provided excellent feedback and guidance throughout our immigration process. The Nossa Law Firm provided transparency and clarity as well as compassion for my family and I. I can’t thank Pablo and his team enough for their excellent service. I highly recommend the Nossa Law Firm to advocate on your behalf and guide you through the complexities of the immigration process. To those newly navigating the immigration process, please be mindful of the following: Yes, the processes takes time, Pablo explained the process with great detail and provided comprehensive, honest and realistic timelines. Yes, you need to choose an Attorney to assist you with the process, do not attempt the immigration process without legal Counsel. Keep good documentation (Pictures, Travel Itinerary, Communications with your love ones, …etc.) Don’t be scared of raising any issue of concern with your legal counsel, they are there to help make sense of this difficult process. Think with your head; sometimes your heart wants something so bad that emotions take over and you don’t make good decisions in such a state (I owe a big thanks to my incredible wife and Pablo in this regard for helping me understand the process). Be completely honest throughout the process. Last, but most importantly be patient, you are working with the government… Things take time!!! Trust the Nossa Law Firm to handle your immigration needs, they are very knowledgeable, experienced and will provide you with unmatched representation. Meeks’ Family
Travis M.Very happy with Nossa Law’s help! Here was our situation. My wife was immigrating to the US, and obviously it was extremely important for our case to go through with as little issues as possible. He is extremely responsible and flexible with his schedule! He met with us on a Sunday one day, and also at 7pm during the week since my work schedule didn’t lend itself well to meet at another time. He replied to all our or questions, and even after having to move to another city during our case processing, he was even able to meet with us via Skype. Definitely went beyond the extra mile with us, so very happy to recommend. Needless to say that our case was successful, and my wife has her Permanent Resident status now. We ‘shopped around’ and met with 2 immigration lawyers prior to meeting with Pablo Nossa. Other lawyers either first had us meet with a paralegal rather than talk to a lawyer, or when we had a follow-up question it was extremely difficult to actually get a response from the lawyer itself (I can let you know separately who these lawyers were if needed). Pablo’s advice was right on, so he proved to be fully knowledgeable. We had a ton of questions for him, and he was very patient and exact with his answers. Very professional. Two thumbs up. Better than advertised. Let me know if you need any other information and I’ll be glad to help. We found Pablo using Google, so we’ll only be happy to provide more details on our experience.
Juan G.Highly recommend Pablo for all immigration matters. As an attorney, he is extremely knowledgeable about all of the immigration processes and timelines and can work with you to make sure your application is complete and filed correctly, which is fundamental in making sure your application is reviewed and accepted. We worked with Pablo for my wife to change her status and get a Green Card once already in the US and Pablo was able to get it done much faster that we ever would have estimated to be possible. Anybody taking the time to read these reviews I’m sure has done their research and assumes that all of the immigration documents were created to be filled out by regular people, but the problem with this is that there are so many forms that have to be filled out and submitted in a certain order that if it isn’t done correctly you can set your application processing back by several months. I am certain that working with a knowledgeable lawyer like Pablo is definitely worth the investment as you can rest assured that things are getting done correctly and expediently. The other huge benefit is being able to ask Pablo questions 24/7 by email, text message or phone call and he gets back to you within minutes. Highly recommend Pablo, we are going to be using him on all immigration issues moving forward.
A Y.Pablo does excellent work, all my experience with him was SUPER positive! He agreed to meet me and to answer my questions even before I hired him, and not just for 5 min, but really took time to explain everything. Actually I even met him more than once before I signed anything. I could always call him, and every time, I only got polite, honest and EXACT answers to my questions. Im quite lucky that I found him, because I ve shopped around and I know that other companies want you to pay 200 hundred even before you open your mouth with a question. When I needed, he even agreed to meet me on his day off, which I really needed, because all my work days were so busy. My case was the greencard, he guided me through the process, telling me every next step, and everything was always happening just like he was saying, and in time that he would predict. My recommendation to everyone – just meet Pablo once, and you will instantly understand that he is the lawyer you can trust. To my surprise in addition to everything, the price was absolutely reasonable, I previously got quotes from different places, so I know what im talking about. All in all my process took from the beginning of November to the end of January, so it just took 3 months for my greencard to get approved! All I can say is Thank You
Serge R.I never write reviews but these guys deserve my time, because they gave us so much of theirs – so helpful!!! Anyway, my friend’s green card had been expired for a year and he was too scared to even look into fixing the problem. I wanted to help him so while searching, I came across Nossa law, and reached out to Pablo to see if he could do anything. He began by first explaining the full extent of the situation in a way we could understand, then went through the step by step process of what we were in for. By the end of our first meeting we were fully knowledgeable. My friend went from scared to educated and empowered, ready to move forward to fix his immigration issues. Pablo kept in contact with us regularly so we were actually able to understand what was going on throughout the process. Thank you Pablo and the sweet people at Nossa law for working to make the renewal process so seamless. Pablo even went so far as to help my friend’s mom come visit from Mumbai. He genuinely cared to help us, and he is clearly experienced and good at what he does. Dealing with immigration stuff sucks plus it’s so confusing, these guys really know how to make it less of a burden. Highly recommmend!!!!!!
Angela E.Mr. Nossa and his Team are the best immigration law office, second to none. After interviewing with a few immigration attorneys, we felt right at home when we met with Mr. Nossa. His staff is kind, compassionate and professional. He is very knowledgeable and instills trust from the get go. Our case lasted many years. Six to be exact. It was not an easy one and we hit several roadblocks along the way. Every time things got scary, he would redirect and re-strategize in a very calm and collected way. Another key point here is financials: we tend to think that a lawyer will cost us an arm and a leg, and although that is true for the minority of law offices, Nossa Law is very reasonable with the cost of their professional services. Do not be afraid to meet with them and get a road map as well as pricing. You’ll be happy you did. Lastly, their success rate is very high. Just by reading the 200+ reviews on here you will understand how good they are. I am happy to report out difficult case had a happy ending and everything came out successfully. Thank you Mr. Nossa and Team, you guys are AMAZING!
Alfredo A.My Journey with Mr Nossa goes back to 2013, that is when I meet him for the first time and spoke to him for about 20 minutes,by the time I was done with the initial consultation, I was happy and assured that I found a great competing talent in Mr Nossa who would fight for me and be there for me in every step of this long immigration battle. I have used Mr Nossa’s services twice during these 5 years and will be using him again for my Naturalization. He is more of a personal confidant than an attorney to me and he never treated me like a client ,always address me like a close friend. Mr Nossa personally gave me his cell phone number and was always a text away and he responds with in minutes. Immigration is a life changing event in one’s life if you want to leave your home country and live in the United States. Putting your case in the right hands is crucial for this process. Mr Nossa has the enthusiasm to work on immigration cases and to finish each case perfectly. I am one hundred percent satisfied with the legal service I got from this law firm, and recommend it to all.
Sundeep R.As a lawyer myself, I get a lot of legal questions from people on a wide range of issues. Being a real estate & land use attorney, most such questions are not within my realm of expertise or specialization. Enter Nossa Law (specifically Pablo Nossa). I’ve referred several people to Nossa Law who came to me with immigration issues/questions, and each and every one has made a point of letting me know that they were extremely satisfied with and appreciative of Pablo and his work. The resounding consensus is that Pablo possesses a deep understanding of immigration law, a genuine care for each client that underpins his unparalleled ability to effectively communicate the unique issues each client faces in approachable terms, and the experience to implement a strategy to overcome the hurdles faced by the client (to the extent they are legally surmountable). I will continue to refer each and every person I know that needs assistance navigating immigration issues to Pablo Nossa of Nossa Law. You would be wise to call Nossa Law if you or someone you know have has immigration issue.
Zeca M.Found Mr. Nossa through google after calling a few other attorney’s prior who were not much help, asked for a consultation fee, etc. Mr. Nossa agreed to meet quickly, the same day. He explained the process in detail and sounded confident. He offered a payment plan, but we agreed just to pay full upfront. His assistant rapidly sent us all the items required, and he drafted up the forms very quickly. He express shipped everything over quickly for processing. We even received a travel permit as requested in time for our travels. 1. You can text Mr. Nossa at anytime and he responds regardless of time 2. You can call Mr. Nossa on his mobile whenever you need 3. He is extremely professional and just works very quickly If you need an immigration attorney he is the go to person. I just could not believe how effortless this entire process was. What really helped ease the process was the communication and him responding ASAP when we had questions or concers. Finding Mr. Nossa was just blessing period!
K L.3 years ago, when I decided to once for all work on immigration papers, I did like many would do, ask friends and go online. What I felt at that time when reading Pablo’s reviews was that he was personable. That’s exactly that. He was available along the journey at every step and one phone call away. His team with Adriana and others is top notch. Very detail oriented, very knowledgeable, respectful and compassionate. You get confident knowing you have the best on your side. I thank all of them for what they do. His attorney fee is ridiculously low compared to the work they put in and the time it takes for the whole process. I received my green card (10yrs) and I’m for ever grateful to him. You can call him, you can text him and he’ll respond. It’s like having a powerful lawyer as a best friend! This guy will be blessed for years because of all the good he does. From the Diop family!
Ibrahima D.Every case is different. Past results and timelines do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The Firm That Handles What Comes Next
Almost nobody on a temporary work visa stays on one. The useful thing about an immigration-only firm is that the extension, the change of employer, the spouse's work permit and the green card years later are all the same file.
Pablo Nossa has practiced immigration law and nothing else since 2010, from offices in Austin and Houston, across the temporary and permanent routes both. He takes the consultation himself and gives clients his cell number, which matters most when a status question arrives with a deadline attached.
The firm also tells you plainly when it does not see a viable route. On a temporary work visa that usually means telling an employer that the role as written does not fit the category they were hoping for, before the petition is prepared.
- Immigration law since 2010, and no other practice area
- Temporary and permanent routes handled by the same firm
- AILA member, with a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin
- Upfront pricing and flat-fee rates
Pablo Nossa
Principal attorney, and the person who conducts the consultation. J.D., University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Latin American Studies. Practicing immigration law since 2010, from the Austin and Houston offices.
Questions People Ask First
What is a work visa?
How do I get a work visa?
How long is a work visa good for?
Which visa category do I need?
Can my family come with me, and can they work?
What happens if I change employer?
Can a work visa lead to a green card?
What does it cost?
Two Offices, One Attorney
Consultations with the attorney at either office.
Austin
7000 N Mopac Expy, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78731
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5
Houston
2950 North Loop West, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77092
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5
Find Out Which Category Fits
For workers with an offer, and employers with a role to fill.
- Bring the role description, your qualifications and your current status documents
- You will leave knowing which category fits and what the employer has to do
- Upfront pricing and flat-fee rates
Austin · 7000 N Mopac Expy, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78731
Houston · 2950 North Loop West, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77092
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 · pablo@nossalaw.com
Contact
(713) 599-1633pablo@nossalaw.com
Austin7000 N Mopac Expy, Suite 200
Austin, TX 78731
Directions
Houston2950 North Loop West, Suite 500
Houston, TX 77092
Directions
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5