Visa Application Process

• 1). Obtain a U.S.-based employer. The modeling agency or sponsoring company will have to prove it has sufficient work to support you. If you already work for this company in other countries, this will strengthen your case. Additionally, most reputable employers will cover immigration costs.
  
  
• 2). Select an immigration attorney with experience in H-1B3s. Many immigration attorneys don't handle this specific type of visa. It's wise to have someone who knows your exact visa classification.
  
  
• 3). Provide your attorney with all your personal documents including proof of employment, passport copies, and any I-94 entry cards from previous visas and visits to the United States. Your attorney will give you a complete list of what he or she needs. Your employer too will need to submit a series of documents petitioning your immigration.
  
  
• 4). File the H-1B petition with the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) no later than April 1 of the calendar year in which you are applying. You will find in the next two months if your application was selected to be among the 65,000 processed that year.
  
  
• 5). Respond to any queries the USCIS sends you related to your application. A timely response is critical to avoid delays.
  
  
• 6). If you are outside the United States, contact your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to schedule a consular interview as soon as you receive your approval notice. Get a list of documents that the embassy or consulate requires for visa issuance. If you are in the United States and in legal status, your H-1B3 visa will be effective on Oct. 1, whether or not you have received the visa stamp in your passport.
  
  
• 7). Obtain the visa stamp at your consular interview and plan to enter the United States within 90 days after receiving it. Failure to enter within 90 days will invalidate the visa.