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United States · Work visa

United States visa guide

United States USA Work Visa (H, L, O)

Information on US temporary work visas — the H, L, O, P and Q categories, which require an approved employer petition.

Processing
Employer-driven
Support
Information only

United States USA Work Visa (H, L, O) — overview

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US temporary work visas — the H, L, O, P and Q categories — are for people entering the United States for employment for a fixed period. Each of these visas requires the prospective US employer to first file a petition with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); an approved petition is required before the visa can be applied for.

This page is provided for awareness only. US work visas are employer-driven and work-related, and Lifeset Overseas does not process work-related visas — they fall under a separate licensing regime we do not hold.

If your goal is a future in the United States, talk to us about a student visa — a route we can fully and honestly support — or a permanent-residency route in a country where that option exists.

Documents you need

4 items

  • Approved USCIS petition

    The prospective US employer must first file a petition with USCIS; an approved petition is required before applying for the visa.

  • Valid passport

    A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the intended stay.

  • DS-160 & visa fee

    The completed DS-160 application and payment of the visa application fee (USD 205 for the H, L, O, P and Q categories).

  • Consular interview

    A biometrics appointment and a consular interview at the US Embassy or a Consulate.

Costs & fees

Transparent

Item

Amount

Visa application (MRV) fee

For the H, L, O, P and Q categories. An approved USCIS petition is required first.

USD 205

Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.

Frequently asked questions

3 answers

  • No. US work visas (H, L, O, P, Q) are employer-driven and work-related, and require a separate licence we do not hold. This page is informational only.

  • The prospective US employer files a petition with USCIS. Only once that petition is approved can the visa be applied for at a US Embassy or Consulate.

  • We can fully support a US student visa, a B-1/B-2 visitor or business visa, and exchange-visitor and transit visas. Speak to us for an honest assessment of your options.

Your Lifeset team

Licensed in Punjab · Based in Patiala

Tell us what you have in mind. We’ll help you understand your options and the fee before you decide.

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United States guides & insights

A real way forward

Work visas aren’t our licence — a real route to United States is.

Employer-driven work visas need a separate licence we don't hold — so this page is information only. But if your real goal is to build a future in United States, we can help with a study route, a family route, or permanent residency where it exists. Talk to us and we'll map the honest path that actually works for you.

  • Honest route mapping

    We assess your profile and show you which United States pathway can realistically work for you.

  • A file built to win

    Study, family or PR — whichever route fits, we build and stress-test the documents properly.

  • One consultant, end to end

    The same person stays with your case from the first call to the decision.

  • Licensed & honest

    A Government-of-Punjab licensed consultancy. We never take a case we believe will fail.

Contact us

licensed (No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024)Fixed fees agreed upfrontWe won’t take a case we believe will fail

Other United States visas

Before you pay anyone for a United States work permit

Only a firm holding an MEA Recruiting Agent licence may recruit you for overseas employment. That register is public, and checking it takes about a minute — it is the single thing that separates a legitimate agent from the people this route is famous for.

  • Ask for the RA licence number and look it up on the Ministry of External Affairs’ own eMigrate portal. A genuine agent will give it without being pushed.
  • A licensed agent’s fee is capped by law and receipted. Nobody legitimate asks for cash with no paperwork.
  • No agent can promise you a job offer, and an offer letter that arrives before any interview is the oldest warning sign there is.
  • Never hand over your original passport. Not to them, and not to us.

For information only — we do not handle work permits. Lifeset Overseas does not process work permits for United States or any other country: that requires an MEA Recruiting Agent licence under the Emigration Act, which we do not hold. Our licence (No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024) covers visa consultancy and travel services. We can explain how this route works and how to check somebody who says they can do it — we cannot apply for it on your behalf, and we will not take a fee for trying.

Most people who ask us about work permits are really asking about something else.

A course with a post-study work route often reaches the same place, legally, through a door we can open for you — and it is a route nobody can take your money for and disappear. If you tell us what you are actually trying to achieve, we will tell you honestly whether that fits, including when it does not.

Ask about study or PR routes

Or read the study visa route first — no phone number required.