Non-Immigrant Visas
Domestic Employee Visas
Personal or domestic employees who are accompanying or following to join an employer in the United States are eligible for B-1 visas; those accompanying or following to join an employer who is a foreign diplomat or official are eligible for A-3 or G-5 visas, depending on the visa status of their employer.
This category of persons includes, but is not limited to, cooks, butlers, chauffeurs, housemaids, nannies, and paid companions.
Accompanying a Non-immigrant Visa Holder
An employer-employee relationship must already have existed between the employer and the visa applicant. This can be demonstrated in the following ways:
- The employee has been employed outside the United States by the employer for at least one year prior to the date of the employer's admission to the United States.
- If the employer-employee relationship existed immediately prior to the time of application, the employer can demonstrate that he has regularly employed the applicant as domestic help over a period of years preceding the time of application either year-round or seasonally.
- If the employer-employee relationship is less than one year in duration, the employee must have had at least one year's experience as a personal or domestic servant as attested to by statements from previous employers.
The employer will be the only provider of employment, and will provide the employee free room and board and round trip airfare as indicated under the terms of the employment contract.
While in the United States, the employer is also required to pay the domestic employee, at a mininmum, the prevailing wage for domestic employees in the United States.
In addition to all documents required for a Business visa (B1), a domestic employee much also provide:
- A copy of their sponsor’s visa or U.S. passport; and
- Contract Requirements for Personal or Domestic Servants
- Domestic Employee Rights