If you are looking to bring more employees into your workforce, you might be thinking about hiring individuals who are currently citizens of other countries. If this is the case, then you might be worried about the legalities that go along with doing something like this. These are some of the top things that you might want to know if you are just beginning your research about employing immigrants by sponsoring them with an H-1B visa.

There Are Salary Minimums

Some employers think that they can hire immigrants at a lower rate than what they would have to pay American citizens, which is one reason why some employers are so intrigued by the H-1B visa system in the first place. However, there are protections put in place to protect immigrants from being taken advantage of in this way. Because of this, if you are going to sponsor immigrants on an H-1B visa, you are required to pay a certain salary per year. Additionally, you are required to pay the salary in a timely manner. Naturally, you will probably want to pay competitive wages to the immigrants who you hire since this can help you attract and retain the best talent and can help you assist these immigrants in building a new life in the United States.

Processing Times Can Take a While

Because of all of the paperwork that has to be filled out and submitted, and because of all of the work that has to be done behind the scenes, it can take months for someone to get approved for an H-1 visa. Therefore, if you are planning on hiring immigrants to work for your company anytime in the near future, you should make sure that you get started with the visa process as soon as possible.

Hiring an Immigration Lawyer Makes Sense

As a business owner, there is a chance that you already work with at least one lawyer to help you with legal matters related to your business. However, the lawyers that you currently work with might not be as well-qualified to assist you with this matter. In particular, you will probably want to find an immigration lawyer who has experience with H-1B immigration. They can provide you with the most information and the best advice, and they should be able to assist you and the immigrants who you are planning on hiring as much as possible. Your regular lawyer might be able to make a recommendation about a good immigration lawyer, or you can do your research.