Legal Question in Immigration Law in Texas

Re: acquiring a visa to work with, types of visas allow employment

Well, first of all, your youth prevents you from having the necessary experience and qualifications to obtain the L-1 and H-1. It's not just because you're under 18 that you don't qualify for the L-1.

You're on an L-2 right now so obviously you have a parent who holds an L-1 visa. Your parent obtained the L-1 because he or she is a manager or executive who transferred to the US to work for the same company as back home or a related company. You need to have had the same qualifications in your home country for a year before you could get an L-1. Obviously, you're too young to have that experience!

The H-1B is for professional jobs that require at least a bachelor's degree from college. You're also too young for that.

The J-1 or F-1 visa are probably your only options. If your goal is to work, however, both of these offer limited choices. Under the J-1, you could work as an au pair if you like kids. You could also work as a summer camp counselor if you are a youth worker, student, teacher or an individual with a special skill. But you only get a four-month stay being a camp counselor. Under the J-1 or F-1, you could be a college student in a degree program and be eligible for academic training and student employment. For academic training, it must be related to the field of study. Student employment is allowed if it is part of a scholarship or fellowship and on-campus, or is off campus and necessary because of sudden economic circumstances. I don't know when your parent's L-1 expires but if he or she is still in the US on the L-1 when you're in college, you might have a hard time convincing the INS you need to work off-campus to make money. In any case, the work will be part-time.

Good luck,

Liem Doan, Esq.