H1B1 Visa (Chile)

What are the exceptions to having a post-secondary degree or its equivalent to qualify for an H-1B1 (for Chileans)?

The short answer is that there is no exception that lets someone qualify with no post-secondary credential at all. What the Free Trade Agreement does is narrower and more useful than that: for four named professions, it accepts a different credential in place of the ordinary four-year degree.

Can the H-1B1 principal applicant’s spouse, dependent children, and family accompany him or her to the U.S.?

Yes. The H-1B1 visa (for Chileans) allows the principal applicant to live and work in the United States accompanied by his or her spouse and dependent children.

Note, however, that only spouses and children of H-1B1 work visa holders are eligible for derivative visas. Parents and other family members are NOT eligible for H4 visas.

What is the maximum validity for H-1B1 visas (for Chileans)?

Two different clocks run in every H-1B1 case, and they are easy to confuse. The visa is a travel document. It controls the window during which a person may present himself or herself at a port of entry. The period of authorized admission is separate, and it controls how long the person may actually remain and work. An 18-month visa does not produce an 18-month stay.

How did the H-1B1 visa (for Chileans) come about?

The H-1B1 visa (for Chileans) came about with implementation of the United States – Chile Free Trade Agreement on January 1, 2004. As a result of this agreement, Chilean nationals became eligible for the treaty-established visa known as the H-1B1 FTA Professional Visa [Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Professional Visa].

Do H-1B1 visas (for Chileans) allow for multiple-entry?

Yes. H-1B1 visas (for Chileans) are multiple-entry.