H-3 Visa
H-3 Visa is designed for individuals who seek training in the U.S. for their aspired professions in the future. There are two ways in which you can apply for an H-3 Visa:
- As a trainee who can be eligible for every training related to their future professions except graduate medical training,
- As a special education exchange visitor who can only be eligible for training in the education of children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
Beware that this is NOT an employment visa, but a training visa that will lead to employment in the future outside of the United States.
Eligibility Requirements:
For trainees and special education exchange visitors:
- The trainee candidate must be invited by an individual or organizational sponsor in the U.S.
- The to-be-attended training must not be available in his/her home country.
- The trainee must not be placed in a position where his/her training might interfere with the usual operation of the business, and where U.S. citizen and resident workers are employed.
- The trainee must not seek productive employment in the U.S. unless the employment is essential to the training program.
- The training must equip the trainee with the necessary gains to enable him/her to find employment outside of the U.S. For only special education exchange visitors:
- The exchange visitor must have a baccalaureate or higher degree program in his/her area of special education expertise or must be expecting to complete them soon
- If the exchange visitor does not have a baccalaureate or higher degree diploma, then he/she must provide other prior training and teaching experience(s) with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities children.
Family Members:
The spouses and unmarried children (under the age of 21) of H-3 visa holders can apply for an H-4 (Dependent visa) for the duration of the H-3 visa.
FAQ:
There are individuals applying for H-3 Visa through special education, and exchange visitors. The number of people admitted to the exchange visitor category is currently 50.
The maximum length of stay for trainees is 2, and special education exchange visitors is 1.5 years.
No. Your family accompanying you as dependents cannot seek employment in the U.S. on H-4 status.
Yes. Full-time study of children and part-time study of spouses is allowed.
Productive employment is defined as the ‘employment producing enough income to support the worker and his/her dependents, and consequently raising them above the poverty line.'
Simply, your training-related employment on H-3 cannot generate an income of living, therefore can only be utilized as an additional source of finance.
The eligible fields of training are many. Some fields include but are not limited to:
- Transportation
- Communications
- Agriculture
- Government
- Finance
- Commerce