What is a national interest waiver?

A national interest waiver allows a foreign national to become a permanent resident of the United States without a job offer. This waiver is granted if the foreign national’s work will be in the interest of the United States. In California, a national interest waiver allows the foreign national to obtain a green card without a labor certification. The labor certification, which is required for most employment-based immigration, is an application process that usually requires an employer to prove that there is an available job which cannot be filled by any U.S. workers. But, if the foreign national can prove that their work within the U.S. is of national importance, then the labor certification process can be waived. In order for the foreign national to qualify for a national interest waiver, they must prove their work is in the interest of the United States and that the benefits of the foreign national’s work would significantly outweigh any potential disadvantages. For example, a foreign national who has significant accomplishments and is working in certain areas of research may be able to obtain a national interest waiver. A foreign national who obtains a national interest waiver will be allowed to seek permanent residence in the United States without an offer of employment. They also may be eligible to self-petition and bypass the employer-employee relationship process. This makes the path to permanent residence much easier for those foreign nationals who can prove that their work would be of national interest.

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Una exención de interés nacional (Waiver de interés nacional) es una excepción a los requisitos de inmigración que se otorga por motivos de interés público. Esta excepción se otorga para ciertos individuos cuyo trabajo en Estados Unidos puede ser beneficioso para el país. Esta exención se concede a aquellos trabajadores que no tienen un patrón, como si fueran inmigrantes independientes. En el estado de California, una exención de interés nacional se puede otorgar a aquellos trabajadores cuyo trabajo es de interés nacional, como científicos, profesores o incluso empresarios que puedan contribuir de manera significativa a la economía de Estados Unidos mediante la creación de empleos para trabajadores estadounidenses. Para ser elegible para una exención de interés nacional, el trabajador debe cumplir ciertos requisitos, como demostrar que el trabajo es de interés nacional, demostrar que los ciudadanos estadounidenses no pueden desempeñar el trabajo, demostrar que el trabajo es de una calidad igual a la de cualquier ciudadano estadounidense y demostrar que el trabajo es beneficioso para Estados Unidos. Es importante recordar que una exención de interés nacional no es una deportación. Si un trabajador cumple con los requisitos de la exención de interés nacional, pueden recibir un permiso de trabajo para trabajar en Estados Unidos. Además, algunos trabajadores elegibles también pueden obtener una exención de inmigración basada en el empleador.

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