P.A.C.E. Solo W-2™ Sponsors Work Visas


Important Disclaimers

  • You must be highly skilled and highly compensated: P.A.C.E. only sponsors work visas for highly skilled and highly compensated foreign workers who want to become consultants and contract professionals in the United States.

  • P.A.C.E. is NOT a placement agency: It is very important that foreign contract professionals understand that P.A.C.E. is NOT a placement agency, and that while we may help our Division Managers learn how to market their own consulting services to clients in the USA, we do not actually find contract assignments for our employees. Accordingly, only highly skilled, foreign consultants who are both willing and able to find their own contract assignments are a match for P.A.C.E. If you are not effective and comfortable prospecting for contract assignments, you may be better off working with a consulting firm or for someone who can act as your "talent agent."

  • P.A.C.E. is NOT a "body shop": It is important also to emphasize that P.A.C.E. is NOT a "body shop" for low-paid (by U.S. standards) foreign workers. Foreign workers represent only a small percentage of P.A.C.E. Division Managers.

  • P.A.C.E. does not condone low-balling of billing rates: The average foreign Division Manager at P.A.C.E. invoices at a similar or higher billing rate than does the average American Division Manager. Thus, P.A.C.E. visa holders tend to support high billing rates across the board for all Contract Professionals. If you intend to compete with American Citizens on the basis of price, then you are not a match for P.A.C.E., and P.A.C.E. will not sponsor your work visa.

  • Excellent skills and a good command of the English language are essential: If you have excellent skills and a good command of the English language, then you should have few problems marketing yourself to companies in the USA, and you should have little difficulty obtaining consistently high rates for your consulting services.


P.A.C.E. Policy on Sponsoring Visas

  • P.A.C.E.'s Policy on Visa Sponsorship is NOT negotiable
    • Visa quota applies: P.A.C.E. cannot sponsor your new visa if the current visa quota has been met. If the visa quota has been met, P.A.C.E. will initiate the application when the window again opens for the next year's quota, provided that all criteria in this policy have been met. (Note: If you currently have a valid work visa you may be able to transfer that visa immediately to P.A.C.E. See the discussion under H-1B Visas, below.)

    • A foreign citizen may be paid only by the sponsor of their work visa: Foreign citizens without permanent residency status must be employed by the company that pays them for work performed in the United States. The employer must have sponsored the foreign worker's work visa.

    • Foreign workers may not operate as independent contractors: However, foreign workers may operate like an independent contractor by invoicing their clients as an employee of P.A.C.E., in which case P.A.C.E. sponsors their work visa and becomes their employer. Visa holders may not work "side jobs" as 1099 contractors.

    • P.A.C.E. has rigorous criteria for visa sponsorship: To qualify for P.A.C.E. visa sponsorship, visa applicants must meet the following criteria:

      • Must meet visa requirements -- Meet all requirements for the particular visa that requires P.A.C.E. Sponsorship.

      • Have a bona fide offer -- Have a bona fide offer of contract work from a client in the United States.

      • Six-month contract minimum -- The initial contract assignment must be for six months or greater with the same client.

      • Client must accept P.A.C.E. -- Client is willing to accept P.A.C.E. as the employer of record.

      • Contract must be acceptable to P.A.C.E. -- If the client is an agency or consulting firm, the contract must be acceptable to P.A.C.E. (However, we strongly prefer that you evidence your ability to land projects on your own by going directly to the user-client, without the help of an agency.)

      • Billing rate must be at or above market rate -- The billing rate must be equal to or higher than the market rate for a U.S. citizen with equivalent skills and experience.

      • All paper work must be received before starting the application process -- Before P.A.C.E. will file the application form, these items must be received:

        • A completed Client Site Information Form.

        • Either a contract or a letter of intent from the client indicating an initial contract assignment of three months or greater beginning after the visa is approved.

        • The Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, (to show that the applicant is legally able to work in the United States).

        • All other required employment forms.

        • Proof of payment of all applicable fees related to your visa application.


    • Sponsorship of your visa is not a guarantee of employment: P.A.C.E. has a general policy that the employment agreement is dependent upon the Contract Professional procuring appropriate contract assignments. This is true for all P.A.C.E. Contract Professionals. Accordingly, P.A.C.E. will not employ a Contract Professional until there is billable work in the form of a signed contract or a letter of intent with a client.

    • Sponsorship of your visa will be cancelled if you experience extended downtime: P.A.C.E. will terminate its employment agreement with a Division Manager after a specified period of inactivity, at which time P.A.C.E. also will terminate sponsorship of the work visa. You must be able to continue to locate and negotiate new contracts without extended downtime in order to keep your visa active.

    • In all respects, notwithstanding sponsorship of the visa, P.A.C.E. treats sponsored visa holders exactly the same as any other Division Manager employed by P.A.C.E. This means that visa holders also must meet the same requirements as other P.A.C.E. contractors

    •  

  • TN Visas
    • TN visas are issued to Canadian (TN-1) and Mexican (TN-2) nationals.

    • TN-1 visas are obtained at the Canadian border, and typically they do not require the assistance of an attorney.

      • The cost to the beneficiary is negligible, and the primary requirement is an offer letter from P.A.C.E.

      • P.A.C.E. will draft an offer letter when the criteria for visa sponsorship, above, are met.

    • Read about TN-1 visas from Canada.

    • Read about TN-2 visas from Mexico.

     

  • H-1B Visas -- New and Transfers
    • Allow sufficient time: It normally takes three to six months to obtain an H-1B visa for the first time, and foreign nationals may not work in the US until their visa is approved.

    • If you already have a visa, you can quickly change to P.A.C.E.: Once you have an H-1B visa and a Social Security number, however, you can change employers/sponsors relatively easily and quickly. If you are transferring your visa from another employer, you may start working for the new employer as soon as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) accepts the application for a new visa sponsored by your new employer. Notification of Acceptance usually takes only two or three weeks after all paperwork has been submitted.

    • Expedited processing is available: You can expedite the first-time-visa process.

      • The USCIS charges an extra $1000 for "Expedited Processing."

      • The USCIS guarantees a "response" in fifteen days. If you are overseas, you will have to add consulate processing time to the response time. This could add a few weeks to a few months.

      • There is no guarantee that your visa will be approved, but for the extra $1000 dollars the USCIS will let you know in fifteen days if it is to be approved, not approved, or if they need more information.

      • There are problems associated with "benching" newly hired visa holders, so P.A.C.E. requires that you have a contract lined up before we submit your H-1B visa application to the USCIS. For a first time visa, however, we recommend that you consider paying the additional $1000 for premium processing so that you can give your new client reasonable assurance within two or three weeks that you will be able to start on their project once the paperwork is finished.

    • Read about H-1B visas.

     

  • P.A.C.E. partners with VisaPro
    • Strategic alliance: P.A.C.E. has a strategic alliance partnership with VisaPro, an online immigration processing firm at www.visapro.com.

    • NOTE: All P.A.C.E. visa applications must be processed through VisaPro.

    • P.A.C.E. works closely with VisaPro on a regular basis: VisaPro is already set up to process applications sponsored by P.A.C.E. No private attorney or visa processing service will be as fast, as efficient, or as economical as VisaPro. For this reason, P.A.C.E. requires that you use VisaPro to process your H-1B visa.

    • The entire process is online: VisaPro lets you initiate, manage, and complete the entire application process online. In our opinion there is no better source of immigration information on the Web. Nor are we aware of a visa application service that is faster, easier, or more economical.

    • VisaPro is inexpensive: The VisaPro attorneys charge very favorable processing fees to applicants for employment with P.A.C.E.

     

  • Contact VisaPro
    • Toll-free call from within the USA: 1-866-VISAPRO (1-866-847-2776)

    • Toll call from anywhere: 1-202-787-1944

    • Send an e-mail to Pam at PamL@VisaPro.com

    • VisaPro's web site is at www.VisaPro.com

     

  • Green Card Sponsorship
    • P.A.C.E. will, at its sole discretion, sponsor the Green Card application process for Division Managers who have been productively employed by P.A.C.E. for at least six months.

    • Green Card applicants pay out-of-pocket for the Green Card application process.

    • Read about Green Cards.

     

  • Additional Visas
    • P.A.C.E. visa sponsorship is not limited to TN and H-1B visas. P.A.C.E. will sponsor other types of professional work visas that are consistent with its business model.

    • VisaPro will help you obtain family visas, marriage visas, student visas, visitor visas, in fact, any type of visa you can imagine. Visit VisaPro for the most comprehensive and encyclopedic storehouse of immigration information on the Web. Register with VisaPro today!

     

  • Tax-exempt reimbursement of deposit, fees, and expenses.
    • Attorney's fees, filling fees, and additional miscellaneous charges: Out-of-pocket expenses for attorney's fees, filling fees and miscellaneous charges are reimbursable business expenses. Your P.A.C.E. Division will reimburse you for your out-of-pocket visa processing expenses with tax-free dollars from your division's available revenues when P.A.C.E. processes your payroll.

     

  • NOTE:
    • As with all expenses reimbursed by P.A.C.E., the reimbursement of visa-related expenses depends on the availability of funds in your P.A.C.E. Division, and on your continued employment with P.A.C.E.

    • Once your visa application has been filed and all work on your visa application is done, then, if for any reason your visa is denied or, if for any reason you do not continue as a P.A.C.E. employee, neither VisaPro nor P.A.C.E. will be able to reimburse any expenses that you have already paid.

    • If your application cannot be processed because the quota for visas has been met for the current year, your visa application will be held over until the beginning of the next fiscal year in October.

>>> Next Service: Online Time Sheets and Approvals

>>> Return to List of World-class Back-office Services

Join Now!

>>> Return to Individuals Home Page

>>> Return to P.A.C.E. Home Page