Skip to main content

Which option should I choose if my visa isn't listed?

In this article you'll learn how to choose your work authorization option in the United States when your specific visa isn't one of the options available.

Written by Sofía

If your visa isn't in the list, it doesn't mean you can't use Auto Apply. The options are grouped by what you're allowed to do rather than named after every visa, so yours is most likely covered by one of them.

To choose correctly, you only need to know two things about your situation: whether you can work in the United States right now, and whether an employer would need to sponsor you.

If you can already work for any employer

Select H-4 EAD if you hold a work permit (Employment Authorization Document), or you're authorized to work through your status, with no sponsorship needed. This covers situations like:

  • A work permit issued while your green card application is pending

  • DACA, TPS, refugee or asylee status, or a pending asylum application

  • Spouses of L-1, E-1, E-2 and E-3 visa holders, who are authorized to work through their status and don't need a work permit

  • Spouses of J-1 exchange visitors with a work permit

The option is named after the most common case, but it applies to any work permit that isn't tied to a single employer.

Don't select Not yet authorized instead — you are authorized, and that option would limit your matches to sponsorship jobs only.

If your visa is tied to one employer

Select H-1B if you're working on a visa that a new employer would need to file for, such as O-1, L-1, E-3, E-2, R-1 or P-1. It's also the right choice for H-1B1 (Chile and Singapore) and cap-exempt H-1B.

If you're a Canadian or Mexican citizen working on a TN visa, select TN (USMCA) instead.

One thing worth knowing if you're on L-1: it can't be transferred to an unrelated company, because it requires a corporate relationship with the employer you worked for abroad. Changing jobs usually means changing visa category, so sponsorship-friendly employers matter more for you than for most.

If you can't work yet

Select Not yet authorized if you're on a visitor visa or entering under ESTA, if you're an F-1 student without work authorization yet, if you're on H-4 without a work permit, or if you're outside the United States and would need sponsorship.

Also select it if your work permit has expired. Filing a renewal no longer keeps you authorized while it's pending, so once the date on your card passes, you're not authorized to work until the new card is approved.

If you're an F-1 student working on CPT, select OPT — it's the same student work authorization.

Checking the category on your work permit

If you're unsure which group you fall into, look at the category code on the front of your work permit. Codes starting with A mean you're authorized because of your status. Codes starting with C mean you're authorized while a separate application is pending. Either way, if the card lets you work for any employer, choose H-4 EAD.

Selecting US Citizen or Permanent Resident

Only select these if they apply to you. Employers ask about citizenship directly on their applications, and claiming US citizenship when you aren't a citizen is a federal offense with lasting immigration consequences. It's the one answer here that shouldn't be an approximation.

If an application asks about your specific visa and the answer submitted isn't accurate, you can correct it using the thumb-down icon on that answer.

To understand how this answer is used across your matches and applications, see How work authorization affects your applications.

This article helps you choose an option in AIApply. It isn't immigration or legal advice — for questions about your own status, talk to an immigration attorney or your school's designated school official.

Did this answer your question?