Sending non-Italian workers temporarily to the United States

The backup letter and the case of non-Italian temporary workers traveling to the United States

To send non-Italian specialized workers or technicians to the U.S. for temporary work, businesses must apply for a B1 visa.

Take, for example, an Albanian citizen residing in Italy who is employed by an Italian company. If the company needs to send this technician to the U.S. to install machinery for an American client, the ESTA system cannot be used, as Albania is not part of the Visa Waiver Program. In this scenario, the worker must apply for a B1 visa for technicians following the prescribed procedure.

B1 visa application process for temporary workers in the U.S.

The B1 visa application must be submitted to any U.S. consulate in Italy, and the Albanian worker will complete the required interview at the consulate where the application was filed. If the worker resides in Albania, they must apply for the B1 visa at a U.S. consulate in Albania and attend the interview there.

When the temporary worker being sent to a U.S. site is not an Italian citizen, two principles apply:

1. The worker’s immigration process aligns with their nationality.
   For instance, Albania is not part of the Visa Waiver Program, so Albanian citizens must apply for a visa through standard procedures. Conversely, a French citizen would not require a visa to enter the U.S.

2. Visas must be requested from the consular authorities of the worker’s country of residence.
   For example, an Albanian citizen legally residing in Italy must apply for the visa at a U.S. consulate in Italy and attend the interview there.

Countries included in the Visa Waiver Program

The list of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program can be found here.

For citizens needing a B1 visa because their country is not included in the Visa Waiver Program, we can handle the entire B1 visa application process on your behalf.

The B1 Industrial Worker visa for the United States

A specialized variant of the B1 visa is available for sending temporary workers to the U.S. in the following roles:

• Installation teams for shop fittings and furniture assembly
• Technicians for machinery installation
• Specialists for training on equipment or systems
• Teams for installation and commissioning of industrial plants
• Engineers and technicians for machinery or system maintenance

ExportUSA has extensive experience assisting companies sending temporary teams of technicians, engineers, or installers to worksites across the U.S. and Canada for short-term assignments.