Employment Visas · Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale employment visa lawyer.

A job offer, a business to build, a chance to bring your skill to the United States — and a stack of forms standing between you and that future. Lisa Marie Santamarta is dedicated to helping South Florida workers, families, and employers move through the immigration system. He will sit down with you, look at your job and your goals, and help you find the right work visa for your situation.

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Work visas, explained simply

Your Fort Lauderdale employment visa lawyer

A Fort Lauderdale employment visa lawyer helps workers, investors, and employers find the right way to live and work in the United States legally. Lisa Marie Santamarta helps South Florida professionals, healthcare workers, athletes, and business investors sort through their options, prepare a strong case, and avoid the mistakes that send applications back to the start.

There is no single "work visa." U.S. immigration law sets out many different categories, and each one is built for a different kind of worker. A software engineer with a job offer takes one path. A doctor coming to practice in a needed area takes another. A foreign entrepreneur opening a business takes a third. The right category depends on three things: the job, the employer, and your own background and qualifications.

This is federal law from start to finish. Work visas are governed by a statute called the Immigration and Nationality Act and are handled mainly by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. consulates abroad often involved too. The rules are the same whether you live in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or anywhere else in the country — but the details of your job and your history decide which door is open to you.

That is where careful legal work matters. Choosing the wrong category, or filing with a gap in the paperwork, can cost you months or a denial. Lisa Marie Santamarta serves South Florida's diverse communities. She looks honestly at your situation, explains your real options in plain language, and tells you your fees up front — so you start on the right path, not a costly detour.

The federal steps, in plain order

How an employment visa case works, step by step

Immigration is federal law, and most work-visa cases move through the same broad stages. The exact forms and order depend on your category, but here is the shape of the path we will walk through together.

01

Find the right category and the sponsor

First we match your situation to the correct visa — temporary worker, treaty investor, or employment-based green card. For many work visas a U.S. employer must agree to sponsor you, and for some, the Department of Labor must first confirm the role and wage. We figure out which path fits the job and your qualifications before any form is filed.

02

File the petition with USCIS

Once the category is set, the petition goes to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For an employer-sponsored worker, the employer files a petition that shows the job is real, the role qualifies, and you are qualified to fill it. We help gather the proof — degrees, licenses, contracts, business records — and present it clearly so the officer has what they need.

03

Consular interview or status change

If you are outside the country, you usually finish at a U.S. consulate with a visa interview. If you are already here in a valid status, you may be able to change or adjust status without leaving. We prepare you for the interview, track the timeline, and stay with you through approval and any later steps toward a green card.

This page provides general information about U.S. immigration matters and is not legal advice. Immigration law is federal and changes often; your specific situation requires a consultation.

Who we help — and which path may fit

The work visas we handle

Lisa Marie Santamarta helps several kinds of workers and investors. The right category depends on the job, the employer, and your own qualifications — here is a plain look at the main paths and who they tend to fit.

Professionals in specialty jobs. Many skilled workers come to the United States in a specialty occupation — a role that normally requires a college degree or its equal in a specific field. The best-known is the H-1B visa, which lets a U.S. employer sponsor a worker for a professional role such as engineering, accounting, information technology, or finance. This is a temporary work visa with a sponsoring employer, and it is one of the most common ways skilled professionals work here. We confirm the job and your degree truly fit the category before filing.

Investors and entrepreneurs. If you are putting money into a U.S. business, there are two very different paths. The E-2 treaty investor visa lets nationals of certain treaty countries come to direct a business they have invested in here; it is a temporary visa tied to that business, not a green card. The EB-5 immigrant investor program is different — it is a path to a green card (lawful permanent residence) for those who make a larger qualifying investment that creates jobs for U.S. workers. We explain which one fits your country, your investment, and your goals.

Healthcare workers. South Florida needs nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals, and there are work-visa and green-card paths built for them. These cases often involve extra steps — license verification, credential checks, and sometimes special rules for physicians serving in areas that need care. We help healthcare workers and the clinics, hospitals, and practices that hire them put the pieces together correctly.

Athletes. Athletes who compete or coach at a high level may qualify for a work visa built for people with extraordinary ability or for those coming to perform in their sport. These cases turn on proving your record and standing in your field. We help athletes and the teams, leagues, and organizations bringing them here gather the evidence and present a strong case.

Not sure which of these fits you? That is exactly what a consultation is for. Lisa Marie Santamarta also helps families with related matters — bringing relatives through family-based immigration and helping performers and creatives with entertainment visas.

Why workers and employers across South Florida choose us

A steady hand for your work visa

A work-visa case is your livelihood and often your family's future. You deserve a lawyer who treats it that way — and who tells you the truth about your options before you commit.

You work with the attorney. When you call DiStefano Law, you are not handed off to a case number. Lisa Marie Santamarta, Esq., handles your matter personally. She has practiced in South Florida since 2011, and she brings that steadiness to a process that can feel overwhelming.

An honest look at your real options. The most expensive mistakes in work-visa cases come from choosing the wrong category or filing a thin petition. We look at the job, the employer, and your qualifications first, tell you honestly which paths are realistic, and only move forward when your case is ready to stand up to review.

Fees explained up front. Your first consultation is free and confidential. If we work together, your fee is clearly agreed and explained before anything begins — never a percentage of anything, and never a surprise. (Government filing fees are separate and set by the agencies that process your case, and we will tell you what to expect there too.)

No lawyer can promise a particular outcome in an immigration case — the decision rests with the federal government, and the law can change. What we promise is honest advice, careful preparation, and a real person who answers when you call. To see the full range of immigration help we offer, visit our immigration practice overview, learn more about Lisa Marie Santamarta, or simply reach out to our Fort Lauderdale office.

Common questions

Employment visas, answered

Which work visa is right for me?
It depends on three things: the job, the employer, and your own background. A skilled professional with a job offer, a foreign investor opening a business, a nurse coming to a South Florida hospital, and a high-level athlete each take a different path. Some visas are temporary and tied to one employer; others, like an employment-based green card or the EB-5 investor program, lead to permanent residence. There is no one-size answer, and guessing wrong can cost you months. In your free consultation, we look at your situation and tell you, in plain language, which categories are realistic for you and what each one would take.
Do I need an employer to sponsor me?
For many work visas, yes. Categories like the H-1B for professionals require a U.S. employer who agrees to sponsor you and file the petition on your behalf — you generally cannot file that kind of case on your own. For some of these, the employer must also work with the U.S. Department of Labor before filing. But not every path needs an employer sponsor. Investor visas like the E-2 and the EB-5 green card are built around your own investment in a business, and a few categories exist for people of extraordinary ability who may petition for themselves. We will tell you whether your path needs a sponsor and, if so, what the employer's role looks like.
What is the difference between the E-2 investor visa and the EB-5 green card?
They are two very different things, even though both involve investing in a U.S. business. The E-2 treaty investor visa is a temporary, renewable work visa for nationals of certain treaty countries who invest in and direct a business here — it lets you live and work here while you run that business, but it is not a green card and is tied to the investment. The EB-5 immigrant investor program is a path to a green card, meaning lawful permanent residence, for those who make a larger qualifying investment that creates jobs for U.S. workers. The right choice depends on your country, how much you are investing, and whether your goal is to run a business for now or to become a permanent resident. We walk you through both.
Can a work visa lead to a green card?
Often, yes — but not automatically. Many people start on a temporary work visa and later move toward an employment-based green card, which is permanent residence. The two are separate steps with separate requirements, and getting a temporary visa does not guarantee the green card that may follow. Some categories make that transition smoother than others, and your employer's willingness to sponsor the permanent step usually matters. Some investor and extraordinary-ability paths lead more directly to permanent residence. In your consultation, we map out not just the visa you need now but the longer path toward a green card if that is your goal.
How does a professional H-1B-type visa work?
A specialty-occupation visa like the H-1B lets a U.S. employer hire a foreign worker for a professional role that normally requires a college degree or its equal in a specific field — think engineering, information technology, accounting, or finance. The employer is the sponsor: it files the petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and, first, works with the U.S. Department of Labor on the required wage and job terms. The case has to show both that the role truly qualifies as a specialty occupation and that you have the degree or experience to fill it. There are also yearly limits and filing windows for some of these visas. We help confirm the job fits, prepare the petition with the employer, and keep the timeline on track.
Lisa Marie Santamarta, Esq., immigration attorney at DiStefano Law LLC Lisa Marie Santamarta, Esq.
Your immigration attorney

Work directly with Lisa Marie Santamarta

Bilingual — English & Spanish

Lisa Marie Santamarta guides individuals and families through the U.S. immigration system — green cards, citizenship, family-based petitions, work visas, and removal defense — and has practiced in South Florida since 2011.

Fluent in English and Spanish, she meets clients where they are and handles your matter personally, from the first consultation forward.

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More about Lisa Marie Call (954) 572-8000
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Find the right work visa for your future.

Your first consultation is free, and everything you tell us stays private. Call DiStefano Law to talk through your work-visa options with an attorney who handles your case personally, in English and Spanish. Or reach us through our contact page.

(954) 572-8000
Lisa Marie Santamarta, Esq. · Fort Lauderdale