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Know About the Different Types of U.S. Visas

Foreign citizens keen to visit the United States must require a visa. Aspiring travellers can apply either for an immigrant visa to gain permanent resident status in the United States or a non-immigrant visa to temporarily visit this country.

This article highlights the different types of U.S. visas offered to citizens of other nations to visit the United States. Readers planning to apply for a U.S. visa can keep reading to know which one suits their requirements.

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What Are the Different Types of U.S. Visas?

Types of Visa	Category of Visa	Purpose of Issuance
B1	Visitor	For business purposes such as attending business conventions and negotiating contracts
B2	Visitor	For purposes such as tourism, availing medical treatment in the United States and visiting family members or friends
F1	Student	Issued to academic and language students
F2	Student	Issued to dependents of F1 visa bearers
M1	Student	For vocational or non-academic purposes
J1	Exchange visitor	It is issued to students willing to participate in the study and work-based visitor and exchange programme.
Q	Exchange visitor	Issued to visitors keen to participate in cultural exchange programmes
H1B	Temporary work	It is issued to individuals employed in specialised fields.
H1B1	Temporary work	This visa is for citizens of Singapore and Chile
H2A	Temporary work	Issued to agricultural workers of selected nations in which the U.S. has interests.
H2B	Temporary work	Issued to non-agricultural workers doing seasonal jobs
H3	Temporary work	Issued to individuals keen to grab educational and training opportunities
L1 visa	Temporary work	For intra-company executives and managers
O1	Temporary work	It is issued to individuals having excellent knowledge in science, arts, athletics, education and business.
O2	Temporary work	Issued to assistants of O1 visa bearer
O3	Temporary work	Issued to dependents of O1 visa bearer
P	Temporary work	For coaching team and sportspersons
R1	Temporary work	For temporary religious workers
TN/TD	Temporary work	For Mexican and Canadian citizens planning to work in NAFTA
E3	Temporary work	For Australian citizens who will work in specialty jobs
I	Temporary work	Journalists from the press, radio etc. and representatives of foreign media who will participate or work in educational media programmes or activities
E1	Treaty trader	It is issued to individuals to perform trading duties in the U.S.
E2	Treaty investor	It is issued to investment corporations or individual investors from nations that have signed a treaty with the U.S.
A1	Diplomatic and official	It is issued to foreign diplomats and officials representing their countries and performing official duties in the U.S.
A2 NATO1-6	Diplomatic and official	For military personnel from other countries who will be stationed or will serve within the United States
G1 to G5	Diplomatic and official	Issued to individuals working in an international organisation located in the U.S.
NATO visa	Diplomatic and official	For persons willing to work in the NATO in the United States
T	Victims of Human Trafficking and Criminal Activity	Issued to victims of human trafficking
U	Victims of Human Trafficking and Criminal Activity	Issued to victims of criminal activities
C	Transit	It is issued to foreign nationals who are continuously in transit to travel to another country through the U.S.
D	Visa for crewmember	For crewmembers who are employed in international airlines or sea carrier
F2A & F2B	Family-sponsored and immediate relative visa	Issued to family members, especially minors, spouses or unmarried daughters and sons aged 21 years and above, of legal permanent residents
IR2	Family-sponsored and immediate relative visa	Issued to unmarried individuals aged below 21 years
IR5	Family-sponsored and immediate relative visa	Issued to parents of the citizens of the United States who are a minimum of 21 years old
F1	Family-sponsored and immediate relative visa	Issued to unmarried daughters and sons and their minor child
F3	Family-sponsored and immediate relative visa	Issued to married daughters and sons and their minor child
F4	Family-sponsored and immediate relative visa	Issued to U.S. citizen's sister or brother and their minor children and spouses
IH3, IH4, IR3 & IR4,	Family-sponsored and immediate relative visa	For a child from a foreign country adopted by U.S. citizens
SQ	Family-sponsored and immediate relative visa	Issued to citizens of Afghan and Iraq who will work for the Government of the United States
K3	Visa for fiance and spouse	Issued to the spouse of a U.S. citizen who is applying for permanent residency in the country
CR1 & IR1	Visa for fiance and spouse	Meant for spouses of citizens of the United States
K4	Visa for fiance and spouse	Children K3 visa holders will receive this visa
EB1	Employer-sponsored	It is issued to individuals with excellent academic and work history. Further, it allows them to immigrate to the United States permanently.
EB2	Employer-sponsored	For individuals skilled in the fields of science, arts, or businesses or professionals possessing advanced degrees
EB3	Employer-sponsored	It is issued to skilled workers with over 2 years of working experience or unskilled workers with less than 2 years of working experience and professionals possessing a higher education degree.
EB4	Employer-sponsored	For workers employed in government, religious and international organisations
EB5	Employer-sponsored	Issued to investors residing in the United States who are keen to invest approximately between 500,000 to 1 million dollars in the country's economy
Diversity immigrant	Other categories	For citizens coming from a foreign country which features a lower immigration rate to the United States
Returning resident/S.B.	Other categories	For permanent residents of the U.S. who have lived outside this country beyond a year and the validity of their re-entry permit has expired.

What Are the Meanings of Different Categories of U.S. Visas?

Listed below are definitions of different categories of U.S. visa to help readers understand what each category denote:

1. U.S. Visitor Visa

This visa is issued to foreign citizens keen to travel to the United States for 6 months. This category comprises visas for tourism and business purposes.

2. Student Visa

A student visa is a non-immigrant visa that entitles aspiring students from foreign countries to study in the United States. Usually, there are two types of student visas – F1, F2 and M1.

3. Exchange Visitor Visa

These visas are issued to those willing to participate in cultural exchange programmes or employment or practical training activities in the U.S. They are sub-categorised into J1 and Q visas.

4. Temporary Work Permit

Citizens who are willing to work in the United States temporarily can apply for this visa. There are several types of U.S. work visas, such as H1B, H1B1 etc.

5. Diplomatic and Investor Visa

Diplomats and officials from foreign countries who will visit the United States and perform official duties on behalf of their government must acquire diplomatic and official visas, which include A1 and A2 permits. Apart from that, attendants, personal employees, or domestic workers of A1 or A2 visa holders need to obtain an A3 visa.

6. Treaty Trader and Investor Visa

E1 (Treaty Trader), E3 (Australian in Specialty Job) and E2(Treaty Investor) are visas issued to citizens of nations with which the U.S. has signed navigation and commercial treaties. Types of trades permissible under the E visas are international banking, transportation, insurance, tourism, and communications.

7. Transit and Crewmember Visas

Foreign citizens continuously travelling to a destination country through the United States require this transit or C visa type. At the same time, a crew member of airlines or sea vessels can obtain only a D visa or a combined visa of C1 or D based on the requirements.

8. Visas for Victims of Human Trafficking and Criminal Activities

The U.S. Government offers immigration relief to victims of criminal activities and human trafficking through non-immigrant visas of T and U.

9. Family-sponsored and Immediate Relatives Visa

An immediate relative of a foreign citizen must file an immigrant visa petition on their behalf for their permanent residency in the United States. The immediate relative must be a legal permanent resident and aged a minimum of 21 years. Some of the types of visas that fall under this category are IR2, IR5 etc.

10. Visa for Spouse or Fiance

IR1 or CR1, K3 and K1 are the visa options to bring in a spouse or fiance of a U.S. citizen.

11. Employer-sponsored Permits

E1, E2, E3, E4 and E5 are different types of visas to work in the U.S.A. These are issued to eligible employees that allow them to immigrate to the United States and work in this country.

12. Other Categories

Diversity Immigrant Programme is a type of U.S. visa that encourages immigration from countries with lower immigration rates to the U.S. On the other hand, SB1 visas are issued to U.S. Green Card holders who cannot return from another country for one or two years, resulting in the loss of their immigration status.

What Is the Validity of Different Types of U.S. Visas?

Here are some of the types of U.S. visas along with their validity mentioned below in a tabular format:

Types of Visa	Category of Visa	Validity (in years)
Q	Exchange visitor	2
J	Exchange visitor	5
J1	Exchange visitor	5
J2	Exchange visitor	5
B2	Visitor	10
B1	Visitor	10
R	Temporary work	10
H1B	Temporary work	2
P3	Temporary work	2
P3	Temporary work	2
L1	Temporary work	2
E2	Treaty investor	2
F1	Student	2
F2	Student	2
M1	Student	2
K1	Visa for spouse and fiance	2
C1/D	Transit and visa for crewmembers	10

Multiple types of U.S. visas may appear cumbersome for new applicants. Thus, knowing its details will help aspiring travellers select a visa according to their needs without any hassle.

As you select the visa, consider travel insurance as it is also highly advisable. The U.S. has one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world, and most visa types do not come with automatic health coverage. A good international travel insurance plan can help you manage costs related to emergencies, trip interruptions, or lost belongings.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Where can a citizen know about the staying period in the United States?

Foreign citizens visiting the United States can know about their staying duration printed on the admission stamp paper or Form I-94.

Does a G1 visa fall under the category of a non-immigrant U.S. visa?

Yes, G1 is a non-immigrant type of visa in the United States.