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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.
|
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. |
Listed below are definitions of different categories of U.S. visa to help readers understand what each category denote:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The U.S. Government offers immigration relief to victims of criminal activities and human trafficking through non-immigrant visas of T and U.
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.
IR1 or CR1, K3 and K1 are the visa options to bring in a spouse or fiance of a U.S. citizen.
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.
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.
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.
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