United States Of America ( USA )  

  1. USA Non-Immigrant Visas

These visas are for temporary stays in the United States. They include visas for tourism, business, study, work, and specialized activities.

  1. Visitor Visas (B1/B2)
  • B-1 Visa (Business Visa):
    • Purpose: For business-related activities such as attending conferences, business meetings, or negotiating contracts.
    • Duration: Typically up to 6 months.
    • Eligibility: Proof of intent to return to your home country and enough funds to cover your stay.
  • B-2 Visa (Tourist Visa):
    • Purpose: For tourism, visiting family or friends, and medical treatment.
    • Duration: Up to 6 months, extendable in some cases.
    • Eligibility: Similar to B-1, you must show ties to your home country and financial means.
  1. Work Visas (H, L, O, P, and others)

Several types of work visas exist, depending on the job, employer, and skill level.

  • H-1B Visa (Specialty Occupations):
    • Purpose: For individuals in specialty occupations requiring a higher education degree (e.g., IT, engineering, healthcare).
    • Duration: Initially 3 years, extendable up to 6 years.
    • Eligibility: Requires a job offer from a U.S. employer and a labor certification (in some cases).
    • Cap: Limited to 85,000 visas per year (65,000 for regular applicants and 20,000 for advanced degree holders).
  • H-2A Visa (Temporary Agricultural Workers):
    • Purpose: For seasonal agricultural workers.
    • Eligibility: U.S. employers must demonstrate that they cannot find enough U.S. workers.
    • Duration: Temporary, usually tied to the growing season.
  • H-2B Visa (Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers):
    • Purpose: For seasonal or temporary non-agricultural workers in industries like hospitality, construction, or landscaping.
    • Eligibility: Similar to H-2A, the employer must prove a shortage of U.S. workers.
    • Cap: Limited to 66,000 visas per year.
  • L-1 Visa (Intracompany Transferees):
    • Purpose: For employees of international companies who are being transferred to a U.S. branch, subsidiary, or affiliate.
    • Eligibility: Employees must have worked for the company abroad for at least 1 year.
    • Duration: Initially 1-3 years, extendable up to 7 years (for managers/executives) or 5 years (for specialized knowledge workers).
  • O-1 Visa (Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement):
    • Purpose: For individuals with exceptional ability in fields like science, arts, education, athletics, or business.
    • Duration: Up to 3 years, renewable.
  • P Visa (Athletes, Artists, and Entertainers):
    • Purpose: For athletes, entertainers, and artists coming to perform in the U.S.
    • Duration: Depends on the performance or event length.
  • TN Visa (NAFTA/USMCA Visa):
    • Purpose: For professionals from Canada and Mexico under the USMCA (formerly NAFTA) agreement.
    • Duration: Initially up to 3 years, renewable.
  1. Student Visas (F, M, J)
  • F-1 Visa (Academic Student):
    • Purpose: For full-time academic students at U.S. universities, colleges, high schools, or language training programs.
    • Duration: Duration of the study program, plus a 60-day grace period after the program ends.
    • Work Eligibility: F-1 students can work part-time on-campus and may apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) to work off-campus after completing their studies.
  • M-1 Visa (Vocational Student):
    • Purpose: For vocational or technical students attending non-academic programs.
    • Duration: Length of the vocational program, plus 30 days.
  • J-1 Visa (Exchange Visitor Program):
    • Purpose: For exchange programs, including students, researchers, and teachers. J-1 holders typically participate in government, private sector, or educational exchanges.
    • Duration: Varies by program (months to years).
    • Work Eligibility: Some J-1 visa holders are allowed to work as part of their exchange programs (e.g., internships, traineeships).
    • Two-Year Home Residency Requirement: Some J-1 visa holders are required to return to their home country for two years after completing their program.
  1. Transit and Crew Visas (C and D Visas)
  • C Visa (Transit Visa):
    • Purpose: For travelers passing through the U.S. on their way to another destination.
    • Duration: Usually 29 days or less.
  • D Visa (Crewmember Visa):
    • Purpose: For airline or sea vessel crew members who need to enter the U.S. while their ship or plane is in port.
    • Duration: Based on the length of stay in the U.S.
  1. USA Immigrant Visas (Permanent Residency/Green Card)

Immigrant visas are for individuals who want to live permanently in the U.S. These visas provide a pathway to lawful permanent residency (Green Card).

  1. Family-Based Immigrant Visas
  • IR-1/CR-1 Visa (Spouse of a U.S. Citizen):
    • IR-1 is for spouses married to a U.S. citizen for more than 2 years.
    • CR-1 is for spouses married for less than 2 years.
  • IR-2/CR-2 Visa (Children of U.S. Citizens):
    • For unmarried children under 21 years of age.
  • F1 Visa (Family Preference Visa):
    • For unmarried adult children (over 21) of U.S. citizens.
  • F2A/F2B Visa (Family Preference Visa):
    • For spouses, minor children (F2A), and adult unmarried children (F2B) of U.S. Green Card holders.
  • IR-5 Visa (Parent of a U.S. Citizen):
    • For parents of U.S. citizens who are at least 21 years old.
  • K-1 Visa (Fiancé(e) Visa):
    • For foreign nationals engaged to U.S. citizens.
    • K-1 visa holders must marry their U.S. citizen fiancé(e) within 90 days of entering the U.S.
  1. Employment-Based Immigrant Visas
  • EB-1 Visa (Priority Workers):
    • For individuals with extraordinary abilities in fields like science, education, business, athletics, or the arts.
    • Includes multinational executives and professors or researchers.
  • EB-2 Visa (Advanced Degree or Exceptional Ability Workers):
    • For individuals with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities in the arts, sciences, or business.
  • EB-3 Visa (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers):
    • For skilled workers with at least 2 years of experience, professionals with degrees, and other unskilled workers.
  • EB-4 Visa (Special Immigrants):
    • For certain special immigrants such as religious workers, employees of U.S. foreign missions, or certain military personnel.
  • EB-5 Visa (Investor Visa):
    • For investors who invest at least USD 1 million (or USD 500,000 in a targeted employment area) in a U.S. business and create at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers.
    • Provides a pathway to a Green Card.
  1. USA Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery
  • Purpose: Also known as the Green Card Lottery, this program provides 50,000 visas annually to individuals from countries with historically low immigration rates to the U.S.
  • Eligibility:
    • Must have at least a high school diploma or equivalent, or two years of work experience in a qualifying occupation.
    • Open to nationals of eligible countries (not all countries are eligible every year).
  1. USA Humanitarian Visas
  • Refugee Visa:
    • For individuals outside the U.S. who are fleeing persecution or have a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
  • Asylum Visa:
    • For individuals already in the U.S. who are seeking protection due to fear of persecution in their home country.
  • U Visa (Victims of Crime):
    • For victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement in the investigation of the crime.
  • T Visa (Victims of Human Trafficking):
    • For victims of human trafficking who are in the U.S. and are willing to assist in the investigation of trafficking crimes