US Immigration: Common Visa Types: Nonimmigrant and Immigrant Categories

The purpose of your intended travel and other facts will determine what type of visa is required under U.S. immigration law. As a visa applicant, you will need to establish that you meet all requirements to receive the category of visa for which you are applying. When you apply at a U.S embassy or consulate, a consular officer will determine based on laws, whether you are eligible to receive a visa.

Nonimmigrant Visa:

A nonimmigrant visa is a temporary visa that allows a foreign national to enter the U.S. for a specific purpose. The most common nonimmigrant visas that allow a foreign national to work in the U.S. with a company sponsor are H-1B, L-1, TN and O-1. F-1 (student) visas. B-1 (visitor) visas are nonimmigrant visas for entry with a primary purpose other than working in the U.S.

The chart below contains many different purposes of temporary travel and the related nonimmigrant visa categories available on this website. Select a visa category below to learn more:

Purpose of Travel	Visa Category	Required: Before applying for visa*
Athlete, amateur or professional (competing for prize money only)	B-1	(NA)
Au pair (exchange visitor)	J	SEVIS
Australian professional specialty	E-3	DOL
Border Crossing Card: Mexico	BCC	(NA)
Business visitor	B-1	(NA)
CNMI-only transitional worker	CW-1	(USCIS)
Crewmember	D	(NA)
Diplomat or foreign government official	A	(NA)
Domestic employee or nanny - must be accompanying a foreign national employer	B-1	(NA)
Employee of a designated international organization or NATO	G1-G5, NATO	(NA)
Exchange visitor (It's mostly used to bring foreign students to the US to do interns)	J	SEVIS
Foreign military personnel stationed in the United States	A-2 NATO1-6	(NA)
1) Foreign national with extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or Athletics 2) O1 is for applicants with great achievements.  3) If you are an artist/designer with a fair amount of exhibition history or good media coverage, it's actually easier than you think to get your O1 visa. 4) The best part of O1 visa is that you don't necessarily have to go through an employer to get it, which means that you don't have to maintain an active employment status as you should with H1B visa.	O	USCIS
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Professional: Chile, Singapore	H-1B1 - Chile H-1B1 - Singapore	DOL
International cultural exchange visitor	Q	USCIS
Intra-company transferee (If you are currently working at a US company overseas, the company can choose to bring you over to the US in 1 year) (It's the easiest way to come work in the US. The downside of this is that the applicant won't be able to change their job.)	L	USCIS
Medical treatment, visitor	B-2	(NA)
Media, journalist	I	(NA)
NAFTA professional worker: Mexico, Canada	TN/TD	(NA)
Performing athlete, artist, entertainer	P	USCIS
Physician	J , H-1B	SEVIS
Professor, scholar, teacher (exchange visitor)	J	SEVIS
Religious worker	R	USCIS
1) Specialty occupations in fields requiring highly specialized knowledge 2) It is open for application once per year in beginning of April) 3) You can apply for this either from your home country or after coming to the US after you land a job with an employer who is willing to sponsor you with this VISA to work in US. 4) If the H1B quota is filled too quickly (by the end of first week), a lottery will happen to decide who gets H1B visa. 5) Not every applicant gets H1B in that year if a lottery happens. 6) Normally, companies would not sponsor H1B VISA if the applicant is not already in the US and able to work (through OPT, CPT or J1). 7) The reason companies would not sponsor H1B VISA if the applicant is not already in the US is because even if an applicant gets H1B after lottery, he/she will not be able to work until 1 Oct that year and companies want employees to start working ASAP. 8) Most companies don't want to wait for at least 6 months for an uncertain hire (if no luck in lottery). 9) Most H1B visa holders were previously F1 visa holder. 10) Its easier for F1 holder to transition into H1B, because F1 OPT provides applicants buffer time to work while employers work on their H1B applications.	H-1B	DOL then USCIS
Student: academic, vocational (It's not a work visa. F1 is a student visa.) However, the visa holder will be able to work through CPT at school or OPT after graduation. There are some universities that grant students full-time (40hr/week) CPT starting from the first day in the program. Most H1B visa holders were previously F1 visa holder. Its easier for F1 holder to transition into H1B, because F1 OPT provides applicants buffer time to work while employers work on their H1B applications. Your degree must be in the area of expertise required for the H1B position.  Students on M-1 visas may not accept any form of employment, except for a temporary internship for practical training purposes. Spouses and dependents of students admitted to the US on M-1, F-1, and J-1 visas may apply for M-2, F-2, and J-2 visas, respectively, in order to accompany the student during their stay in the US. Spouses and dependents of M-1 and F-1 students are not allowed to accept employment or engage in business while in the US. Spouses and dependents of students admitted on a J-1 visa may seek permission to work as a J-2 visitor.   Individuals on a M-2, F-2, or J-2 visa may study on a full time or part time basis, but may not receive financial aid.	F (F1), M	SEVIS
Temporary agricultural worker	H-2A	DOL then USCIS
Temporary worker performing other services or labor of a temporary or seasonal nature.	H-2B	DOL then USCIS
Tourism, vacation, pleasure visitor (Working while on a B-2 (Tourist) visa is grounds for immediate deportation.)	B-2	(NA)
Training in a program not primarily for employment	H-3	USCIS
Treaty trader/treaty investor (If you start a business in the US with certain capital, you will be granted the right to work through E)	E	(NA)
Transiting the United States	C	(NA)
Victim of Criminal Activity	U	USCIS
Victim of Human Trafficking	T	USCIS
Nonimmigrant (V) Visa for Spouse and Children of a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR)	V	(NA)
Renewals in the U.S. - A, G, and NATO Visas		(NA)

*What the abbreviations above mean - Before applying for a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, the following is required:

• DOL = The U.S. employer must obtain foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor, prior to filing a petition with USCIS.
• USCIS = U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
• SEVIS = Program approval entered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
• (NA) = Not Applicable - Additional approval by another U.S. government agency is not required prior to applying for a visa

Immigrant Visa:

The immigrant visa, or green card, allows a foreign national to stay in the U.S. indefinitely and work for any employer.

The chart below contains different purposes for immigrating to the United States, and the related immigrant visa categories for which information is available on this website. Select a visa category below to learn more:

Immediate Relative & Family Sponsored	Visa Category
Spouse of a U.S. Citizen	IR1, CR1
Spouse of a U.S. Citizen awaiting approval of an I-130 immigrant petition	K-3 *
Fiancé(e) to marry U.S. Citizen & live in U.S.	K-1 *
Intercountry Adoption of Orphan Children by U.S. Citizens	IR3, IH3, IR4, IH4
Certain Family Members of U.S. Citizens	IR2, CR2, IR5, F1, F3, F4
Certain Family Members of Lawful Permanent Residents	F2A, F2B
Employer Sponsored – Employment
Employment-Based Immigrants, including  (preference group): Priority workers [First] Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees and Persons of Exceptional Ability [Second] Professionals and Other Workers [Third] Employment Creation/Investors [Fifth] Certain Special Immigrants: [Fourth]	E1 E2 E3, EW3 C5, T5, R5, I5 S (many**)
Religious Workers	SD, SR
Iraqi and Afghan Translators/Interpreters	SI
Iraqis Who Worked for/on Behalf of the U.S. Government	SQ
Afghans Who Worked for/on Behalf of the U.S. Government	SQ
Other Immigrants
Diversity Immigrant Visa	DV
Returning Resident	SB

Important Notes:

**Refer to the Foreign Affairs Manual, 9 FAM 502.1 for a listing of all immigrant visa categories.
Canadian NAFTA Professional workers – A visa not required; apply to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at border port of entry.

NOTE:
Visa processing in countries other than your home country – known as “third country national” or “TCN” processing – is possible, but may be subject to restrictions at some consulates. It is not possible to revalidate your visa from within the United States, unless you hold a diplomatic visa in the A, G or NATO category.

If you are traveling outside the United States and will be applying for a visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy, you should be aware of State Department security procedures and should also be prepared for delays in visa issuance. Visa issuance may take as long as several weeks; most cases will be processed to completion in less time, but in some instances, security clearances may take longer than the stated period. If you plan to apply for a visa outside the United States, you should contact the relevant consulate or embassy for specific information on application procedures and processing times. The U.S. consulate may require your visa application to undergo additional security screening based on your country of nationality, whether your name is similar to an individual listed in a U.S. government security database, or whether your job or degree is in a high-technology field, among other reasons. Security checks are a regular part of the application process, but certain applicant profiles require the State Department and other agencies to implement more stringent vetting.

References:
https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040201.html
https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/en/step-1
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html

http://www.rockresume.com/answers/jA/Media-related_entry-level_job,_work_visa_required

Immigration Flow Chart - Roadmap to Green Card (immigrationroad.com)

https://www.fragomen.com/migrated-sitemap-pages/know-your-obligations.html