Types of Visas for Temporary Visitors
|
Purpose of
Travel to U.S. and Nonimmigrant Visas
|
Visa Type
|
Required: Before
Applying for Visa*
|
|
Athletes, amateur & professional (compete for prize
money only)
|
B-1
|
(NA)
|
|
Au pairs (exchange visitor)
|
---J---
|
SEVIS
|
|
Australian professional specialty
|
E-3
|
DOL
|
|
Border Crossing Card: Mexico
|
BCC
|
(NA)
|
|
Business visitors
|
B-1
|
(NA)
|
|
Crewmembers
|
---D---
|
(NA)
|
|
Diplomats and foreign government officials
|
---A---
|
(NA)
|
|
Domestic employees or nanny -must be accompanying a
foreign national employer
|
B-1
|
(NA)
|
|
Employees of a designated international organization, and
NATO
|
G1-G5, NATO
|
(NA)
|
|
Exchange visitors
|
---J---
|
SEVIS
|
|
Foreign military personnel stationed in the U.S.
|
A-2
NATO1-6 |
(NA)
|
|
Foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in Sciences,
Arts, Education, Business or Athletics
|
---O---
|
USCIS
|
|
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Professionals: Chile, Singapore
|
H-1B1
-Chile
H-1B1 -Singapore |
DOL
|
|
International cultural exchange visitors
|
Q
|
USCIS
|
|
Intra-company transferees
|
---L---
|
USCIS
|
|
Medical treatment, visitors for
|
B-2
|
(NA)
|
|
Media, journalists
|
---I---
|
(NA)
|
|
NAFTA professional workers: Mexico, Canada
|
TN/TD
|
(NA)
|
|
Performing athletes, artists, entertainers
|
---P---
|
USCIS
|
|
Physician
|
J , H-1B
|
SEVIS
|
|
Professor, scholar, teacher (exchange visitor)
|
---J---
|
SEVIS
|
|
Religious workers
|
---R---
|
USCIS
|
|
Specialty occupations in fields requiring highly
specialized knowledge
|
H-1B
|
DOL then USCIS
|
|
Students: academic, vocational
|
F, M
|
SEVIS
|
|
Temporary agricultural workers
|
H-2A
|
DOL then USCIS
|
|
Temporary workers performing other services or labor of a
temporary or seasonal nature.
|
H-2B
|
DOL then USCIS
|
|
Tourism, vacation, pleasure visitors
|
B-2
|
(NA)
|
|
Training in a program not primarily for employment
|
H-3
|
USCIS
|
|
Treaty traders/treaty investors
|
---E---
|
(NA)
|
|
Transiting the United States
|
---C---
|
(NA)
|
|
Victims of Criminal Activity
|
U
|
USCIS
|
|
Victims of Human Trafficking
|
---T---
|
USCIS
|
|
Visa Renewals - Available in the U.S.
|
|
(NA)
|
*What the abbreviations (above) mean:
Before applying for a visa at a U.S. Embassy abroad the following is required:
Before applying for a visa at a U.S. Embassy abroad 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 = DHS, 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 - Means that additional
approval by other government agencies is not required prior to applying for a
visa at the U.S. Embassy abroad.
