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There is a long list of temporary visas permitting entry into the United States
for many different purposes and for periods of time ranging from a few days to
several years. Some require advance approval of a petition by the USCIS before
the American Consulate abroad will issue a visa while others can be issued by
the Consulate without prior USCIS approval. Visas may be granted to the
principal applicant and to his or her immediate family dependents (i.e., spouse
and unmarried children under age 21).
It is important to keep in mind the differences between "visa" and "status".
Although both carry the same alphabetical designation, a visa is a "ticket"
permitting a person to board a carrier to the U.S. and/or to request admission
at a land port of entry whereas status is issued to a person by the USCIS
Immigrant Inspector at the port of entry on a Form I-94. A visa does not
guarantee entry nor does the Inspector necessarily grant status for the entire
period of validity of the underlying visa stamp. For example, a ten year
B-1/B-2 tourist visa does not mean the I-94 will be issued valid for ten years,
nor does possession of such a visa grant a right to remain in the country for
ten years.
In most instances, status can be extended or changed while in the U.S. whereas
visas cannot. Even if the person is from a visa exempt country (see our FAQ
on Visa Waiver Program) or pursuant to an international treaty (see our FAQ
on TNs for Canadians and Mexicans), every foreign national entering the U.S. will
be issued an I-94 showing status. The I-94 will indicate the appropriate
nonimmigrant classification and will have either a definite expiration date or,
in the case of a student or exchange scholar, a "duration of status" (D/S)
designation.
A list of the current nonimmigrant temporary visas follows. For a more
thorough description of each classification, refer to other portions of our
website, and visit the
USCIS website.
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A |
Diplomatic employees & their households |
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B |
Business
visitors (B-1) or tourist for pleasure (B-2) |
|
C |
Transit
visa (pass through at an airport or seaport) |
|
D |
Crewmember (air or sea) |
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E |
Treaty-Investors or Treaty-Traders |
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F |
Students |
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G |
Employees of International Organizations (e.g., IMF, OPIC, OAS, Red Cross) |
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H |
Temporary Workers |
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H-1B |
Professionals |
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H-1C |
Nurses |
|
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H-2A |
Agricultural Workers |
|
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H-2B |
Seasonal Temporary
Workers |
|
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H-3 |
Trainees |
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I |
Representatives of international media |
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J |
Exchange visitors |
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K |
Fiancés
and Fiancées |
|
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K-1 |
Fiancés & Fiancées |
|
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K-2 |
Unmarried dependents
of K-1s under age 21 |
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K-3 |
Spouses of U.S.
citizens married abroad |
|
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K-4 |
Unmarried dependents
of K-3s under age 21 |
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L |
Intra-company transferees |
|
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L-1A |
L-1A:
Managers/Executives |
|
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L-1B |
L-1B: Specialized
Knowledge employees |
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M |
Language
and vocation students |
|
N |
NATO
employees |
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O |
Extraordinary ability aliens |
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P |
Athletes, entertainment groups and support personnel |
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Q |
Cultural
exchange visitors |
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R |
Religious workers |
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S |
Criminal
informants |
|
T |
Victims
of international trafficking in persons |
|
U |
Victims
of spousal or child abuse |
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V |
Spouses
& minor children of permanent residents waiting for green cards |
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