Before traveling to the United States, you must first obtain a "nonimmigrant" or temporary visa. There are many types of temporary visas, which are organized by who is seeking them and for what reasons. The most commonly sought temporary visas are the B-1 (business), B-2 (vacation), E-2 (investor), F-1 (student) and H-1B (specialty worker). Below is the list of available temporary visas you can apply for to enter the United States:
A-1 | Ambassador, public minister, career, diplomatic or consular officer, and members of immediate family |
A-2 | Other foreign government official or employee, and members of immediate family |
A-3 | Attendant, servant, or personal employee of A-1 and A-2, and members of immediate family |
B-1 | Temporary visitor for business |
B-2 | Temporary visitor for pleasure |
C-1 | Alien in transit directly through U.S. |
C-1D | Combined transit and crewman visa |
C-2 | Alien in transit to UN headquarters district under Section 11.(3), (4), or (5) of the Headquarters Agreement |
C-3 | Foreign government official, members of immediate family, attendant, servant, or personal employee, in transit |
C-4 | Transit without Visa (see Transfer Without Visa section below) |
D-1 | Crewmember departing on same vessel of arrival |
D-2 | Crewmember departing by means other than vessel of arrival |
E-1 | Treaty Trader, spouse and children |
E-2 | Treaty Investor, spouse and children |
F-1 | Academic Student |
F-2 | Spouse or child of F-1 |
G-1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and members of immediate family |
G-2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and members of immediate family |
G-3 | Representative of non-recognized or nonmember government to international organization, and members of immediate family |
G-4 | International organization officer or employee, and members of immediate family |
G-5 | Attendant, servant, or personal employee of G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, or members of immediate family |
H-1B | Specialty Occupations, DOD workers, fashion models |
H-1C | Nurses going to work for up to three years in health professional shortage areas |
H-2A | Temporary Agricultural Worker |
H-2B | Temporary worker: skilled and unskilled |
H-3 | Trainee |
H-4 | Spouse or child of H-1, H-2, H-3 |
I | Visas for foreign media representatives |
J-1 | Visas for exchange visitors |
J-2 | Spouse or child of J-1 |
K-1 | Fiance |
K-2 | Minor child of K-1 |
K-3 | Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (LIFE Act) |
K-4 | Child of K-3 (LIFE Act) |
L-1A | Executive, managerial |
L-1B | Specialized knowledge |
L-2 | Spouse or child of L-1 |
M-1 | Vocational student or other nonacademic student |
M-2 | Spouse or child of M-1 |
N-8 | Parent of alien classified SK-3 "Special Immigrant" |
N-9 | Child of N-8, SK-1, SK-2, or SK-4 "Special Immmigrant" |
NATO-1 | Principal Permanent Representative of Member State to NATO and resident members of official staff or immediate family |
NATO-2 | Other representatives of member State; Dependents of Member of a Force entering in accordance with the provisions of NATO Status-of-Forces agreement; Members of such a Force if issued visas |
NATO-3 | Official clerical staff accompanying Representative of Member State to NATO or immediate family |
NATO-4 | Official of NATO other than those qualified as NATO-1 and immediate family |
NATO-5 | Expert other than NATO officials qualified under NATO-4, employed on behalf of NATO and immediate family |
NATO-6 | Member of civilian component who is either accompanying a Force entering in accordance with the provisions of the NATO Status-of-Forces agreement; attached to an Allied headquarters under the protocol on the Status of International Military headquarters set up pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty; and their dependents |
NATO-7 | Servant or personal employee of NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, NATO-6, or immediate family |
O-1 | Extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business, or Athletics |
O-2 | Alien's (support) accompanying O-1 |
O-3 | Spouse or child of O-1 or O-2 |
P-1 | Individual or team athletes & entertainment groups |
P-2 | Artists and entertainers in reciprocal Exchange programs |
P-3 | Artists and entertainers in culturally unique programs |
P-4 | Spouse or child of P-1, 2, or 3 |
Q-1 | International cultural exchange visitors |
Q-2 | Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program (Walsh Visas) |
Q-3 | Spouse or child of Q-2 |
R-1 | Religious workers |
R-2 | Spouse or child of R-1 |
S-5 | Informant of criminal organization information |
S-6 | Informant of terrorism information |
T-1 | Victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons |
T-2 | Spouse of a victim of a severe form of trafficking in person |
T-3 | Child of victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons |
T-4 | Parent of victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons (if T-1 victim is under 21 years of age) |
TN | Trade visas for Canadians and Mexicans |
TD | Spouse or child accompanying TN |
TWOV | Passenger |
TWOV | Crew |
U-1 | Victim of certain criminal activity |
U-2 | Spouse of U-1 |
U-3 | Child of U-1 |
U-4 | Parent of U-1, if U-1 is under 21 years of age |
V-1 | Spouse of an LPR who is the principal beneficiary of a family-based petition (Form I-130) which was filed prior to December 21, 2000, and has been pending for at least three years |
V-2 | Child of an LPR who is the principal beneficiary of a family-based visa petition (Form I-130) that was filed prior to December 21, 2000, and has been pending for at least three years |
V-3 | The derivative child of a V-1 or V-2 |
TPS | Temporary protected status |
