VISA TO AMERICA
An alien (citizen of a foreign
country) may enter the United States by obtaining a visa for temporary stay
or for permanent residence.
COMMON
TEMPORARY/NONIMMIGRANT VISAS
Business/Tourist Visa, Work Visa,
Student Visa, Exchange Visitor Visa, Transit/Ship Crew Visa, Religious Worker
Visa, Domestic Employee Visa, Journalist and Media Visa, Treaty Trader and
Treaty Investor Visa etc.
Visa Purpose of Travel to United
States
A Diplomats and foreign government
officials
A-2 Foreign military personnel
stationed in the United States
B-1 Athletes, amateur and professional
(competing for prize money only)
B-1 Business visitors
B-1 Domestic employees or nannies
(accompanying a foreign national employer)
B2 Visitors for medical treatment
B2 Tourists, vacationers, travelers
for pleasure
BCC Border Crossing Card: Mexico
C Transiting the United States
D Crewmembers (serving aboard a
sea vessel or aircraft in the United States)
E-1 Treaty traders
E-2 Treaty investors
E-3 Australian worker - professional specialty
F-1 Academic and language students
F-2 Dependents of an F-1 holder
G1-G5 Employees of a designated international
organization
I Foreign Information media
representative (media, journalists)
H-1B Physicians, specialty occupations in fields requiring
highly specialized knowledge
H-1B1 Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
professionals: Chile, Singapore
H-1C Nurses traveling to areas short of
health care professionals
H-2A Temporary workers - seasonal
agricultural
H-2B Temporary workers – nonagricultural
H-3 Training in a program not primarily
for employment
J International
cultural exchange visitors
J-1 Physicians, Professors,
scholars, teachers, Au pairs
J-2
Dependents of a J-1 Exchange
visitor
K-1 Fiancé(e)
L Intra-company transferees
M-1 Vocational Students
M-2 Dependents of an M-1 holder
NATO1-6
Employees of NATO stationed in the United States
O-1 Extraordinary Aliens in sciences,
arts, education, business or athletics
P Athletes, artists, entertainers
Q
International cultural
exchange visitors
R Religious workers
TN/TD NAFTA professional workers: Mexico,
Canada
T-1 Victims of human trafficking
V Nonimmigrant (V) Visa for Dependents
of a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR)
VISA
WAIVER PROGRAM
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for
tourism or business (visitor visa purposes) for stays of 90 days or less without
obtaining a visa. VWP travelers are required to apply for authorization
though the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), are screened at
their port of entry into the United States, and are enrolled in the
Department of Homeland Security’s OBIM program.
A citizen of one of the countries
listed below, having a VWP-compliant passport, the ESTA authorization and a
return or onward ticket, having a plan to travel and stay in the United
States for 90 days or less, may enter the US without a visa.
Member
Countries
Andorra
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brunei
Chile
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
Republic of Korea
San Marino
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
PERMANENT OR IMMIGRANT VISA
INADMISSIBLE ALIENS
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