A. Nonimmigrant Visas (Temporary Stay)
These are for people coming to the U.S. temporarily (work, study, tourism, etc.).
1. Tourism & Business
- B-1 – Business visitors (meetings, conferences, negotiations).
- B-2 – Tourism, visiting family, medical treatment.
- B-1/B-2 – Combination for both purposes.
2. Work Visas (Temporary Employment)
- H-1B – Specialty occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- H-2A – Temporary agricultural workers.
- H-2B – Temporary non-agricultural workers (seasonal jobs, hospitality, etc.).
- H-3 – Trainees or special education exchange visitors.
- L-1 – Intra-company transferees (managers, executives, or specialized knowledge employees).
- O-1 – Individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.
- O-2 – Support staff for O-1 visa holders.
- P-1 – Internationally recognized athletes/entertainers.
- P-2 – Artists/performers under exchange programs.
- P-3 – Culturally unique artists/performers.
- Q-1 – Cultural exchange program participants.
- R-1 – Religious workers.
- TN – Work visa for Canadian and Mexican professionals under USMCA (NAFTA).
- E-1 – Treaty trader visa.
- E-2 – Treaty investor visa (requires investment in a U.S. business).
- E-3 – Australian specialty occupation workers (similar to H-1B).
3. Study & Exchange
- F-1 – Academic students (universities, colleges, language schools).
- F-2 – Dependents of F-1 students.
- M-1 – Vocational or technical students.
- J-1 – Exchange visitors (scholars, researchers, interns, au pairs).
- J-2 – Dependents of J-1 holders.
4. Transit & Crew
- C Visa – Transit through the U.S. (short stopovers).
- D Visa – Crew members (airline, ship, etc.).
5. Media & Diplomats
- I Visa – Journalists and media representatives.
- A Visa – Diplomatic visa for foreign government officials.
- G Visa – International organization representatives (UN, IMF, etc.).
- NATO Visa – NATO officials/employees.
B. Immigrant Visas (Permanent Residence – Green Card Pathways)
These allow permanent settlement in the U.S.
1. Family-Based
- IR (Immediate Relative) – Spouse, unmarried child under 21, or parent of a U.S. citizen.
- F1 – Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens.
- F2A – Spouses and minor children of Green Card holders.
- F2B – Unmarried adult children of Green Card holders.
- F3 – Married children of U.S. citizens.
- F4 – Siblings of U.S. citizens.
2. Employment-Based (EB)
- EB-1 – Extraordinary ability individuals, outstanding professors, multinational executives.
- EB-2 – Advanced degree professionals or exceptional ability.
- EB-3 – Skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers.
- EB-4 – Special immigrants (religious workers, broadcasters, Afghan/Iraqi translators).
- EB-5 – Investor visa (minimum $800,000–$1,050,000 investment creating 10+ jobs).
3. Special Programs
- DV Lottery (Green Card Lottery) – Diversity immigrant visa for nationals of countries with low immigration rates to the U.S.
C. Humanitarian & Other Categories
- Asylum / Refugee – For those fleeing persecution.
- U Visa – Victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement.
- T Visa – Victims of human trafficking.
- VAWA – Immigrant relief for abused spouses/children of U.S. citizens or Green Card holders.
- Parole / Humanitarian Parole – Temporary entry for urgent humanitarian reasons.
- TPS (Temporary Protected Status) – For nationals of certain crisis-affected countries.
✅ That’s the big-picture map of U.S. visa types.