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:

·         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.

Notes:

·         Canadian NAFTA Professional workers- Visa not required, apply to CBP at border port-of-entry.

·         K visas are for the purpose of marrying a U.S. citizen and immigrating or joining a U.S. citizen spouse in the United States while awaiting USCIS approval of Form I-130 for immigrant status. Visit the immigrant visa section of this website for K-1 and K-3 visa information .

Important Notices: This chart includes nonimmigrant visas and the associated purpose of travel with links to relevant webpages. However, it should be noted this chart is not a complete list of all purposes of travel or types of nonimmigrant visas. Each visa applicant must meet the eligibility requirements for the type of visa for which he/she is applying, as determined by the consular officer at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, following U.S. immigration laws. See more detailed information on our temporary visitor webpages.