NONIMMIGRANT VISAS
Nonimmigrant visas allow foreign nationals to come to the United States for a stated purpose which is temporary in nature and then depart at the end of the visit. Visas under this category run from A to V and, for simplicity, they have been grouped according to the following main categories: tourism; educational; family-related; work or business; law enforcement-related; governmental or quasi-governmental; and miscellaneous.
1. Tourism
a. B-2 (Temporary Visitors for Pleasure or Medical Treatment)
2. Educational
a. F-1 (Academic Students)
b. F-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of F-1)
c. M-1 (Vocational Students)
d. M-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of M-1)
e. J-1 (Exchange Visitors)
f. J-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of J-1)
3. Special or Family-Related
a. K-1 (Fiance(e) of U.S. Citizen)
b. K-2 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of K-1)
c. K-3 (Spouses of U.S. Citizen who seek admission in order to be with the
American spouse pending approval of a family-based immigrant petition)
d. K-4 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of K-3)
e. V-1 (Spouse of a Lawful Permanent Resident who is the principal beneficiary of
a family-based petition filed prior to Dec. 21, 2000, and has been pending for
at least 3 years)
f. V-2 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of a Lawful Permanent Resident
who is the principal beneficiary of a family-based petition filed prior to Dec. 21, 2000, and has been pending for at least 3 years)
g. V-3 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of V-1)
4. Work or Business
a. B-1 (Temporary Visitors for Business and Domestic Servants)
b. E-1 (Treaty Traders and their Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age)
c. E-2 (Treaty Investors and their Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age)
d. E-3 (Australians in Specialty Occupations and their Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age)
e. H-1B (Temporary Workers engaged in a "Specialty Occupation," DOD Workers and Distinguished Fashion Models)
f. H-1B1 (Chileans and Singaporeans in Specialty Occupations)
g. H-1C (Nurses working in Health Professional Shortage Areas)
h. H-2A (Temporary Agricultural Workers)
i. H-2B (Temporary Skilled and Unskilled Workers)
j. H-3 (Trainees)
k. H-4 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of H-1B, H-1B1, H-1C, H-2A, H-2B and H-3)
l. I (Representatives of Foreign Media and their Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age)
m. L-1A (Intracompany Transferees - Executive or Managerial)
n. L-1B (Intracompany Transferees - Specialized Knowledge)
o. L-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of L-1A and L-1B)
p. O-1 (Aliens with Extraordinary Ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or
Athletics)
q. O-2 (Essential Support Personnel of O-1)
r. O-3 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of O-1 and O-2)
s. P-1 (Individual or Team Athletes, Entertainers or Entertainment Groups, and their Support Personnel)
t. P-2 (Artists and Entertainers in a Government-Recognized Reciprocal Exchange
Program)
u. P-3 (Artists and Entertainers in a Culturally-Unique Program and their Support
Personnel)
v. P-4 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of P-1, P2 and P-3)
w. Q-1 (International Cultural Exchange Visitors)
x. Q-2 (Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program (Walsh Visas)
y. Q-3 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of Q-1 and Q-2)
z. R-1 (Religious Workers)
aa. R-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of R-1)
ab. TN (Trade Visas for Canadians and Mexicans)
ac. TD (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of TN)
5. Law Enforcement-Related
a. S-5 (Criminal Organization Informants)
b. S-6 (Terrorist Informants)
c. S-7 (Spouses, Children and Parents of S-5 and S-6)
d. T-1 (Victims of a Severe Form of Human Trafficking)
e. T-2 (Spouses of Victims of a Severe Form of Human Trafficking)
f. T-3 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of Victims of a Severe Form of
Human Trafficking)
g. T-4 (Parents of Victims (under 21 years of age) of a Severe Form of Human
Trafficking)
h. U-1 (Victims of Certain Criminal Activity)
i. U-2 (Spouses of U-1)
j. U-3 (Children of U-1)
k. U-4 (Parents of U-1, if U-1 is under 21 years of age)
6. Governmental or Quasi-Governmental
a. A-1 (Ambassadors, Public Ministers, Diplomatic or Consular Officers and the
Members of their Immediate Families)
b. A-2 (Other Foreign Government Officials or Employees and Members of their
Immediate Families)
c. A-3 (Attendants, Servants or Personal Employees of A-1 and A-2 and the
Members of their Immediate Families)
d. G-1 (Principal Resident Representatives of Recognized Foreign Member
Governments to International Organizations and the Members of their
Immediate Families)
e. G-2 (Other Representatives of Recognized Foreign Member Governments
to International Organizations and the Members of their Immediate Families)
f. G-3 (Representatives of Non-recognized or Nonmember Governments to
International Organizations and the Members of their Immediate Families)
g. G-4 (International Organization Officers or Employees and the Members of their Immediate Families)
h. G-5 (Attendants, Servants or Personal Employees of G-1, G-2, G3, G-4 or the
Members of their Immediate Families)
i. NATO-1 through 7 (NATO Personnel)
7. Miscellaneous
a. C-1 (Aliens in Transit Directly Through U.S.)
b. C-2 (Aliens in Transit to UN, UN Officials in Transit Through the U.S. and the
Members of their Immediate Families)
c. C-3 (Foreign Government Officials, the Members of their Immediate Families,
Attendants, Servants or Personal Employees, in Transit Through the U.S.)
d. D-1 (Crewmen Departing on Same Vessel of Arrival)
e. D-2 (Crewmen Departing by Means Other than on Vessel of Arrival)
f. TPS (Temporary Protected Status to Foreign Nationals of Designated Countries
where there is an Ongoing Armed Conflict, Environmental Disaster, Epidemic
or Other Extraordinary and Temporary Conditions)
g. TWOV (Transit Without Visa Program, Suspended as of Aug. 2, 2003)
h. VWP (Foreign Nationals from Certain Countries Permitted to Travel to the
United States for Business or Pleasure Without Obtaining a Visa)
1. Tourism
a. B-2 (Temporary Visitors for Pleasure or Medical Treatment)
2. Educational
a. F-1 (Academic Students)
b. F-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of F-1)
c. M-1 (Vocational Students)
d. M-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of M-1)
e. J-1 (Exchange Visitors)
f. J-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of J-1)
3. Special or Family-Related
a. K-1 (Fiance(e) of U.S. Citizen)
b. K-2 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of K-1)
c. K-3 (Spouses of U.S. Citizen who seek admission in order to be with the
American spouse pending approval of a family-based immigrant petition)
d. K-4 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of K-3)
e. V-1 (Spouse of a Lawful Permanent Resident who is the principal beneficiary of
a family-based petition filed prior to Dec. 21, 2000, and has been pending for
at least 3 years)
f. V-2 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of a Lawful Permanent Resident
who is the principal beneficiary of a family-based petition filed prior to Dec. 21, 2000, and has been pending for at least 3 years)
g. V-3 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of V-1)
4. Work or Business
a. B-1 (Temporary Visitors for Business and Domestic Servants)
b. E-1 (Treaty Traders and their Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age)
c. E-2 (Treaty Investors and their Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age)
d. E-3 (Australians in Specialty Occupations and their Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age)
e. H-1B (Temporary Workers engaged in a "Specialty Occupation," DOD Workers and Distinguished Fashion Models)
f. H-1B1 (Chileans and Singaporeans in Specialty Occupations)
g. H-1C (Nurses working in Health Professional Shortage Areas)
h. H-2A (Temporary Agricultural Workers)
i. H-2B (Temporary Skilled and Unskilled Workers)
j. H-3 (Trainees)
k. H-4 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of H-1B, H-1B1, H-1C, H-2A, H-2B and H-3)
l. I (Representatives of Foreign Media and their Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age)
m. L-1A (Intracompany Transferees - Executive or Managerial)
n. L-1B (Intracompany Transferees - Specialized Knowledge)
o. L-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of L-1A and L-1B)
p. O-1 (Aliens with Extraordinary Ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or
Athletics)
q. O-2 (Essential Support Personnel of O-1)
r. O-3 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of O-1 and O-2)
s. P-1 (Individual or Team Athletes, Entertainers or Entertainment Groups, and their Support Personnel)
t. P-2 (Artists and Entertainers in a Government-Recognized Reciprocal Exchange
Program)
u. P-3 (Artists and Entertainers in a Culturally-Unique Program and their Support
Personnel)
v. P-4 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of P-1, P2 and P-3)
w. Q-1 (International Cultural Exchange Visitors)
x. Q-2 (Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program (Walsh Visas)
y. Q-3 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of Q-1 and Q-2)
z. R-1 (Religious Workers)
aa. R-2 (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of R-1)
ab. TN (Trade Visas for Canadians and Mexicans)
ac. TD (Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of TN)
5. Law Enforcement-Related
a. S-5 (Criminal Organization Informants)
b. S-6 (Terrorist Informants)
c. S-7 (Spouses, Children and Parents of S-5 and S-6)
d. T-1 (Victims of a Severe Form of Human Trafficking)
e. T-2 (Spouses of Victims of a Severe Form of Human Trafficking)
f. T-3 (Unmarried Children Under 21 years of age of Victims of a Severe Form of
Human Trafficking)
g. T-4 (Parents of Victims (under 21 years of age) of a Severe Form of Human
Trafficking)
h. U-1 (Victims of Certain Criminal Activity)
i. U-2 (Spouses of U-1)
j. U-3 (Children of U-1)
k. U-4 (Parents of U-1, if U-1 is under 21 years of age)
6. Governmental or Quasi-Governmental
a. A-1 (Ambassadors, Public Ministers, Diplomatic or Consular Officers and the
Members of their Immediate Families)
b. A-2 (Other Foreign Government Officials or Employees and Members of their
Immediate Families)
c. A-3 (Attendants, Servants or Personal Employees of A-1 and A-2 and the
Members of their Immediate Families)
d. G-1 (Principal Resident Representatives of Recognized Foreign Member
Governments to International Organizations and the Members of their
Immediate Families)
e. G-2 (Other Representatives of Recognized Foreign Member Governments
to International Organizations and the Members of their Immediate Families)
f. G-3 (Representatives of Non-recognized or Nonmember Governments to
International Organizations and the Members of their Immediate Families)
g. G-4 (International Organization Officers or Employees and the Members of their Immediate Families)
h. G-5 (Attendants, Servants or Personal Employees of G-1, G-2, G3, G-4 or the
Members of their Immediate Families)
i. NATO-1 through 7 (NATO Personnel)
7. Miscellaneous
a. C-1 (Aliens in Transit Directly Through U.S.)
b. C-2 (Aliens in Transit to UN, UN Officials in Transit Through the U.S. and the
Members of their Immediate Families)
c. C-3 (Foreign Government Officials, the Members of their Immediate Families,
Attendants, Servants or Personal Employees, in Transit Through the U.S.)
d. D-1 (Crewmen Departing on Same Vessel of Arrival)
e. D-2 (Crewmen Departing by Means Other than on Vessel of Arrival)
f. TPS (Temporary Protected Status to Foreign Nationals of Designated Countries
where there is an Ongoing Armed Conflict, Environmental Disaster, Epidemic
or Other Extraordinary and Temporary Conditions)
g. TWOV (Transit Without Visa Program, Suspended as of Aug. 2, 2003)
h. VWP (Foreign Nationals from Certain Countries Permitted to Travel to the
United States for Business or Pleasure Without Obtaining a Visa)