Understanding the Varieties of Nonimmigrant Visa

As you may know, there are two types of visas an alien can receive from the U.S. embassy or consulate in his country, one, is an immigrant visa and two, is a non-immigrant visa.  A non-immigrant visa allows an alien to come into the United States and remain for a limited amount of time.  There are more than forty types of non-immigrant visas available and all you have to do is find and apply for the one that applies in your specific immigrant situation.  The situations include everything from obtaining medical treatment to special employment situations and business related reasons.  All of these non-immigrant visa types have been assigned alphabet and numerical abbreviations as names. 

Types of Non-immigrant Visa

• A-1      Ambassadors
• A-3      Personal attendants, servants
• B-1      Temporary business visitor
• B-2      Temporary pleasure visitor
• D-1      Crewmembers
• F-1       Academic or students
• F-2       Spouses and children of persons with F-1 visas
• H-2A   Temporary workers
• H-4      Spouse and children of temporary workers
• J-1       Exchange students
• K-1      Fiancees of U.S. citizens
• L-1       Intracompany workers, managers, person’s with specialized knowledge
• O-1      Aliens with extraordinary skills in science, art etc.
• P-1       Internationally recognized athletes
• P-3       Artists and entertainer
• R-1      Aliens in religious occupations

And there are many, many more categories to choose from, way too many to try to list here.  Obviously, there are many avenues to request a non-immigrant visa for entry into the United States.  In order to apply for a non-immigrant visa you will need a digital photo of yourself, a DS-160 application form which you can get free online, a paid up visa application fee and service charge, and a scheduled or completed visa interview at a U.S consulate or Embassy.  Children under age fourteen are required to appear in person at the embassy visa interview with both of their parents.  If one parent cannot attend for some reason there must be a letter written by that absent parent that stating that they have no objection to the child’s application for a visa to enter the United States.

Getting Legal Help

If you or a member of your family would like to apply for a non-immigration visa based on your specific life situation it may be helpful to discuss the circumstance of your proposed visa application with an immigration lawyer.  An attorney can provide valuable guidance on the application process and on choosing which non-immigration visa category might work best in your visa request situation and which visa would most likely and quickly be granted by the U.S. embassy in your country.