Visas

A plain-language guide to the major US visa categories — what they are, who qualifies, what they actually cost, and how long they really take.

Individual visa guides are being added over time. Published guides are linked below; the rest are placeholders for pages in the works.

Work visas

  • H-1B — Specialty occupation worker visa
    • Non-immigrant work visa for professionals in specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor’s degree. Lottery-based with an annual cap, dual intent (so compatible with green card planning), six-year maximum. The most common professional work visa in the US system. Read the guide →
  • L-1 — Intracompany transfer
    • Non-immigrant work visa for executives, managers (L-1A), and specialized-knowledge employees (L-1B) transferring from a foreign company to its US parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch. No lottery, dual intent, and L-1A connects directly to the EB-1C green card. Read the guide →
  • O-1 — Extraordinary ability
    • Non-immigrant work visa for people with extraordinary ability in sciences, education, business, or athletics (O-1A), or extraordinary achievement in arts, film, or TV (O-1B). No lottery, no cap, renewable indefinitely in three-year increments. A strong alternative to H-1B for people who qualify. Read the guide →
  • E-2 — Treaty investor
    • Non-immigrant work visa for citizens of treaty countries developing and directing a substantial investment in a US business. No cap, no lottery, indefinite renewability, and automatic work authorization for spouses. Typical investment range $100K–500K+. Read the guide →
  • E-1 — Treaty trader
    • Non-immigrant work visa for citizens of treaty countries engaged in substantial, continuing trade between the US and the treaty country. At least 50% of total international trade must be between the US and the treaty country. No investment amount required. Read the guide →
  • TN — USMCA professionals
    • Non-immigrant work visa for Canadian and Mexican citizens in specific professional occupations on the USMCA list. Fast, cheap, no lottery, no cap, indefinite renewability. Canadians can apply at the border and often get status the same day. Read the guide →
  • H-2A / H-2B — Seasonal agricultural and non-agricultural
    • Non-immigrant visas for temporary and seasonal workers. H-2A covers agricultural work (farms, orchards, dairies, livestock); H-2B covers non-agricultural seasonal work (hospitality, landscaping, construction, seafood processing). Employer-petitioned, with Department of Labor certification required and significant worker protections — including a strict rule that workers may not be charged recruitment fees. Read the guide →

Family visas

  • K-1 — Fiancé(e) visa
    • Non-immigrant visa to enter the US to marry a US citizen within 90 days of arrival, then apply for adjustment of status. An alternative to the CR-1/IR-1 marriage-based green card when the couple wants to be together in the US during processing. Read the guide →
  • CR-1 / IR-1 — Spouse of US citizen
    • Immigrant visa for spouses of US citizens, either through adjustment of status (if the foreign spouse is already in the US) or consular processing (if abroad). Includes conditional (CR-1) and unconditional (IR-1) variants depending on marriage duration at filing. Read the guide →
  • F-2A — Spouse/child of green card holder (coming soon)
  • IR-2 — Child of US citizen (coming soon)
  • IR-5 — Parent of US citizen (coming soon)

Student and exchange visas

  • F-1 — Academic student
    • Non-immigrant visa for full-time academic study at a US institution, with 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation and up to 24 additional months for STEM graduates. The most common path for international students, and a common bridge to H-1B. Read the guide
  • M-1 — Vocational student (coming soon)
  • J-1 — Exchange visitor
    • Non-immigrant visa for people in US Department of State-designated exchange programs — physicians in residency, research scholars, interns, au pairs, academic exchange students, Fulbright scholars, and more. Spouse work authorization available. Many J-1 holders are subject to the two-year home residency requirement, which must be planned for from the start. Read the guide →

Green cards (immigrant visas)

  • EB-1A — Extraordinary Ability
    • Self-petition green card for people at the very top of their field. No employer sponsor required, no PERM, no labor certification. For researchers, artists, athletes, business leaders, and other professionals with sustained national or international acclaim. Read the guide →
  • EB-1B — Outstanding Researchers and Professors
    • Employer-sponsored green card for established academics and researchers with international recognition in their field. Lower evidentiary bar than EB-1A, no PERM required. Requires three years of experience and a qualifying teaching or research position. Read the guide →
  • EB-1C — Multinational Managers and Executives
    • Self-petition green card for people at the very top of their field. No employer sponsor required, no PERM, no labor certification. For researchers, artists, athletes, business leaders, and other professionals with sustained national or international acclaim. Read the guide →
  • EB-2 — Advanced degree / NIW
    • Green card for people with advanced degrees or exceptional ability, including the National Interest Waiver (NIW) self-petition variant that skips PERM and employer sponsorship. The main green card path for most educated professionals. Read the guide →
  • EB-3 — Skilled workers
    • Employer-sponsored green card for bachelor’s-level positions, skilled workers with 2+ years of training, and unskilled workers in permanent positions. Includes the Schedule A fast track for nurses and physical therapists and the EB-3 downgrade strategy for backlogged nationals. Read the guide →
  • EB-5 — Investor green card
    • Immigrant visa for people who invest $800K (in a Targeted Employment Area) or $1,050,000 (elsewhere) in a US business that creates at least 10 jobs. No employer sponsor, no lottery, no English or education requirement. The most expensive but most direct green card path. Read the guide →
  • Family-based green cards
    • The full map of family-based green card categories: Immediate Relatives of US citizens (spouses, children, parents) with no annual cap, and Family Preference categories (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4) with priority date waits that can run from a few months to over 20 years depending on category and country. Covers how the Visa Bulletin works, adjustment of status vs consular processing, the Affidavit of Support, and CSPA age-out protection. Read the guide →

Humanitarian

  • Asylum
    • Legal status for people in the US who fear persecution in their home country based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Covers affirmative and defensive asylum paths, work authorization timing, and the one-year filing deadline. Read the guide →
  • U visa — Crime victims
    • Nonimmigrant status for noncitizen crime victims who have suffered substantial abuse and are helpful to law enforcement. Includes work authorization, protection from removal through the bona fide determination process, and a path to a green card after three years. Capped at 10,000 principal approvals per year, with waits currently running 10+ years for final decisions. Read the guide →
  • T visa — Trafficking victims
    • Nonimmigrant status for noncitizen victims of severe forms of human trafficking who are in the US on account of that trafficking. Includes work authorization and a path to a green card after three years. 5,000 cap per year that is never reached in practice, so no significant backlog. Read the guide →
  • VAWA — Self-Petition for Abused Spouses, Children, and Parents
    • Protection for people who have been abused by a US citizen or lawful permanent resident family member (spouse, parent, or adult child), allowing them to self-petition for a green card without the abuser’s knowledge or involvement. Strong confidentiality protections, no cap, and a direct path to permanent residence. Despite the name, VAWA is gender-neutral and covers male and female survivors. Read the guide →
  • TPS — Temporary Protected Status
    • Temporary immigration status for nationals of countries the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated as unsafe to return to due to armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. Includes work authorization and protection from removal, but no direct path to a green card. Designations change over time — check USCIS for the current list. Read the guide →

Other

  • B-1 / B-2 — Visitor visas
    • The standard tourist and business visitor visa — the most commonly issued US visa. Covers tourism, visiting family, business meetings, conferences, consultations, and short-term medical treatment. Not for work, long-term study, or establishing US residence. Citizens of about 40 countries can alternatively use ESTA (Visa Waiver Program). Read the guide →
  • Diversity Visa (DV lottery)
    • Annual lottery for up to 55,000 immigrant visas distributed to natives of countries with historically low rates of US immigration. Free to enter, no sponsor required, pure chance. One of the most scammed immigration programs in the world — enter only through the official State Department site at dvprogram.state.gov. Read the guide →