Visa Categories
Non-immigrant Categories
Foreign Government Officials | |
| A-1 | Ambassador, public minister, career, diplomatic or consular officer, and members of immediate family. |
| A-2 | Other foreign government official or employee, and members of immediate family. |
| A-3 | Attendant, servant, or personal employee of A-1 and A-2, and members of immediate family. |
Visitors | |
| B-1 | Temporary visitor for business |
| B-2 | Temporary visitor for pleasure |
Visa Waiver Program | |
Aliens in Transit | |
| C-1 | Alien in transit directly through U.S. |
| C-1D | Combined transit and crewman visa |
| C-2 | Alien in transit to UN headquarters district under Section 11.(3), (4), or (5) of the Headquarters Agreement |
| C-3 | Foreign government official, members of immediate family, attendant, servant, or personal employee, in transit |
| C-4 | Transit without Visa, see TWOV |
Crewmen | |
| D-1 | Crewmember departing on same vessel of arrival |
| D-2 | Crewmember departing by means other than vessel of arrival |
Treaty Traders and Treaty Investors | |
| E-1 | Treaty Trader, spouse and children |
| E-2 | Treaty Investor, spouse and children |
Academic Students | |
| F-1 | Academic Student |
| F-2 | Spouse or child of F-1 |
For Foreign Medical Graduates (see individual categories H-1B, J-1, O-1, TN, E-2) | |
Foreign Government Officials to International Organizations | |
| G-1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and members of immediate family. |
| G-2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and members of immediate family. |
| G-3 | Representative of non-recognized or nonmember government to international organization, and members of immediate family |
| G-4 | International organization officer or employee, and members of immediate family |
| G-5 | Attendant, servant, or personal employee of G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, or members of immediate family |
Temporary Workers | |
| H-1B | Specialty Occupations, DOD workers, fashion models |
| H-1C | Nurses going to work for up to three years in health professional shortage areas |
| H-2A | Temporary Agricultural Worker |
| H-2B | Temporary worker: skilled and unskilled |
| H-3 | Trainee |
| H-4 | Spouse or child of H-1, H-2, H-3 |
Foreign Media Representatives | |
| I | Visas for foreign media representatives |
Exchange Visitors | |
| J-1 | Visas for exchange visitors |
| J-2 | Spouse or child of J-1 |
Fiance(e) of US Citizen | |
| K-1 | Fiance(e) |
| K-2 | Minor child of K-1 |
| K-3 | Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (LIFE Act) |
| K-4 | Child of K-3 (LIFE Act) |
Intracompany Transferee | |
| L-1A | Executive, managerial |
| L-1B | Specialized knowledge |
| L-2 | Spouse or child of L-1 |
Vocational and Language Students | |
| M-1 | Vocational student or other nonacademic student |
| M-2 | Spouse or child of M-1 |
| N-8 | Parent of alien classified SK-3 "Special Immigrant" |
| N-9 | Child of N-8, SK-1, SK-2, or SK-4 "Special Immmigrant" |
NAFTA -- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (see TN, below) | |
North Atlantic Treaty Organization | |
| NATO-1 | Principal Permanent Representative of Member State to NATO and resident members of official staff or immediate family |
| NATO-2 | Other representatives of member State; Dependents of Member of a Force entering in accordance with the provisions of NATO Status-of-Forces agreement; Members of such a Force if issued visas |
| NATO-3 | Official clerical staff accompanying Representative of Member State to NATO or immediate family |
| NATO-4 | Official of NATO other than those qualified as NATO-1 and immediate family |
| NATO-5 | Expert other than NATO officials qualified under NATO-4, employed on behalf of NATO and immediate family |
| NATO-6 | Member of civilian component who is either accompanying a Force entering in accordance with the provisions of the NATO Status-of-Forces agreement; attached to an Allied headquarters under the protocol on the Status of International Military headquarters set up pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty; and their dependents |
| NATO-7 | Servant or personal employee of NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, NATO-6, or immediate family |
Workers with Extraordinary Abilities | |
| O-1 | Extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business, or Athletics |
| O-2 | Alien's (support) accompanying O-1 |
| O-3 | Spouse or child of O-1 or O-2 |
Athletes and Entertainers | |
| P-1 | Individual or team athletes |
| P-1 | Entertainment groups |
| P-2 | Artists and entertainers in reciprocal Exchange programs |
| P-3 | Artists and entertainers in culturally unique programs |
| P-4 | Spouse or child of P-1, 2, or 3 |
International Cultural Exchange Visitors | |
| Q-1 | International cultural exchange visitors |
| Q-2 | Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program (Walsh Visas) |
| Q-3 | Spouse or child of Q-2 |
Religious Workers | |
| R-1 | Religious workers |
| R-2 | Spouse or child of R-1 |
Witness or Informant | |
| S-5 | Informant of criminal organization information |
| S-6 | Informant of terrorism information |
Victims of a Severe Form of Trafficking in Persons | |
| T-1 | Victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons |
| T-2 | Spouse of a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons |
| T-3 | Child of victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons |
| T-4 | Parent of victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons (if T-1 victim is under 21 years of age) |
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) | |
| TN | Trade visas for Canadians and Mexicans |
| TD | Spouse or child accompanying TN- |
Transit Without Visa | |
| TWOV | Passenger |
| TWOV | Crew |
Victims of Certain Crimes | |
| U-1 | Victim of Certain Criminal Activity |
| U-2 | Spouse of U-1 |
| U-3 | Child of U-1 |
| U-4 | Parent of U-1, if U-1 is under 21 years of age |
Certain Second Preference Beneficiaries | |
| V-1 | Spouse of an LPR who is the principal beneficiary of a family-based petition (Form I-130) which was filed prior to December 21, 2000, and has been pending for at least three years |
| V-2 | Child of an LPR who is the principal beneficiary of a family-based visa petition (Form I-130) that was filed prior to December 21, 2000, and has been pending for at least three years. |
| V-3 | The derivative child of a V-1 or V-2 |
Humanitarian Parole | |
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) | |
| TPS | Temporary Protected Status |
Immigrant Visa Categories
Family-Based | |
| Immediate Relatives (Spouses of US citizens (USCs), unmarried children under 21 years of age of USCs, and parents of USCs Note: A USC must be over the age of 21 to petition for his/her parent | |
| First Preference (Unmarried sons or daughters over 21 years of age of USC) | |
| Second Preference (Spouses and children of Legal Permanent Resident, or LPR) | |
| Spouses and children | |
| Unmarried sons or daughters over 21 years of age of LPR | |
| Third Preference (Married children of USC) | |
| Fourth Preference (Siblings of adult USC) | |
Employment-Based | |
| EB-1 | First Preference Priority Workers |
| EB-2 | Second Preference Professionals with advanced degrees, and persons with exceptional ability |
| EB-3 | Third Preference Skilled workers, professional and other workers |
| EB-4 | Fourth Preference Certain special immigrants |
| SK-1 | Certain Retired International Organization Employees |
| SK-2 | Spouse of SK-1 |
| SK-3 | Certain Unmarried Sons or Daughters of an International Organization Employee |
| SK-4 | Certain Spouses of a deceased International Organization Employee |
| INV EB-5 | Fifth Preference Employment creation (investors) |