A Simple Guide to U.S. Visa Categories
If you have never applied for a United States visa before, the process can seem overwhelming. There are many visa categories and, despite the best efforts of the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the State Department, the language used to discuss these categories remains technical and hard to understand.
In this post I outline the most common visa types based on the purpose of travel. Use this to become familiar with basic visa categories and terms if you are just starting the process of figuring out what you need to travel to the United States. If you are still confused at the end, consider requesting a service from The Visa Officer to help you identify what visa category is right for you.
Tourism & Business: B visas
If you are coming to the United States for tourism, to visit friends, attend a conference, meet with a business partner, inspect a factory, or anything similar to these purposes then you will be applying for a B visa. The State Department typically issues a “B-1/B-2” visa to people visiting the U.S. for tourism or business. The reason is to give the visa flexibility and not require applicants to have to pay for two visas.
There are other purposes of travel that also require a B visa such as coming for medical procedures, participating in athletic competitions, domestic help work, and so forth. These all have specialized rules that applicants need to follow.
Just Passing Through: C visas
If you are taking a flight with a layover in the United States, you will need to apply for a C visa. These are very limited visas and are typically combined with visas for crew members (D visas). This visa can be an option if you have no plans to do anything other than transit through the United States. Most people, however, will probably want to pursue a B visa, so they can have the option in the future to visit the United States or enjoy a longer layover.
Studying in the US: F and M visas
If you are coming to the United States to work toward a degree at a high school, community college, 4 year college, or university you will need to apply for an F visa. If you are coming to the United States to work toward a technical degree (such as pilot certification) you will need to apply for an M visa.
In most cases the school you are attending will provide some basic assistance with the visa process as the school must issue you paperwork for your interview. However, the State Department constantly scrutinizes student patterns looking for fraud, so make sure you make adequate preparations for you interview.
Exchange Programs and Summer Work: J visas
If you are coming to the United States to participate in a cultural program that you applied for or work a summer job that you applied to through an agency, then you are going to apply for a J visa. Similar to the F and M categories, your sponsoring agency will provide you paperwork that you need for your interview.
J visas are also used for au pairs and certain types of company training programs. Au pairs in particular have a lot of rules and requirements to follow, so make sure you do your research ahead of time.
Marriage Categories: IR-1/CR-1, F2A, and K visas
If you are planing on coming to the United States to live here permanently with your spouse then you will be getting an IR-1/CR-1 visa if your spouse is a U.S. citizen, an F2A visa if your spouse has a green card, or a K visa if you are engaged and plan to get married and live in the U.S. All of these visa types require an approved petition from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and generally require 18 months to be fully approved.
Family Categories: IR-2/CR-2, IR-5, F-1, F2B, F-3, and F-4 visas
Most legal immigration to the United States is done on the basis of family relationships.
If you have a step parent who is a U.S. citizen and you are a minor (under age 18), you will use the IR-2/CR-2 category.
If you are the parent of a U.S. citizen, you will use the IR-5 category.
If you are the adult unmarried child of a U.S. citizen, you will use the F-1 category.
Adult married children of U.S. citizens use the F-3 category.
Siblings of U.S. citizens use the F-4 category.
If you are the unmarried adult child of a green card holder you will use the F2B category.
Like marriage categories, these visa classes require an approved petition from USCIS. Any visa that is in the F category is numerically limited, which means that the U.S. government only issues a certain number each year. Depending on what country you are from, this can mean the wait time to get your visa is very, very long.
Visas for Work Are Very Complicated!
If you are coming to the United States to work, the type of visa you will need will depend on the specific type of work you are coming to perform. Generally, your employer will need to file a petition with USCIS for you to receive your visa, which will help you to determine your specific category. Almost without exception you will need to have received a job in the U.S. first from an employer willing to sponsor your application. The instances where this is NOT the case are employment-based immigrant visas, which are based on having certain skills rather than a job offer (for example, modeling). The U.S. government limits the number of these immigrant visas each year, which means they can be difficult to obtain.
What About the Visa Waiver Program?
A handful of countries, mostly in Western Europe, are members of the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens to travel to the United States without a visa. Instead, they just need to have received an approval from ESTA, which can be completed online.
The Visa Waiver Program is meant to replace B visas for tourism and business. However, the program places more restrictions on travelers than do the requirements for a B visa. If you are planning to do something other than just simple travel or business meetings, you should review the program rules to make sure you don’t get in trouble when you enter the country. If you are refused entry as a Visa Waiver Program applicant, you will be required to apply for a B visa instead.
Have questions about your specific situation? Ask the Visa Officer at https://askthevisaofficer.com/request-a-service.