Temporary Visa

Many people visiting the United States do not use any visa. They travel under the visa waiver program and enter America technically without a visa. Countries currently registered under this program are: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, and Spain. Under the visa waiver program, nationals of participating countries may visit the United States for a period of up to 90 days as tourists (WT) or for business purposes (WB). While in the United States, they are not allowed to take up any employment. Their stay cannot usually be extended; neither can they normally obtain another visa status without leaving the country.

Important:

1.   All listed visas are of temporary nature and do not constitute permanent

      residency. Persons desiring permanently to live in the United States will

      eventually need a different visa (green card).

2.   A temporary visa status has no influence on the green card lottery. You may

      participate in the green card lottery no matter where you live and whether

      you have any temporary visa or not. It is therefore strongly recommend you

      to participate in the green card lottery now.

*NOTE: The following list of temporary visa is not complete. Green Card Support Service has chosen to only provide information on the most commonly used visa categories, others may be available.

Types of temporary visas

B-1-Visa (Business Visitor Visa)

This visa is a visitor’s visa for the purpose of business. It is either issued as a single entry visa or as a ten-year multiple entry visa. The length of stay is generally six months; however, it is in the discretion of an immigration officer to decide on the permitted length of stay, (which could be less than 6 months). To file an application for this visa, forms include DS-156 and possibly DS-157 (for males between 16 and 45 years of age). The visa is often issued within a fairly short period of time.

B-2-Visa (Tourist Visa)

This visa is similar to the B-1-Visa, but issued for the purpose of leisure. It should be noted at this point, that applicants of most temporary visas must prove strong ties to their country of residence. It is therefore uncommon that this visa is issued if you have only resided in your country of residence for less than one year.

E-1-Visa (Trade Visa)

This visa is used for trade between the United States and other participating countries. It may be issued to traders and/or their employees. Although this visa is not a green card, the residence status for this visa may be extended indefinitely. The advantage of this visa is that it can be used by people not qualifying for the green card otherwise.

E-2-Visa (Investment Visa)

This visa is similar to the E-1-Visa but issued on the basis of a substantial active business investment. This investment can be brought to the US in form of cash or assets. This is intended to start or purchase a company that should be profitable, capable of generating new jobs and contributing positively to the growth of the US economy. Like the E-1-Visa, this visa may also be extended indefinitely.

F-1-Visa (Student Visa)

Students registered in an American accredited language school, college or university may apply for this visa. It is issued for the expected length of the studies, but becomes invalid if the student does not attend courses regularly. There are tight restrictions to the ability to work off campus. Applicants are therefore required to prove sufficient financial sources for the total expected length of study. Depending on the type of studies, a student visa may also be issued for non-academic study under the category of M-1.

J-1-Visa (Exchange Visitor)

This visa is issued to students or for purposes of training and au-pair. It requires the registration and acceptance of an official government accredited US-sponsor like AIPT or CDS International.

K-1-Visa (Fiancée Visa)

Persons intending to marry a US-citizen may use this visa to enter the United States. The marriage has to take place within 90 days upon entering the country. There are stringent restrictions concerning this visa. K-1-Visa holders are entitled to start work upon their arrival in the United States.

L-1-Visa (Intra-Company Transfer)

This visa is for managers and their employees of international companies. It is also used for small business and sole-proprietorship entrepreneurs. This visa may, under certain conditions, be converted into permanent residency (green card).

O-1-Visa (Extraordinary Ability)

People with outstanding abilities or knowledge may apply for this visa. Recipients of international awards may use this category. This visa may be extended indefinitely.

P-1-Visa (Athletes and Entertainers)

This visa is for internationally accredited athletes, artists and entertainers. It may be possible to include support staff (e.g. trainer, agents, etc.) into this category.

R-1-Visa (Religious Workers)

This visa is for religious workers of churches and other religious organizations. Applicants need to be able to prove at least two years of membership to the denomination prior to the application.

V-Visa

This visa can be used by direct family members of legal permanent residents (green card holders) to shorten the waiting period for family reunification.

Important Note: The above descriptions are common language notations to provide a basic understanding of some of the various visa categories. These are by no means legal definitions, neither do they substitute for legal advice. To find out whether you qualify for such a visa, we recommend contacting a licensed immigration lawyer.