Immigrant Visas & Non-Immigrant Visas

Non-immigrant visas allow foreign parties to enter the U.S. for a controlled amount of time and a specific purpose. The most common form of non-immigrant visa is an H-1B visa, available to qualified specialists. These visas allow holders to remain in the U.S. for up to six years.

Other non-immigrant visas include:

• B-1 and B-2 visas for business and tourism
• F-1 visas for students
• Work visas, or employment-based visas, allowing specialized employees, seasonal staff members, skilled workers, and investors into the country

Comparatively, immigrant visas help individuals and families permanently and legally reside in the U.S. The most common types of immigrant visas include:

• Family visas, which allow unmarried children, parents, and spouses into the country
• Specialized family visas, which allow a person’s siblings, married children, and adult children into the country
• Fiance visas, which allow entry to foreign-citizen fiances of U.S. citizens