Non-immigrant Visas - An Overview

If you are planning a trip to the United States for pleasure, temporary work, business, medical attention, or any reason other than relocating here, you must obtain a nonimmigrant (temporary) visa, with limited exceptions. A nonimmigrant visa is issued so that you may travel to the United States for a specific purpose and for a set duration.

Visitors

To enter the United States temporarily, you are usually required to obtain some type of nonimmigrant visa. Your stay in the United States will be for a limited period of time and restricted to the reason for which your visa was issued. Obtaining a visa for tourism (pleasure), business, or medical treatment requires that you make it clear to the U.S. Consulate or Embassy that you do not intend to remain permanently in the United States. We can work with you to assure that your temporary visa application has the best chance of being granted by the consulate in your home country without delay, and without you having to reapply.

Students

Being accepted into a United States academic institution, language-training program, or vocational school that is approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is just the first step toward reaching your goal to travel to and study in the United States. The more difficult part of the process is acquiring a student visa so that you can actually enter the United States. We can work with you to assure that your temporary student visa application has the best chance of being granted by the consulate in your home country without delay.

Requirements for a Student Visa

There are two types of student visas (not including exchange visitor visas). The first type of student visa is for students enrolled in colleges, universities, seminaries, conservatories, academic high schools, other educational institutions and language training programs. The second type of student visa is for people pursuing nonacademic or vocational studies.

Temporary Workers

Foreign nationals may apply for several categories of temporary worker visas. These visas are nonimmigrant visas meant for those who seek to work temporarily in the United States. Some of these visas have strict annual limits. In order to obtain a temporary worker visa, an employer or agent must first file a Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If this petition is approved, it is the foreign national's responsibility to obtain a temporary worker visa. We can work with you to make sure that after you have received a temporary employment opportunity in the United States, you are able to accept it.

Other Nonimmigrant Visas

In addition to pleasure and tourist visas, student visas, and temporary worker visas, there are many other types of nonimmigrant visas issued by the United States government. Nonimmigrant visas differ greatly from each other in what they allow the foreign national to do while in the United States. Every nonimmigrant visa is issued for a specific purpose. Failure to obtain the correct visa may result in a foreign national failing to achieve his or her true goals after arriving here. To prevent this from happening and to avoid having to change your status once in the States, you need to make sure that you apply and receive the correct visa from the United States consulate. We can work with you to define what your goals are while in the United States and ensure that you apply for the correct visa to accomplish those goals.