>> Non-Immigrant Visa Descriptions

19 June 2012

NON IMMIGRANT VISA TYPES

Non-Immigrant Visa List with Brief Explanations

A-1. Ambassadors, public ministers or career diplomats and their 
immediate family members.

A-2. Other accredited officials or employees of foreign governments and 
their immediate family members.

A-3. Personal attendants, servants or employees and their immediate 
family members of A-1 and A-2 visa holders.

B-1. Business visitors.

B-2. Visitors for tourism or medical treatment.

C-1. Foreign travelers in immediate and continuous transit through the 
U.S.

D-1. Crewmen who need to land temporarily in the U.S. and who will 
depart aboard the same ship or plane on which they arrived.

E-1. Treaty traders working for a U.S. trading company that does 50% or 
more of its business with the trader’s home country.

E-2. Treaty investors working for a U.S. company with 50% or more of 
its investment capital coming from the worker’s home country.

F-1. Academic or language students.

F-2. Immediate family members of F-1 visa holders.

G-1. Designated principal resident representatives of foreign 
governments coming to the U.S. to work for an international 
organization, their staff members and immediate family members.

G-2. Other accredited representatives of foreign governments coming to 
the U.S. to work for an international organization and their immediate 
family members.

G-3. Representatives of foreign government and their immediate family 
members who would ordinarily qualify for G-1 or G-2 visas except that 
their governments are not members of an international organization.

G-4. Officers or employees of international organizations and their 
immediate family members.

G-5. Attendants, servants and personal employees of G-1 through G-4 
visa holders and their immediate family members.

G-5. Attendants, servants and personal employees of G-1 through G-4 
visa holders and their immediate family members.

H-1B. Persons working in specialty occupations requiring at least a 
bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in on-the-job experience, and 
distinguished fashion models.

H-2A. Temporary agricultural workers coming to the U.S. to fill positions 
for which a temporary shortage of American workers has been 
recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

H-2B. Temporary workers of various kinds coming to the U.S. to perform 
temporary jobs for which there is a shortage of available qualified 
American workers.

H-3. Temporary trainees coming for on-the-job training unavailable in 
their home countries.

H-4. Immediate family members of H-1, H-2 or H-3 visa holders. 

I. Bona fide representatives of the foreign press coming to the U.S. to 
work solely in that capacity and their immediate family members.

J-1. Exchange visitors coming to the U.S. to study, work or train as part 
of an exchange program officially recognized by the United States 
Information Agency.

J-2. Immediate family members of J-1 visa holders.

K-1. Fiancés or fiancées of U.S. citizens coming to the U.S. for the 
purpose of getting married.

K-2. Minor, unmarried children of K-1 visa holders.

K-3. Spouses and children of U.S. citizen petitioners awaiting approval of 
their visa petition and the availability of an immigrant visa.

L-1. Intercompany transferees who work in positions as managers, 
executives or persons with specialized knowledge.

L-2. Immediate family members of L-1 visa holders.

M-1. Vocational or other nonacademic students, other than language 
students.

M-2. Immediate families of M-1 visa holders.

N. Children of certain special immigrants.

NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4 and NATO-5. Associates coming 
to the U.S. under applicable provisions of the NATO Treaty and their 
immediate family members. NATO-6. Civilians accompanying military forces on missions authorized 
under the NATO Treaty and their immediate family members.

NATO-7. Attendants, servants or personal employees of NATO-1 through NATO-6 visas holders and their immediate family members.

O-1. Persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, 
business or athletics.

O-2. Essential support staff of O-1 visa holders.

O-3. Immediate family members of O-1 and O-2 visa holders.

___-1. Internationally recognized athletes and entertainers and their 
essential support staff.

P-2. Entertainers coming to perform in the U.S. through a government recognized 
exchange program.

P-3. Artists and entertainers coming to the U.S. in a group for the 
purpose of presenting culturally unique performances.

P-4. Immediate family members of P-1, P-2 and P-3 visa holders.

Q-1. Exchange visitors coming to the U.S. to participate in international 
cultural-exchange programs.

Q-2. Immediate family members of Q-1 visa holders.

R-1. Ministers and other workers of recognized religions.

R-2. Immediate family members of R-1 visa holders.

S-1. People coming to the U.S. to supply critical information to federal or 
state authorities where it has been determined that their presence in the 
U.S. is essential to the success of a criminal investigation or prosecution. S-2. People coming to the U.S. to provide critical information to federal 
authorities or a court, who will be in danger as a result of providing such 
information, and are eligible to receive a reward for the information.

S-3. Immediate family members of S-1 or S-2 visa holders.

T. Women and children who are in the United States because they are 
victims of trafficking, who are cooperating with law enforcement, and 
who fear extreme hardship (such as retribution) if returned home.

U. For people who have suffered “substantial physical or mental abuse” 
as a result of certain U.S. criminal violations including domestic violence, 
and are assisting law enforcement authorities.

V. Spouses and children of U.S. lawful permanent resident petitioners 
who have already waited three years for the approval of their visa 
petition or for an immigrant visa to become available.