A List of NIV Types

On this page:

Overview

We welcome visitors to the United States with secure borders and open doors. Most Canadian citizens and many citizens from Visa Waiver Program countries can come to the United States. without a visa if they meet certain requirements, which you can read about here.

There are various types of nonimmigrant visas for temporary visitors to travel to the United States if you are not a U.S. citizen or U.S. lawful permanent resident. The purpose of your intended travel and other facts will determine what type of visa is required under U.S. immigration law. It's important to have information about the type of nonimmigrant visa you will need for travel, and the steps required to apply for the visa at a U.S. Embassy abroad.

Review the chart below to determine the type of visa you need. For more detailed information specific to each visa type, including how-to-apply information and more, select a link from the Visa Type column below.

Purpose of Travel to United States and Nonimmigrant Visas Visa Type
Athletes, artists, entertainers href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html">P
Australian worker - professional specialty href=">http://canberra.usembassy.gov/e3visa.html">E-3
Border Crossing Card: Mexico href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/border-crossing-card.html">BCC
Business visitors href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html">B-1
Crewmembers (serving aboard a sea vessel or aircraft in the United States href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/crewmember-visa.html">D
Diplomats and foreign government officials href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/visas-diplomats.html">A
Domestic employees or nannies (must be accompanying a foreign national employer) href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html">B-1
Employees of a designated international organization, and NATO href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/visa-employees-nato.html">G1-G5, href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/visa-employees-nato.html">NATO
Exchange visitors href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html">J
Exchange visitors - au pairs href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html">J-1
Exchange visitors - children (under age 21) or spouse of a J-1 holder href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html">J-2
Exchange visitors - professors, scholars, teachers href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html">J-1
Exchange visitors - international cultural href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html">J, href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html#17">Q
Fiancé(e) href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/family-immigration/nonimmigrant-visa-for-a-fiance-k-1.html">K-1
Foreign military personnel stationed in the United States href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">A-2, href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">NATO1-6
Foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html">O-1
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) professionals: Chile href=">http://chile.usembassy.gov/h1b1-visa.html">H-1B1
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) professionals: Singapore href=">http://singapore.usembassy.gov/fta_visas.html">H-1B1
Information media representative (media, journalists) href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/visas-members-foreign-media-press-radio.html">I
Intra-company transferees href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html">L
Medical treatment, visitors for href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html#10a">B-2
NAFTA professional workers: Mexico, Canada href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">TN/TD
Nurses traveling to areas short of health care professionals href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html">H-1C
Physicians href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html">J-1, href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html">H-1B
Religious workers href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/temporary-religious-worker.html">R
Specialty occupations in fields requiring highly specialized knowledge href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html">H-1B
Students - academic and language students href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">F-1
Student dependents - dependent of an F-1 holder href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">F-2
Students – vocational href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">M-1
Student dependents - dependent of an M-1 holder href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">M-2
Temporary workers - seasonal agricultural href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html">H-2A
Temporary workers – nonagricultural href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html">H-2B
Tourism, vacation, pleasure visitors href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html">B-2
Training in a program not primarily for employment href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html">H-3
Treaty investors href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/treaty-trader-investor-visa-e.html">E-2
Treaty traders href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/treaty-trader-investor-visa-e.html">E-1
Transiting the United States href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/transit.html">C
Victims of human trafficking href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/visas-for-victims-of-human-trafficking.html">T-1
Visa renewals in the United States - A, G, and NATO href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">A1-2, href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">G1-4, href=">https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">NATO1-6