Categories of Non-Immigrant Visas

There are more than twenty categories of non-immigrant visas with which foreign nationals may come for temporary stays in the U.S.  In addition, a provision known as the visa waiver pilot program allows persons from certain countries to come to the U.S. for 90 days without a visa. The countries for which the visa waiver program applies include Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. Canadians may come to the U.S. without a visa for short stays under another law.

The most common non-immigrant visa is the B visa, also called the visitor's visa. Like most of the visa types, the B has more than one category. The B-1 is for business visitors; the B-2 is for tourists. Often, the two are issued together, meaning that their holders may engage in business or tourist activities. It's important to note, however, that the B-1 visa is not a work visa. It does not authorize an alien to pursue employment in the U.S., although an alien on a B-1 may do work for a foreign company located in the U.S. Activities typically appropriate under a B-1 visa include seminars, conferences, conventions, meetings with a U.S. office of a foreign corporation, conducting research, and making investments.

Other non-immigrant visas cover a broad variety of individuals and purposes. "A" visas are for ambassadors and career diplomats; C visas are for foreign travelers simply passing through the U.S.; D visas are for crewmen landing temporarily in this country and departing aboard the same ship or plane; E visas cover business persons trading with or investing in the U.S. pursuant to a treaty; G visas serve foreign government representatives working for an international organization in the U.S. There are also visas for NATO representatives; specialty occupations, agricultural workers and temporary workers for which there is a shortage of U.S. workers (H); representatives of the foreign press (I); persons coming to marry a U.S. citizen (K); intracompany transferees with specialized knowledge (L); persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, business or athletics (O); athletes and entertainers of international recognition (P); and religious workers (R).  

Some of these visas authorize their holders to work and are subject to additional application and documentation criteria. Generally, work visas are not issued absent a showing that issuance of the visa will not deprive qualified U.S. workers of employment opportunities.

Legal Help with Non-Immigrant Visas

Non-immigrant visas provide opportunities for foreign nationals to come to the United States for a broad range of purposes. Some of these visas are relatively simple to secure and require only modest time and effort on the part of the applicant. Others, especially those authorizing training or employment, are more difficult and may involve elaborate procedures to document the need for the alien worker and the alien's eligibility. For this latter type of visa, the assistance of an experienced employment lawyer or immigration attorney can help simplify the process and provide a better chance of visa approval.

Further information:

From FindLaw's Immigration Law Center
• Temporary Visitors & Non-Immigrant Visas