How can you get a temporary visa to visit, study or work in the United States?
Temporary work visas include E, H, J, L, O, P, R and TN visas. The most common ways to visit the US are B-1 and B-2 visas and the Visa Waiver Program. Persons may study in the US using F-1, M-1 and J-1 temporary visas.
This page contains a number of articles and links explaining the various types of temporary visas. It explains the difference between a “visa” and a “status”. We explain the procedure for obtaining a visa abroad as well as the process of applying for an extension of stay or a change of status in the U.S. We link to the online visa appointment system for U.S. Consulates in Canada and Mexico. We explain the most common temporary or “non-immigrant” visa categories, in alphabetical order from “A” to “U”.
Our attorneys have obtained temporary visas for thousands of E-2 treaty investors, H-1B professionals, J-1 trainees, L-1 intracompany managers and executives, O-1 persons of extraordinary ability, P-1 athletes and entertainers, R-1 religious workers and persons in TN occupations. We represent hundreds of employers and thousands of computer professionals, physicians, accountants, engineers, scientists, health care professionals including registered nurses across the US.
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Temporary Visas is divided into the following subtopics:
- Categories of Temporary Visas
- General Information
- Success Stories
- Applying for a Temporary Visa in Canada or Mexico
- Humanitarian Parole
- Practice Advisories
CATEGORIES OF TEMPORARY VISAS
- Diplomats and Foreign Government Officials (“A”)
- Visitor Visas to the U.S. (“B-1/B-2”)
- Visa Waiver Program – ESTA (State Department)
- Transit Visas (“C”)
- Crewmen (“D-1”)
- Treaty Traders (“E-1”)
- Treaty Investors (“E-2”)
- Australian Professionals (“E-3”)
- Students (“F-1”)
- Employees of International Agencies and NATO (“G” and “NATO”) (State Department)
- Professional Workers (“H-1B”)
- Agricultural Workers (“H-2A”) (USCIS)
- Skilled and Unskilled Workers (“H-2B”)
- Trainees (“H-3”)
- Foreign Journalists (“I”) (USCIS)
- Exchange Visitors (“J-1”) and Waivers
- Fiances of U.S. Citizens (“K-1”)
- Spouses of US Citizens (“K-3”)
- Intracompany Transferees (“L-1”)
- Persons of Extraordinary Ability (“O”)
- Athletes and Entertainers (“P”)
- International Cultural Exchange Visitors (“Q”)
- Religious Workers (“R”)
- Witnesses and Informants (“S”) (Justice Department)
- Victims of Trafficking (“T”) (USCIS)
- Canadian and Mexican Professionals Under NAFTA (“TN”)
- Visas for Crime Victims (“U”)
GENERAL INFORMATION – TEMPORARY VISAS
- What is a US Visa? (State Department)
- Visas – Frequently Asked Questions (State Department)
- Fees for Visa Services (State Department)
- A-Z Index (State Department)
- Attending a Non-Immigrant Visa Interview at a US Embassy (State Department)
- A New Way to Apply For Your Visa: The DS-160 (State Department)
- Applying for Admission into the United States (CBP)
- Enforcement at the Airport – Know Your Rights (ACLU)
- Automatic Visa Revalidation
- Nonimmigrants – USCIS Policy Manual
- How Do I Get An Extension of Stay in the U.S.? (USCIS)
- Who May Apply to Change to a New Nonimmigrant Status (USCIS)
- Policy Memo Regarding Extensions of Status for Cohabitating Partners of Nonimmigrants
- Nonimmigrant Waivers
- “Dual Intent” Doctrine
- How Do I Report a Change of Address to the USCIS? (USCIS)
- Visa Denials (State Department)
SUCCESS STORIES – TEMPORARY VISAS
- Overcoming a Prior Deportation Order
- Obtaining a U Visa for a Crime Victim
- From Humanitarian Parolee to Permanent Resident
- O-1 Visa for an Architect of Extraordinary Ability
- Obtaining an E-2 Treaty Investor’s Visa
- Finding Another Way to Work in the U.S. Following an L-1 Denial
- Is It Unauthorized Employment to Run a Business?
- Proving Specialized Knowledge for an L-1B
- Getting an H-1B Approved for a Remote Worker
- Avoiding the H-1B Cap with a Little Help from the USCIS
- H-3 Trainee Visas and Special Education
- Winning an Appeal Before the AAO
APPLYING FOR A TEMPORARY VISA IN CANADA OR MEXICO
HUMANITARIAN PAROLE
PRACTICE ADVISORIES REGARDING VISAS
- Litigation for Business Immigration Practitioners (6-10-21)
- USCIS Visa Petition Denials on the Rise (8-16-19)
- The H-4 Visa Classification (3-26-18)
- Trump Administration to Announce H-1B Visa Changes (4-17-17)
- Challenges for Visa Waiver Program Overstays (3-20-17)
- Employment-Based Visa Categories in the United States (9-17-16)
- The Exchange Visitor Program and J-1 Visas (5-26-16)