A Non-Immigrant Visa is required of any person who wishes to travel to the U.S. on a temporary basis – for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work or study.
The chart below provides the Non-Immigrant Visa categories that are available to persons wishing to travel to the United States according to the persons’ purpose of travel. You may choose a link under the Visa Designation column to get more information about each Non-Immigrant Visa category.
TYPES OF NON-IMMIGRANT VISA
| Purpose of Travel to U.S. and Nonimmigrant Visas | Visa Type | Required: Before Applying for Visa* |
| Athletes, amateur & professional (compete for prize money only) | B-1 | (NA) |
| Au pairs (exchange visitor) | J | SEVIS |
| Australian professional specialty | E-3 | DOL |
| Border Crossing Card: Mexico | BCC | (NA) |
| Business visitors | B-1 | (NA) |
| Diplomats and foreign government officials | A | (NA) |
| Domestic employees or nanny -must be accompanying a foreign national employer | B-1 | (NA) |
| Employees of a designated international organization, and NATO | G1-G5, NATO | (NA) |
| Exchange visitors | J | SEVIS |
| Foreign military personnel stationed in the U.S. | A-2NATO1-6 | (NA) |
| Foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or Athletics | O | USCIS |
| Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Professionals: Chile, Singapore | H-1B1 | DOL |
| International cultural exchange visitors | Q | USCIS |
| Intra-company transferees | L | USCIS |
| Medical treatment, visitors for | B-2 | (NA) |
| Media, journalists | I | (NA) |
| NAFTA professional workers: Mexico, Canada | TN/TD | (NA) |
| Nurses coming to health professional shortage areas | H1-C | USCIS |
| Performing athletes, artists, entertainers | P | USCIS |
| Physician | J, H-1B | SEVIS |
| Professor, scholar, teacher (exchange visitor) | J | SEVIS |
| Religious workers | R | (USCIS) |
| Specialty occupations in fields requiring highly specialized knowledge | H-1B | DOL then USCIS |
| Students: academic, vocational | F, M | SEVIS |
| Temporary agricultural workers | H-2A | DOL then USCIS |
| Temporary workers performing other services or labor of a temporary or seasonal nature. | H-2B | DOL then USCIS |
| Tourism, vacation, pleasure visitors | B2 | (NA) |
| Training in a program not primarily for employment | H-3 | USCIS |
| Treaty traders/treaty investors | E | (NA) |
| Transiting the United States | C | (NA) |
| Visa Renewals – Available in the U.S. | (NA) |
