Visa policy of the United States

Policy on permits required to enter the United States and its unincorporated territories

Visitors to the United States must obtain a visa from one of the U. S. diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa exempt or Visa Waiver Program countries. The same rules apply for travel to all U. S. states, Washington, D. C., Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands, as well as to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands with additional waivers, while similar but separate rules apply to American Samoa.

Residents of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in Russia who are members of the indigenous population do not need a visa to visit Alaska if they have relatives (blood relatives, members of the same tribe, native people who have similar language and cultural heritage) in Alaska. Entry points are in Gambell and Nome. Individuals must be invited by a relative in Alaska, must notify local authorities at least ten days before traveling to Alaska, and must leave Alaska within 90 days. The agreement establishing this policy was signed by Russia (then the Soviet Union) and the United States on September 23, 1989. The United States made it effective as of July 17, 2015.

Members of certain indigenous peoples born in Canada may enter and remain in the United States indefinitely "for the purpose of employment, study, retirement, investing, and/or immigration" or any other reason by virtue of the Jay Treaty of 1794, as codified in Section 289 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. In order to qualify, an individual must possess "at least 50 per centum blood of the American Indian Race". Tribal membership alone does not qualify an individual. A Canadian Certificate of Indian Status is insufficient proof because it does not indicate the percentage of Indian blood. However, qualifying American Indians residing in the United States are considered to be lawfully admitted for U. S. permanent residence and therefore may file a petition for their spouse and dependent children, subject to statutory numerical limitations and a potential backlog of applications.

Country or territory States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico U. S. Virgin Islands Guam Northern Mariana Islands American SamoaCruise Air and EFTA Police certificate Police certificate Police certificate Police certificate

The United States has suspended the issuance of certain types of visas for certain people from certain countries as sanctions for their lack of cooperation in accepting the return of their nationals deported from the United States. As of 2024, these sanctions apply to nationals of Eritrea and to certain government officials and their family members of Cambodia, China (also under separate sanctions), Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sierra Leone. The United States has also suspended the issuance of visas in Cuba and Venezuela due to the ordered departure of U. S. government personnel, but nationals of these countries may still apply for visas at U. S. embassies or consulates in other countries.

Visits to the United States Minor Outlying IslandsBaker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Islandare severely restricted. The islands are not accessible to the general public, and all visits require special permits from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or from The Nature Conservancy for Palmyra Atoll,

A visas are issued to representatives of a foreign government traveling to the United States to engage in official activities for that government. A visas are granted to foreign government ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, as well as other foreign government officials or employees traveling on official business (A 1 visa). Certain foreign officials require an A visa regardless of the purpose of their trip. The A visa is also granted to immediate family members of such foreign government officials, defined as "the principal applicant's spouse and unmarried sons and daughters of any age who are not members of some other household and who will reside regularly in the household of the principal alien" (A 2 Visa) and which "may also include close relatives of the principal alien or spouse who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption who are not members of some other household; who will reside regularly in the household of the principal alien; and who are recognized as dependents by the sending government (A 3 Visa).

The C 1 visa is a transit visa issued to individuals who are traveling in "immediate and continuous transit through the United States en route to another country". The only reason to enter the United States must be for transit purposes. A subtype C 2 visa is issued to diplomats transiting to and from the Headquarters of the United Nations and is limited to the vicinity of New York City. A subtype C 3 visa is issued to diplomats and their dependents transiting to and from their posted country.

D visa is issued to crew members of sea vessels and international airlines in the United States. This includes commercial airline pilots and flight attendants, captain, engineer, or deckhand of a sea vessel, service staff on a cruise ship and trainees on board a training vessel. Usually a combination of a C 1 visa and D visa is required.

Treaty Trader (E 1 visa) and Treaty Investor (E 2 visa) visas are issued to citizens of countries that have signed treaties of commerce and navigation with the United States. They are issued to individuals working in businesses engaged in substantial international trade or to investors (and their employees) who have made a 'substantial investment' in a business in the United States. The variant visa issued only to citizens of Australia is the E 3 visa (E 3D visa is issued to spouse or child of E 3 visa holder and E 3R to a returning E 3 holder).

These visas are issued for foreign students enrolled at accredited US institutions. F 1 visas are for full time students, F2 visas are for spouses and children of F 1 visa holders and F 3 visas are for "border commuters" who reside in their country of origin while attending school in the United States. They are managed through SEVIS.

The I 1 visa is issued to representatives of the foreign media, including members of the press, radio, film, and print industries travelling to temporarily work in the United States in the profession.

A K 1 visa is a visa issued to the fiancé or fiancée of a United States citizen to enter the United States. A K 1 visa requires a foreigner to marry his or her U. S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of entry, or depart the United States. Once the couple marries, the foreign citizen can adjust status to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States (Green Card holder). A K 2 visa is issued to unmarried children under the age of 21. Foreign same sex partners of United States citizens are currently recognized by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and accordingly can be sponsored for K 1 visas and for permanent resident status. K 3/K 4 visas are issued to foreign spouses and children of US citizens.

The L 1 classification is for international transferees who have worked for a related organization abroad for at least one continuous year in the past three years and who will be coming to the United States to work in an executive or managerial (L 1A) or specialized knowledge capacity (L 1B). The L 2 visa is issued to dependent spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age of qualified L 1 visa holders.

The M 1 visa is a type of student visa reserved for vocational and technical schools. Students in M 1 status may not work on or off campus while studying, and they may not change their status to F 1. The M 2 visa permits the spouse and minor children of an M 1 vocational student to accompany him or her to the United States.

P visas are issued to individuals or team athletes, or member of an entertainment group including persons providing essential support services (P 1 visa), artists or entertainers (individual or group) under a reciprocal exchange program (P 2 visa) and artists or entertainers (individual or group) visiting to perform, teach or coach under a program that is culturally unique (P 3 Visa). P 4 visas are issued to spouses, or children under the age of 21, of a P 1, P 2, or P 3 alien and who is accompanying, or following to join.

The Q visa is issued to participants in an international cultural exchange program. R 2 visa is issued to dependent family members.

S visas are nonimmigrant visas issued to individuals who have assisted law enforcement as a witness or informant. There is a limit of 200 S visas a year. A law enforcement agency can then submit an application for resident alien status, i. e. a green card on behalf of the witness or informant once the individual has completed the terms and conditions of his or her S visa.

NAFTA Professional (TN) visa allows citizens of Canada and Mexico whose profession is on the NAFTA list and who must hold a bachelor's degree to work in the United States on a prearranged job. Canadian citizens usually do not need a visa to work under the TN status (unless they live outside Canada with non Canadian family members) while Mexican citizens require a TN visa. Spouse and dependent children of a TN professional can be admitted into the United States in the TD status.

The T 1 visa is issued to victims of severe forms of human trafficking. Holders may adjust their status to permanent resident status. Subtypes of this visa are T 2 (issued to spouses of T 1), T 3 (issued to children of T 1), T 4 (issued to parents of T 1 under the age of 21), and T 5 (issued to unmarried siblings under the age of 18 of T 1 who is under 21). The U 1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa which is set aside for victims of crimes (and their immediate family members) who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. Subtypes of this visa are U 2 issued to spouses of U 1, U 3 issued to children of U 1, U 4 issued to parents of U 1 under the age of 21 and U 5 issued to unmarried siblings under the age of 18 of U 1 who is under 21.

The V visa is a temporary visa available to spouses and minor children (unmarried, under 21) of U. S. lawful permanent residents (LPR, also known as green card holders). It allows permanent residents to achieve family unity with their spouses and children while the immigration process takes its course. It was created by the Legal Immigration Family Equity Act of 2000. The Act is to relieve those who applied for immigrant visas on or before December 21, 2000. Practically, the V visa is currently not available to spouses and minor children of LPRs who have applied after December 21, 2000.

The Trump administration issued new rules on August 12, 2019, that will reject applicants for temporary or permanent visas for failing to meet income standards or for receiving public assistance such as welfare, food stamps, public housing or Medicaid. Critics feared the new law, which was set to go into effect in October 2019, could negatively impact the lives of children who are U. S. citizens. Symbol DescriptionImmediate RelativesIR 1Spouse of U. S. citizenIR 2Child of U. S. citizenIR 3Orphan from a non Hague country (i. e., not a party to the Hague Adoption Convention) adopted abroad by U. S. citizenIR 4Orphan from a non Hague country to be adopted in the United States by U. S. citizenIR 5Parent of U. S. citizen at least 21 years of ageIH 3Orphan from a Hague country adopted abroad by U. S. citizenIH 4Orphan from a Hague country to be adopted in the United States by U. S. citizenCR 1Spouse of U. S. citizen (conditional status)CR 2Child of U. S. citizen (conditional status)IW 1Certain spouses of deceased U. S. citizensIW 2Child of IW 1 IB 1IB 1Self petition spouse of U. S. citizenIB 2Self petition child of U. S. citizenIB 3Child of IB 1VI 5Parent of U. S. citizen who acquired permanent resident status under the Virgin Islands Nonimmigrant Alien Adjustment ActVietnam Amerasian ImmigrantsAM 1Vietnam Amerasian principalAM 2Spouse/Child of AM 1AM 3Natural mother of AM 1 (and spouse or child of such mother), or person who has acted in effect as the mother, father, or next of kin of AM 1 (and spouse or child of such person)Special ImmigrantsSB 1Returning residentSC 1Certain persons who lost U. S. citizenship by marriageSC 2Certain persons who lost U. S. citizenship by serving in foreign armed forcesFamily Sponsored Immigrants: First PreferenceF11Unmarried son or daughter of U. S. citizenF12Child of F11B11Self petition unmarried son or daughter of U. S. citizenB12Child of B11Family Sponsored Immigrants: Second Preference (Subject to Country Limitations)F21Spouse of permanent residentF22Child of permanent residentF23Child of F21 or F22F24Unmarried son/daughter of permanent residentF25Child of F24B21Self petition spouse of permanent residentB22Self petition child of permanent residentB23Child of B21 or B22B24Self petition unmarried son/daughter of permanent residentB25Child of B24Family Sponsored Immigrants: Second Preference (Exempt from Country Limitations)FX1Spouse of permanent residentFX2Child of permanent residentFX3Child of FX1 or FX2BX1Self petition spouse of permanent residentBX2Self petition child of permanent residentBX3Child of BX1 or BX2Family Sponsored Immigrants: Third PreferenceF31Married son or daughter of U. S. citizenF32Spouse of F31F33Child of F31B31Self petition married son or daughter of U. S. citizen B32B32Spouse of B31B33Child of B31Family Sponsored Immigrants: Fourth PreferenceF41Brother or sister of U. S. citizen who is at least 21 years of ageF42Spouse of F41F43Child of F41Employment Based Immigrants: First Preference (Priority Workers)E11Person with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athleticsE12Outstanding professor or researcherE13Multinational executive or managerE14Spouse of E11, E12, or E13E15Child of E11, E12, or E13Employment Based Immigrants: Second Preference (Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability)E21Professional holding advanced degree or person of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or businessE22Spouse of E21E23Child of E21Employment Based Immigrants: Third Preference (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers)E31Skilled workerE32Professional holding baccalaureate degreeE34Spouse of E31 or E32E35Child of E31 or E32EW3Other workers
(subgroup numerical limit)EW4Spouse of EW3EW5Child of EW3Employment Based Immigrants: Fourth Preference (Certain Special Immigrants)BC 1Certain international broadcastersBC 2Spouse of BC 1BC 3Child of BC 1SD 1Minister of religionSD 2Spouse of SD 1SD 3Child of SD 1SE 1Certain employees or former employees of the U. S. Government abroadSE 2Spouse of SE 1SE 3Child of SE 1SF 1Certain former employees of the Panama Canal Company or Canal Zone GovernmentSF 2Spouse or child of SF 1SG 1Certain former employees of the U. S. Government in the Panama Canal Zone SG 2SH 2Spouse or child of SH 1SJ 2Spouse or child of SJ 1 (certain foreign medical graduates)SK 1Certain retired international organization employeesSK 2Spouse of SK 1 SK 3SK 4Certain surviving spouses of deceased international organization employees SL 1SM 1Person recruited outside the United States who has served, or is enlisted to serve, in the U. S. Armed Forces for 12 years (became eligible after October 1, 1991)SM 2Spouse of SM 1SM 3Child of SM 1SM 4Person recruited outside the United States who has served, or is enlisted to serve, in the U. S. Armed Forces for 12 years (eligible as of October 1, 1991)SM 5Spouse or child of SM 4SN 1Certain retired NATO 6 civilian employeesSN 2Spouse of SN 1SN 3Certain unmarried sons or daughters of NATO 6 civilian employeesSN 4Certain surviving spouses of deceased NATO 6 civilian employeesSR 1Certain religious workers (subgroup numerical limit)SR 2Spouse of SR 1SR 3Child of SR 1Employment Based Immigrants: Fifth Preference (Employment Creation Investors) (Conditional Status)C51Employment creation outside targeted areaC52Spouse of C51C53Child of C51T51Employment creation in targeted rural/high unemployment area (subgroup numerical set aside)T52Spouse of T51T53Child of T51R51Investor pilot program, not in targeted areaR52Spouse of R51R53Child of R51I51Investor pilot program, in targeted areaI52Spouse of I51I53Child of I51Other Numerically Limited Categories: Diversity ImmigrantsDV 1Diversity immigrantDV 2Spouse of DV 1DV 3Child of DV 1

Symbol DescriptionA 1Head of state and immediate family, prime minister and immediate family, government minister, ambassador, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family A 2Minister of state, other foreign government official or employee, or immediate familyA 3Attendant, servant, or personal employee of A 1 or A 2, and immediate familyB 1Temporary visitor for business, domestic employees, academics, researchers and studentsB 2Temporary visitor for holiday, tourism, medical treatmentB1/B2Temporary visitor for business & pleasureC 1Person in transitC 1/DCombined Transit and Crewmember (sea or air)C 2Person in transit to United Nations Headquarters district under Section 11 (3), (4), or (5) of the Headquarters AgreementC 3Foreign government official, immediate family, attendant, servant or personal employee, in transitCW 1Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands transitional workerCW 2Spouse or child of Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands transitional workerDCrewmember (sea or air)E 1Treaty trader, spouse and childrenE 2Treaty investor, spouse and childrenE 2CCommonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands investor, spouse, or childE 3Treaty traders and investors: Australian Free Trade AgreementE 3DSpouse or child of E 3E 3RReturning E 3F 1Student (academic or language training program)F 2Spouse or child of F 1F 3Canadian or Mexican national commuter student in an academic or language training programG 1Principal resident representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, staff, and immediate familyG 2Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate familyG 3Representative of non recognized or nonmember foreign government to international organization, and immediate familyG 4International organization officer or employee, and immediate familyG 5Attendant, servant, or personal employee of G 1 through G 4, and immediate familyGBTemporary visitors: for business, visa waiver, GuamGTTemporary visitors: for pleasure, visa waiver, GuamH 1BAlien in a specialty occupation (profession)H1B1Chilean or Singaporean national to work in a specialty occupationH 1CNurse in health professional shortage areaH 2ATemporary worker performing agricultural services unavailable in the United StatesH 2BTemporary worker performing other services unavailable in the United StatesH 3Temporary workers and trainees: industrial traineesH 4Temporary workers and trainees: spouses and children of H 1B, H 1B1, H 2A, H 2B, or H 3IRepresentative of foreign information media, spouse and childrenJ 1Exchange visitorJ 2Spouse or child of exchange visitorK 1Fiancé(e) of U. S. citizenK 2Child of fiancé(e) of U. S. citizenK 3Spouse of U. S. citizen awaiting availability of immigrant visaK 4Child of K 3L 1Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation)L 2Spouse or child of intracompany transfereeM 1Vocational student or other nonacademic studentM 2Spouse or child of M 1M 3Border commuter student (vocational or nonacademic)N 8Parent of SK 3 or SN 3 special immigrantN 9Child of N 8 or of SK 1, SK 2, SK 4, SN 1, SN 2, or SN 4 special immigrantNATO 1Principal permanent representative of member state to NATO (including any of its subsidiary bodies) resident in the U. S. and resident members of official staff; Secretary General, Assistant Secretaries General, and Executive Secretary of NATO; other permanent NATO officials of similar rank, and members of immediate familyNATO 2Other representatives of member states to NATO (including any of its subsidiary bodies) including representatives, advisers, and technical experts of delegations, and members of immediate family; dependents of members of a force entering in accordance with the provisions of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement or in accordance with provisions of the "Protocol on the Status of International Military Headquarters"; members of such a force if issued visasNATO 3Official clerical staff accompanying a representative of member state to NATO (including any of its subsidiary bodies), and members of immediate familyNATO 4Officials of NATO (other than those classifiable as NATO 1), and members of immediate familyNATO 5Experts, other than officials classifiable as NATO 4, employed in missions on behalf of NATO, and their dependentsNATO 6Members of a civilian component accompanying a force entering in accordance with the provisions of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement; members of a civilian component attached to or employed by an Allied Headquarters under the "Protocol on the Status of International Military Headquarters" set up pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty; and their dependentsNATO 7Attendant, servant, or personal employee of NATO 1 through NATO 6 classes, and immediate familyO 1Person with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athleticsO 2Person accompanying and assisting in the artistic or athletic performance by O 1O 3Spouse or child of O 1 or O 2P 1Internationally recognized athlete or member of an internationally recognized entertainment groupP 2Artist or entertainer in a reciprocal exchange programP 3Artist or entertainer in a culturally unique programP 4Spouse or child of P 1, P 2, or P 3Q 1Participant in an international cultural exchange programR 1Person in a religious occupationR 2Spouse or child of R 1S 5Informant possessing information on criminal activityS 6Informant possessing information on terrorismS 7Spouse, married or unmarried son or daughter, or parent of S 5 or S 6SIJSSpecial Immigrant Juvenile Status: Qualifying children present in the U. S. who are declared dependents of a juvenile court and who would be harmed if returned to their home countryT 1Victim of a severe form of trafficking in personsT 2Spouse of T 1T 3Child of T 1T 4Parent of T 1 under 21 years of ageT 5Under 18 unmarried sibling of T 1T 6Adult or minor child of a derivative beneficiary of a T 1TNNAFTA professionalTDSpouse or child of TNU 1Victim of criminal activityU 2Spouse of U 1U 3Child of U 1U 4Parent of U 1 under 21 years of ageU 5Under 18 unmarried sibling of U 1 under 21 at time of filingV 1Spouse of lawful permanent resident awaiting availability of immigrant visaV 2Child of lawful permanent resident awaiting availability of immigrant visaV 3Derivative child of V 1 and V 2WBTemporary visitors: visa waiver, businessWTTemporary visitors: visa waiver, pleasure

The State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs is currently developing and trialling an electronic visa system, envisioned to eventually replace traditional sticker visas on passports. In 2023, this was trialled with K 1 visas issued at the Embassy of the United States, Dublin, Ireland. As this will only apply to individuals requiring a visa, this is different to the established ESTA system for visa waived nationals.

There are cases when a U. S. visa has been granted to aliens who were technically ineligible. Japanese mafia (yakuza) leader Tadamasa Goto and three others were issued visas for travel between 2000 and 2004 to undergo liver transplant surgery at UCLA Medical Center. The FBI had aided the men in the visa application process hoping that they would provide information regarding yakuza activities in the U. S.

Modi is the only person ever denied a visa to the U. S. under this provision. In 2014, after Modi's BJP political party won the 2014 Indian general election, U. S. President Barack Obama ended the visa issue by calling Modi to congratulate him on his victory, and invited him to the White House. On June 8, 2016, Modi addressed a joint meeting of the U. S. Congress.