Visa information
Educational information about U.S. visa categories
General summaries of publicly available information, written in plain English. We do not assess eligibility or recommend a category — every page links to the official government source.
20 of 20 information pages
B-1
Temporary Business Visitor
The B-1 category is described by the U.S. Department of State as a temporary visitor classification for certain business-related activities, such as c…
Read informationB-2
Tourism and Visitor Visa
The B-2 category is described in official material as a temporary visitor classification for tourism, visiting family or friends, and certain medical …
Read informationB-1/B-2
Combined Visitor Visa
Official material explains that B-1 and B-2 visas are often issued together as a combined B-1/B-2 visitor visa covering both business and tourism acti…
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F-1
Academic Student
The F-1 category is described in official material as the classification for people pursuing academic studies at an approved U.S. institution.…
Read informationM-1
Vocational Student
Official material describes the M-1 category as the classification for vocational or other recognised non-academic programmes.…
Read informationJ-1
Exchange Visitor
The J-1 category is described in official material as covering approved exchange visitor programmes, including certain research, teaching, training an…
Read information
H
H Visa Categories
Official material describes the H classifications as temporary worker categories, including speciality occupation workers, agricultural workers and ot…
Read informationL
Intracompany Transferee Categories
The L classifications are described officially as covering certain intracompany transfers of managers, executives and employees with specialised knowl…
Read informationO
Extraordinary Ability Categories
Official material describes the O classifications as covering individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement in defined fields, together with c…
Read informationP
Athlete and Entertainer Categories
The P classifications are described officially as covering certain athletes, entertainment groups, artists in reciprocal exchange programmes and cultu…
Read informationR
Religious Worker Categories
Official material describes the R classification as covering certain religious workers coming temporarily to work for a qualifying religious organisat…
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IR
Spouse and Immediate-Relative Categories
Official material describes immediate relative categories as covering certain spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents of U.S. citizens, with …
Read informationF1–F4
Family-Preference Categories
Official material describes family-preference categories as covering more distant relationships, which are subject to annual numerical limits and publ…
Read informationK-1
Fiancé or Fiancée Visa Information
Official material describes the K-1 category as available to the fiancé or fiancée of a U.S. citizen who intends to marry within a defined period afte…
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EB-1 – EB-5
Employment-Based Preference Categories
Official material describes several employment-based preference categories, each with published criteria, annual limits and priority date arrangements…
Read informationOverview
Employer-Petition Process Overview
This page summarises, in plain language, how publicly available material describes the general sequence of an employer-sponsored process, from petitio…
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C / D
Transit and Crewmember Visas
Official material describes transit visas for travellers passing through the United States and crewmember visas for people working aboard certain vess…
Read informationDV
Diversity Visa Educational Information
The Diversity Visa programme is described by the U.S. Department of State as an annual programme with published entry periods, eligibility rules and s…
Read informationSB-1
Returning Resident Information
Official material describes the returning resident category for lawful permanent residents who remained outside the United States beyond the period de…
Read informationVWP / ESTA
Visa Waiver Program and ESTA Information
The Visa Waiver Program is described officially as allowing citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States for limited business or…
Read informationLast reviewed: 1 August 2026 · Rules and fees can change without notice — always check the official government pages linked on this page.
Categories
How this library is organised
We follow the structure of the official U.S. Department of State visa-category directory.
Visitor Visas
General information about temporary visits to the United States for business or tourism, as published by the U.S. Department of State.
Student and Exchange
Educational summaries of academic, vocational and exchange visitor categories and the documents commonly referenced in official instructions.
Temporary Work
Plain-language overviews of the temporary worker classifications described in publicly available government material.
Family-Based Immigration
General information about immediate relative and family-preference categories, and how consular processing is described officially.
Employment-Based Immigration
An educational overview of employment-based preference categories and the employer petition process.
Other Categories
Transit and crewmember information, the Diversity Visa programme, returning resident information and the Visa Waiver Program.
Important disclaimer
America Visa Collective is an independent education and administrative support business. We are not affiliated with USCIS, the U.S. Department of State, any United States embassy or consulate, or any other government authority. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, determine visa eligibility or represent applicants before government agencies. Information and administrative assistance are based on publicly available resources and are general in nature. Customers remain responsible for reviewing, approving and submitting their own information. Visa decisions are made exclusively by United States Government authorities. Purchasing a product or service does not guarantee eligibility, an appointment, processing within a particular period or approval.