us tourist visa classification

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Requirements for Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Visas

There are two categories of U.S. visas: immigrant and nonimmigrant. Immigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals who intend to live permanently in the United States. Nonimmigrant visas are for foreign nationals wishing to enter the United States on a temporary basis - for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work, study, or other similar reasons.

Immigrant Visa

An immigrant visa is issued to a foreign national who intends to live and work permanently in the United States. In most cases, a relative or employer sponsors the individual by filing an application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Certain applicants such as workers with extraordinary ability, investors, and certain special immigrants can petition on their own behalf. The application is later forwarded to the appropriate U.S. Consulate or Embassy overseas for continued processing and issuance of the immigrant visa to the intending immigrant, if eligible. An intending immigrant must present the immigrant visa at a U.S. port-of-entry prior to the expiration of the immigrant visa. An intending immigrant becomes a lawful permanent resident once the immigrant visa and accompanying paperwork is reviewed and endorsed by a CBP Officer. For specific information regarding immigrant visa classifications and requirements, refer to the USCIS website or the Department of State website.

Non-Immigrant Visa

Nonimmigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States on a temporary basis for tourism, business, medical treatment and certain types of temporary work. The type of nonimmigrant visa needed is defined by immigration law, and related to the purpose of the travel. Generally, an individual applies directly to the U.S. consulate or embassy abroad for a tourist (B-2) or business nonimmigrant (B-1) visa. However, foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States to study or work may require certain authorization and documentation prior to applying for a nonimmigrant visa. For an alphabetical listing all of the nonimmigrant visa classifications and specific requirements refer to the USCIS website. or the U.S. Department of State website.

Issuance of a visa does not guarantee entry to the United States. A visa simply indicates that a U.S. consular officer at an American embassy or consulate has reviewed the application and that officer has determined that the individual is eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose. The CBP Officer at the port-of-entry will conduct an inspection to determine if the individual is eligible for admission under U.S. immigration law.

Visa Free Travel

U.S. policy permits citizens of certain countries as identified below to travel to the United States without a visa. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) permits nationals from designated countries to apply for admission to the United States for 90 days or less as nonimmigrant visitors for business or pleasure without first obtaining a U.S. nonimmigrant visa.

At the time of application for admission, a VWP applicant must:

Be in possession of a round-trip ticket that will transport the individual out of the United States to any other foreign port or place as long as the trip does not terminate in contiguous territory or an ; except that the round trip ticket may transport the traveler to contiguous territory or an , if the traveler is a resident of the country of destination or if arriving at a land border, provide evidence of financial solvency and a domicile abroad to which the traveler intends to return;

• Be arriving on designated carrier that is signatory to a Visa Waiver Program Agreement, if applicable;
• Have a machine-readable passport valid for 6 months beyond the period of intended stay, or essentially 9 months (90 days + 6 months). The Department of State's 6-month list extending the validity of certain foreign passports can be found on the Department of State website. (A traveler with an expired passport is ineligible for VWP admission); and,
• Complete an Arrival/Departure Form I-94W. Travelers arriving at a land border will be required to pay the required Form I-94W processing fee.

In addition, VWP visitors may not file an application to change status to an immigrant or another nonimmigrant classification or extend their stay beyond the 90-day timeframe. VWP applicants waive their right to proceedings before an Immigration Judge, unless they make an asylum application.

Visa Waiver Program Frequently Asked Questions

For additional information about the Visa Waiver Program , refer to the Department of State website.

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Nonimmigrant and tourist visas

Find out how to work in the U.S. or visit as a student or tourist. Learn how to renew your visa and what to do if your visa is lost.

How to apply for or renew a U.S. tourist visa

If you visit the U.S. for tourism or business, you may need a visitor visa, also known as a tourist visa. Learn how to get and renew this type of nonimmigrant visa.

How to check the status of your visa application

Find out how to check the status of your visa application online. And to avoid delays, learn how to update your address if you move while waiting for your visa to be approved.

What happens if your visa application is rejected

Find out what to do if your visa is denied, and learn if you are eligible for a waiver of grounds of inadmissibility.

Foreign visitors: what to do if your visa or passport is lost or stolen

If you are in the U.S. and your visa or passport was lost or stolen, learn how to report it and apply for a new one.

Get a student visa to study in the U.S.

To study in the U.S. as an international student, you must get a student visa. Learn about the types of student visas, how to apply, and if you can work while you study.

Nonimmigrant work visas

Learn about the different nonimmigrant temporary work visa categories and how to apply.

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• Office of Homeland Security Statistics
• Topics and Data
• Immigration
• Nonimmigrant Admissions

Nonimmigrant Classes of Admission

Nonimmigrants are foreign nationals admitted temporarily to the United States within classes of admission that are defined in section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Examples of nonimmigrant classes of admission include foreign government officials, temporary visitors for business and pleasure, aliens in transit, treaty traders and investors, academic and vocational students, temporary workers, exchange visitors, athletes and entertainers, victims of certain crimes, and certain family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs).

Unlike people granted LPR, or "green card" status, who may live in the United States essentially without restrictions, nonimmigrants are authorized to enter the country for specific purposes. Nonimmigrants’ duration of stay and lawful activities, such as employment, travel, and accompaniment by dependents, are prescribed by their class of admission.

Return to main nonimmigrants page for more resources.

Return to immigration topic page.

Temporary workers and their families

Temporary worker visas are for persons who want to enter the United States for employment lasting a fixed period of time, and are not considered permanent or indefinite. To work in the United States temporarily as a lawful nonimmigrant, temporary workers must qualify for the available visa category based on the planned employment purpose. The steps in the process before applying for a visa vary.

Students and Exchange visitors and their dependents

The United States supports international education and welcomes foreign students and exchange visitors. Students and exchange visitors must be accepted by their schools or program sponsors before applying for visas.

Diplomats and other representatives

Diplomats and other foreign government officials traveling to the United States to engage solely in official duties or activities on behalf of their national government must obtain specific visas prior to entering the United States.

Temporary visitors for pleasure

Foreign travelers to the United States for short visits, for example tourism, vacation, visiting family and friends, or medical treatment, need visitor visas unless they qualify for entry under the Visa Waiver Program .

Temporary visitors for business

Foreign travelers coming to the United States to conduct temporary business, for example business meetings and consultations, attending conventions and conferences, or negotiating contracts, need visitor visas unless they qualify for entry under the Visa Waiver Program .

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Working in the United States

Many noncitizens want to come to the United States to work. This page provides a summary of employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant visa classifications and other categories of noncitizens who are eligible for employment authorization. Each classification provides a link to more detailed information on its requirements.

A common way to work temporarily in the United States as a nonimmigrant is for a prospective employer to file a petition with USCIS on your behalf. The Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Workers webpage describes the main nonimmigrant temporary worker classifications.

If you have the right combination of skills, education, and/or work experience, you may be able to live and work permanently in the United States by seeking an employment-based immigrant visa. The Permanent Workers webpage describes the five employment-based immigrant visa preferences (also called categories).

If you live outside the United States and want to work here, you generally must apply for a visa from the U.S. Department of State (DOS), unless a visa is not required for people from your country of nationality. You may visit DOS’ Travel Without a Visa page for more information.

In many cases, USCIS must approve your petition before you are eligible to apply to DOS for a visa or seek admission at a port of entry. Before entering the United States, you must present yourself to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer and receive permission to enter the United States and engage in your proposed activity.

If you are in the United States in a lawful nonimmigrant status that does not provide employment authorization, you generally may apply for:

• A change of status to a nonimmigrant classification that provides employment authorization; or
• An adjustment of status to become a lawful permanent resident. This may be a concurrent filing with an immigrant visa petition or, depending on the circumstances, may require an applicant to obtain an approved immigrant visa before applying for an adjustment of status to become a lawful permanent resident.

Depending on the classification you seek, your change or adjustment of status application might require a U.S. employer or other qualified requestor to file an application or petition on your behalf to establish your eligibility before we approve your application. However, if you apply based on certain classifications (for example, an alien with extraordinary ability or as a nonimmigrant E-1 or E-2 principal treaty trader or investor), you may be eligible to self-petition, which means filing an application on your own behalf.

Additionally, if you are in the United States, including if you are an applicant for permanent residence or a certain family member of an alien who has lawful nonimmigrant status, you may file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization , to request employment authorization and an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). You may also apply for an EAD that shows such authorization if your immigration status authorizes you to work in the United States without restrictions.

The conditions you must meet and how long you can work in the United States depend on the type of immigration status the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants. You must comply with all conditions of your employment authorization and the terms of your admission to this country. If you violate any of the conditions, you could be removed from or denied re-entry into the United States.

Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Worker

Permanent (Immigrant) Worker

Students and Exchange Visitors

Temporary Visitors for Business

International Entrepreneur Parole

Social Security

Visa Classifications That Allow You To Work In The United States

If you have a different classification, you must show us evidence from the Department of Homeland Security that you are authorized to work.

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Visa, Mastercard agree to $30B deal with merchants. What it means for credit card holders.

V isa and Mastercard earlier this week agreed to a settlement with U.S. merchants, promising to lower the fees stores have to pay to process credit card payments ‒ at least in the near term.

The settlement opens doors for retailers to place surcharges on cards with higher swipe fees, which could make using a premium card with a hefty rewards program more expensive. Some have speculated that the changes could affect credit card rewards, or perhaps allow merchants to pass down savings to customers.

But other experts are skeptical that this could lead to any significant changes for credit card users. 

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The settlement doesn’t appear to have “any bearing on the credit card holder,” said Michael Kinsman , an emeritus professor of finance and accounting at Pepperdine University in California who operates a CPA firm in Laguna Beach. 

What did the settlement say?

Visa and Mastercard denied wrongdoing but agreed to a number of changes in the near term as part of the settlement. Among them:

• The companies will lower interchange rates – the fee merchants have to pay to process a credit card payment, also referred to as “swipe rates” – by at least 4 basis points (0.04 percentage points) for three years. 
• Swipe rates must be at least 7 basis points below the current average for the next five years. 
• Merchants will be able to more easily steer customers to other payment methods, and can impose surcharges on premium credit cards with higher swipe fees.  

The settlement is still subject to court approval, and any changes would not go into effect until late 2024 or 2025, according to a statement from Mastercard.

What does this mean for credit card holders?

Patrick Payne , an associate professor of practice in personal and family financial planning at the University of Arizona in Tucson, doesn’t expect “dramatic changes” from the settlement but believes it could lead to more expensive premium cards.

The cards are already pricey; Chase Sapphire Reserve , for instance, has a $550 annual fee in exchange for perks like access to airport lounge membership and a $300 annual travel credit. The annual fee for the Platinum Card from American Express is nearly $700. 

Premium cards are more costly for merchants, too. The National Retail Federation says swipe fees average about 2% per transaction but can be as high as 4% for premium rewards cards. 

If this settlement is approved, merchants would have the ability to charge customers more for using premium Visa and Mastercard credit cards. 

But it’s not clear stores would want to charge these customers more, according to Lulu Wang , an assistant professor of finance at the Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois. Making certain customers ‒ especially high-paying customers ‒ pay an extra surcharge threatens to sour relationships and hurt business.

“People talk about some changes it can make for merchants, but those changes seem like such a giant pain … to implement,” he said. 

“If they tried to do that, the customer relations would be just bloody awful. They'd have egg all over their face,” Kinsman added. 

Credit card debt: Americans have more credit card debt than savings again in 2024. How much do they owe?

Will merchants pass down their savings to consumers?

Retailers that accept Visa and Mastercard are expected to save at least $29.79 billion in the five years following the settlement, according to a statement by one of the law firms representing U.S. merchants in the lawsuit. 

In theory, merchants could pass down some of those savings to customers by lowering prices. This could be especially prevalent in smaller businesses, according to Payne from the University of Arizona.

“They might be able to offer more competitive prices to draw people from the big retailers,” he said.  

But other experts say consumers shouldn’t get their hopes up. 

“Most people aren't going to know about (the settlement) anyway,” said Kinsman, the emeritus professor at Pepperdine University. “So why would I, as a merchant, pass those costs back to my customers?”

What will Visa and Mastercard do?

Beverly Harzog , author of “The Debt Escape Plan: How to Free Yourself from Credit Card Balances, Boost Your Credit Score, and Live Debt-Free," said she doesn't expect many changes among credit card issuers after the settlement, in part because the changes aren't a "permanent fix." The three- and five-year time spans give the companies little time to make significant changes, she said.

"It's like trying to turn a giant cruise liner," she said. "It takes a lot of time, and sometimes, by the time they're ready to make that turn, the market has changed again.”

Her caveat? If one credit card issuer does decide to make a change after the settlement – whether that’s raising an annual fee or pushing back on certain benefits or perks – others will likely follow.

“I would watch for that first domino,” Harzog said. “And right now, I'm not expecting that, just because this (settlement) hasn't been finalized. Even if it is, it's a temporary solution and things go back to normal within a couple of years.”

Visa plans to maintain its "rewards and access to credit" if the settlement is approved, according to a statement quoting Kim Lawrence, the company's president of North America, that was released earlier this week . Spokespeople for Visa and Mastercard did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent after normal business hours on Friday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Visa, Mastercard agree to $30B deal with merchants. What it means for credit card holders.

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The Dali was just starting a 27-day voyage.

The ship had spent two days in Baltimore’s port before setting off.

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By Claire Moses and Jenny Gross

• Published March 26, 2024 Updated March 27, 2024

The Dali was less than 30 minutes into its planned 27-day journey when the ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday.

The ship, which was sailing under the Singaporean flag, was on its way to Sri Lanka and was supposed to arrive there on April 22, according to VesselFinder, a ship tracking website.

The Dali, which is nearly 1,000 feet long, left the Baltimore port around 1 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday. The ship had two pilots onboard, according to a statement by its owners, Grace Ocean Investment. There were 22 crew members on board, the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore said in a statement. There were no reports of any injuries, Grace Ocean said.

Before heading off on its voyage, the Dali had returned to the United States from Panama on March 19, harboring in New York. It then arrived on Saturday in Baltimore, where it spent two days in the port.

Maersk, the shipping giant, said in a statement on Tuesday that it had chartered the vessel, which was carrying Maersk cargo. No Maersk crew and personnel were onboard, the statement said, adding that the company was monitoring the investigations being carried out by the authorities and by Synergy Group, the company that was operating the vessel.

“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” the Maersk statement said.

The Dali was built in 2015 by the South Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries. The following year, the ship was involved in a minor incident when it hit a stone wall at the port of Antwerp . The Dali sustained damage at the time, but no one was injured.

Claire Moses is a reporter for the Express desk in London. More about Claire Moses

Jenny Gross is a reporter for The Times in London covering breaking news and other topics. More about Jenny Gross

Situation in Haiti March 29, 2024

U.s. citizens in haiti, update january 10, 2024, information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

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