Business trip, degree, job offer, or a new life in America — each path has its own visa. This index maps the major categories, who they’re for, and where official applications happen.
The Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) covers tourism and short business trips for 40+ countries; everyone else applies for a visa.
The combined B1/B2 is the most common US visa: conferences, meetings, sightseeing, visiting family. Requires a DS-160, interview, and proof of ties to home country.
Up to 10-year validity · max 6 months per entryOnline authorization instead of a visa for stays of 90 days or less. Apply at least 72 hours before departure through the official CBP site.
90 days per trip · 2-year authorizationFor crewmembers passing through or working on vessels/aircraft entering the US. Usually processed with the employer’s support.
Duration of assignmentIssued after admission to a SEVP-certified school and payment of the I-901 SEVIS fee.
The main student visa. Requires full-time enrollment; on-campus work allowed, plus OPT (12 months, +24 for STEM) after graduation.
Program length + 60 daysFor certificate and trade programs. stricter work rules than F1; practical training is limited.
Program length (capped at 1 year + extensions)Sponsored exchange programs, often with home-country residency requirements (the “two-year rule”) afterward.
Program lengthMost US work visas are petition-based: a US employer files with USCIS first, then you apply at a consulate.
The best-known work visa. Annual lottery: 65,000 regular + 20,000 US-master’s slots. Initially valid 3 years, extendable to 6.
3 + 3 years (lottery-based)No lottery, no degree requirement. Requires one year of prior employment at a related foreign company. L1A managers can convert to a green card.
1–3 years, renewable up to 5–7For science, arts, education, business or athletics with documented national or international recognition. No cap, no lottery.
Up to 3 years, extendableA fast, renewable work status for 60+ designated occupations under the USMCA (NAFTA successor). Canadians can apply at the border.
3 years, indefinitely renewableFamily-based and employment-based categories with annual numerical limits, ordered by priority date.
Most immigrant paths start with a USCIS petition (Form I-130 for family, I-140 for employment) — processing can take months to years depending on category and country of birth.
B1 covers business visits (meetings, conferences, negotiations); B2 covers tourism, medical treatment and visiting friends or family. They’re very often issued together as a combined B1/B2.
For the duration of your program plus a 60-day grace period, provided you maintain full-time enrollment. OPT adds up to 12 months of work authorization after graduation (24 more for STEM degrees).
65,000 new visas per fiscal year plus 20,000 extra for US advanced-degree holders. Demand far exceeds supply, so a lottery runs each spring.
Nonimmigrant visas: a US embassy or consulate in your country of residence (DS-160 form, interview). Immigrant visas: USCIS petitions, usually filed by a family member or employer. Official sources: travel.state.gov and uscis.gov.