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U.S. immigration law is federal:
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no matter where you are located,
in any state, in any country.
Attorneys Practicing U.S. Immigration Law Since 1991
Every person who comes to the United States temporarily arrives in a nonimmigrant classification — a short code such as B-2, F-1, H-1B or O-1 that defines exactly what you may do here, how long you may stay, and whether your family may come with you and work.
Two ideas clear up most of the confusion we hear from clients. First, a visa and a status are not the same thing: the visa is the page a U.S. consulate puts in your passport that lets you ask to be admitted, while your status is what a border officer actually grants when you arrive and what your Form I-94 records. Second, the code controls the activity, not the other way around. A visitor on a B-1 cannot take a job, and a student on an F-1 cannot work outside narrow training rules, no matter how willing the employer is. Picking the right classification at the start is almost always cheaper than repairing the wrong one later.
The tables below cover every classification currently in use, grouped by why you are coming rather than by alphabet. The family column shows the code your spouse and unmarried children under 21 would hold. Stay periods are the general rule and can often be extended, so read them as a starting point rather than a promise.
Where a code appears as a link below, it opens our fuller page on that category.
Current as of 31 July 2026 — three things in motion
A proclamation of 19 September 2025 attached a $100,000 payment to certain H-1B petitions for workers abroad. A federal court vacated the guidance implementing it on 8 June 2026 and the First Circuit refused to stay that ruling on 24 July 2026, so the payment is not being collected today — though DHS has said it intends to collect it if the order is lifted. Separately, the FY2027 H-1B cap has already been reached, and Temporary Protected Status designations are being terminated country by country. Please confirm anything time-sensitive with us before relying on it.
| Code | Who it is for | Family who may come | Typical stay | What must happen first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-1 | Business visitor — meetings, negotiations, conferences, contract talks. No U.S. payroll. | — | Usually up to 6 months | Consular visa; no petition |
| B-2 | Tourism, visiting family, or medical treatment | — | Usually up to 6 months | Consular visa; no petition |
| B-1/B-2 | Business and pleasure combined — the most commonly issued U.S. visa | — | Usually up to 6 months | Consular visa; no petition |
| C-1 | Traveller passing through the United States en route somewhere else | — | Up to 29 days | Consular visa |
| C-1/D | Combined transit and crew visa — the standard airline and cruise-crew document | — | Up to 29 days per entry | Consular visa |
| C-2 | Transit to United Nations Headquarters under the Headquarters Agreement | — | Confined to the UN district | Consular visa |
| C-3 | Foreign government official in transit, with family, attendants and personal employees | Included | Length of the transit | Consular visa |
| D | Crewmember serving on a vessel or aircraft. Your I-94 shows D-1 or D-2 depending on how you depart. | — | Up to 29 days | Consular visa |
| WT / WBnot a visa | Visa Waiver Program travellers from designated countries — tourism (WT) or business (WB) | Each traveller registers separately | Up to 90 days; no extension and no change of status | ESTA registration instead of a visa |
| Guam & CNMInot a visa | Short visits to Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands by nationals of designated countries | Each traveller registers separately | Up to 45 days | Electronic travel authorisation |
| BCC | Border Crossing Card for qualifying Mexican nationals making short border-area visits | Each traveller applies separately | Limited in both time and distance | Consular application |
| Code | Who it is for | Family who may come | Typical stay | What must happen first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 | Student in an academic or language-training programme at an SEVP-certified school | F-2 (may study part-time, may not work) | Duration of the programme, plus authorised practical training | Form I-20 and a SEVIS fee |
| F-2 | Spouse or child of an F-1 | — | Matches the F-1 | Form I-20 |
| F-3added since 2002 | Canadian or Mexican national commuting part-time to a U.S. academic programme | None | Commuter basis only | Form I-20 |
| M-1 | Vocational or other non-academic student | M-2 (may not work) | Programme length, generally capped at one year with extensions | Form I-20 and a SEVIS fee |
| M-2 | Spouse or child of an M-1 | — | Matches the M-1 | Form I-20 |
| M-3added since 2002 | Canadian or Mexican commuter vocational student | None | Commuter basis only | Form I-20 |
| J-1 | Exchange visitor — professor, research scholar, physician, trainee, intern, camp counsellor, au pair and more | J-2 (may apply for a work permit) | Length of the approved programme | Form DS-2019 from a designated sponsor |
| J-2 | Spouse or child of a J-1 | — | Matches the J-1 | Form DS-2019 |
Two wrinkles worth knowing: F-1 students may add 12 months of Optional Practical Training after finishing, and graduates of qualifying STEM programmes may add a further 24 months. Some J-1 programmes carry a two-year home-residence requirement that must be satisfied or waived before you can move to most other categories.
| Code | Who it is for | Family who may come | Typical stay | What must happen first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-1B | Specialty occupation normally requiring at least a directly related bachelor’s degree | H-4 — certain spouses may apply for a work permit | 3 years at a time, 6 years in total for most people | Electronic registration and lottery, labour condition application, then USCIS |
| H-1B2 | Work on a Department of Defense cooperative research and development or co-production project | H-4 | Up to 10 years | USCIS; exempt from the lottery |
| H-1B3 | Fashion model of distinguished merit and ability | H-4 | 3 years at a time, 6 years total | Labour condition application, then USCIS |
| H-1B1 | Professional from Chile or Singapore under the free trade agreements | H-4 | One-year increments | Labour condition application, then apply directly at the consulate |
| H-2A | Temporary or seasonal agricultural worker from a country on the annual eligible list | H-4 | Up to 1 year, 3 years maximum | Temporary labour certification, then USCIS |
| H-2B | Temporary or seasonal non-agricultural worker; tightly capped each half-year | H-4 | Up to 1 year, 3 years maximum | Temporary labour certification, then USCIS |
| H-3 | Trainee in a structured programme unavailable at home, or a special-education exchange visitor | H-4 | Up to 2 years | USCIS |
| H-4 | Spouse or child of an H-1B, H-1B1, H-2A, H-2B or H-3 | — | Matches the principal | Consulate, or Form I-539 inside the U.S. |
| L-1A | Executive or manager transferring in from a related company abroad | L-2 / L-2S | 3 years (1 year for a brand-new U.S. office), 7 years maximum | USCIS, or a blanket L petition |
| L-1B | Employee with specialised knowledge transferring within the same corporate group | L-2 / L-2S | 3 years, 5 years maximum | USCIS, or a blanket L petition |
| L-2 / L-2Schanged 2022 | Spouse or child of an L-1. A spouse whose I-94 reads L-2S is authorised to work by virtue of that status — no separate work permit is needed. | — | Matches the L-1 | Consulate, or USCIS application |
| O-1A | Extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business or athletics | O-3 | Up to 3 years, then extensions in one-year steps | USCIS, normally with a peer or expert advisory opinion |
| O-1B | Extraordinary ability in the arts, or extraordinary achievement in motion picture or television | O-3 | Up to 3 years, then one-year extensions | USCIS, normally with a union or guild consultation |
| O-2 | Essential support person accompanying a specific O-1 artist or athlete | O-3 | Tied to the O-1 engagement | USCIS with consultation |
| O-3 | Spouse or child of an O-1 or O-2 (may study, may not work) | — | Matches the principal | Consulate, or USCIS application |
| P-1A | Internationally recognised athlete, individually or as part of a team | P-4 | Up to 5 years, 10 years maximum | USCIS with consultation |
| P-1B | Member of an internationally recognised entertainment group | P-4 | Length of the engagement, up to 1 year | USCIS with consultation |
| P-2 | Artist or entertainer under a reciprocal exchange programme | P-4 | Length of the engagement, up to 1 year | USCIS with union consultation |
| P-3 | Artist or entertainer performing, teaching or coaching in a culturally unique programme | P-4 | Length of the engagement, up to 1 year | USCIS with consultation |
| P-1S / P-2S / P-3S | Essential support personnel for a P performer, group or team | P-4 | Tied to the principal | USCIS |
| P-4 | Spouse or child of a P nonimmigrant (may not work) | — | Matches the principal | Consulate, or Form I-539 |
| Q-1 | Participant in an approved international cultural exchange programme who shares the culture of their home country while working | No dedicated dependent code | Up to 15 months | USCIS |
| R-1 | Minister, or a religious worker in a religious vocation or occupation, for a qualifying denomination | R-2 (may not work) | 30 months initially, 5 years maximum | USCIS; site inspections are routine |
| R-2 | Spouse or child of an R-1 | — | Matches the R-1 | Consulate, or USCIS application |
| I | Representative of foreign press, radio, film or other information media, with spouse and children | Included in the I classification | Duration of the assignment | Consular visa; no petition required |
| CW-1added 2009 | Transitional worker in the Northern Mariana Islands only, where no other work category fits | CW-2 | 1 year, longer for approved long-term workers; the programme is authorised through the end of 2029 | USCIS, subject to an annual cap |
| CW-2added 2009 | Spouse or child of a CW-1 | — | Matches the CW-1 | USCIS |
| Code | Who it is for | Family who may come | Typical stay | What must happen first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Treaty trader, or an essential employee of one, carrying on substantial trade between the U.S. and the treaty country | Spouse coded E-1S may work without a separate permit | Two-year admissions, renewable indefinitely | Consular application |
| E-2 | Treaty investor who has put substantial capital into a real, operating U.S. business, or an essential employee | Spouse coded E-2S may work | Two-year admissions, renewable indefinitely | Consular application |
| E-2CCNMI only | Long-term foreign investor in the Northern Mariana Islands | E-2C dependents | Limited to the CNMI | USCIS |
| E-3 | Australian national in a specialty occupation — often called the “Australian H-1B,” with its own separate annual quota | E-3D dependents; a spouse coded E-3S may work | Two years, renewable indefinitely | Labour condition application, then USCIS petition |
| E-3Dadded since 2005 | Spouse or child of an E-3 | — | Matches the E-3 | Consular application |
| E-3Radded since 2005 | Returning E-3 worker | E-3D | Two years | Consular application |
| TNnow USMCA | Professional from Canada or Mexico in one of the listed professions, under the USMCA — which replaced NAFTA on 1 July 2020 | TD (may study, may not work) | Up to 3 years, renewable indefinitely | Canadians may apply at the port of entry; Mexicans apply at a consulate |
| TD | Spouse or child of a TN | — | Matches the TN | Same route as the TN |
| Code | Who it is for | Family who may come | Typical stay | What must happen first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K-1 | Fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen, who must marry the petitioner within 90 days of arriving | K-2 | 90 days, no extension | Form I-129F, then a consular interview |
| K-2 | Child of a K-1 | — | Matches the K-1 | Form I-129F |
| K-3rarely issued | Spouse of a U.S. citizen waiting for an immigrant visa. Still in the regulations, but the State Department has administratively closed these cases since 2010 whenever the immigrant petition is approved at the same time — so nearly everyone uses the immigrant visa route instead. | K-4 | Two years, extendable | Form I-130 followed by Form I-129F |
| K-4rarely issued | Child of a K-3 | — | Matches the K-3 | Same route as the K-3 |
| V-1, V-2, V-3effectively closed | Spouse or child of a permanent resident — but only where the immigrant petition was filed on or before 21 December 2000. No meaningful population of new applicants remains. | — | Two years, renewable | Consular application or Form I-539 |
| N-8 | Parent of a child who was granted SK-3 or SN-3 special immigrant status | N-9 | Three years, renewable | Consular application |
| N-9 | Child of an N-8, or of an SK-1, SK-2, SK-4, SN-1, SN-2 or SN-4 special immigrant | — | Three years, renewable | Consular application |
| Code | Who it is for | Family who may come | Typical stay | What must happen first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Victim of a severe form of human trafficking who is helping law enforcement, unless too young or too traumatised to do so | T-2 through T-6 | Four years; may lead to a green card | Form I-914; annual cap on principals |
| T-2 | Spouse of a T-1 | — | Matches the T-1 | Filed with or after the T-1 |
| T-3 | Child of a T-1 | — | Matches the T-1 | Filed with or after the T-1 |
| T-4broadened | Parent of a T-1 who is under 21 — or the parent of a T-1 of any age who faces a present danger of retaliation | — | Matches the T-1 | Filed with or after the T-1 |
| T-5added 2008 | Unmarried sibling under 18, in the same circumstances as T-4 | — | Matches the T-1 | Filed with or after the T-1 |
| T-6added 2008 | Adult or minor child of a derivative beneficiary of a T-1 who faces a present danger of retaliation | — | Matches the T-1 | Filed with or after the T-1 |
| U-1 | Victim of qualifying criminal activity who has suffered substantial abuse and is helping the investigation or prosecution | U-2 through U-5 | Four years; may lead to a green card | Form I-918 with a certification signed by a law-enforcement agency; 10,000 principals a year, with a long waiting list |
| U-2 | Spouse of a U-1 | — | Matches the U-1 | Filed with or after the U-1 |
| U-3 | Child of a U-1 | — | Matches the U-1 | Filed with or after the U-1 |
| U-4 | Parent of a U-1 who is under 21 | — | Matches the U-1 | Filed with or after the U-1 |
| U-5added 2008 | Unmarried sibling under 18 of a U-1 who is under 21 | — | Matches the U-1 | Filed with or after the U-1 |
| S-5 | Person supplying critical information about a criminal organisation or enterprise | S-7 | Three years | Nominated by a federal or state law-enforcement agency; you cannot apply on your own |
| S-6 | Person supplying critical information about terrorism | S-7 | Three years | Nominated by law enforcement |
| S-7 | Qualifying family member of an S-5 or S-6 | — | Matches the principal | Included in the agency’s request |
| Code | Who it is for | Family who may come | Typical stay | What must happen first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer | Immediate family included | Duration of the posting | Diplomatic note; no petition |
| A-2 | Other accredited foreign government official or employee, including foreign military personnel posted to the U.S. | Immediate family included | Duration of the posting | Diplomatic note |
| A-3 | Attendant, servant or personal employee of an A-1 or A-2 | Immediate family included | Tied to the employer’s posting | Consular application with a reviewed employment contract |
| G-1 | Principal resident representative of a recognised government to an international organisation, and staff | Immediate family included | Duration of the posting | Official notification |
| G-2 | Other accredited representative of a recognised member government to an international organisation | Immediate family included | Duration of the posting | Official notification |
| G-3 | Representative of a government that is not recognised or is not a member | Immediate family included | Duration of the posting | Official notification |
| G-4 | Officer or employee of an international organisation, such as the UN, IMF or World Bank | Immediate family included | Duration of the appointment | Official notification |
| G-5 | Attendant, servant or personal employee of a G-1 through G-4 | Immediate family included | Tied to the employer | Consular application with a reviewed contract |
| NATO-1 to NATO-4 | NATO permanent representatives, officials, their official staff and clerical staff | Immediate family included | Duration of the posting | Official notification |
| NATO-5 | Experts other than NATO officials, employed on missions on behalf of NATO | Dependents included | Length of the mission | Official notification |
| NATO-6 | Civilian component accompanying a force under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement, or attached to an allied headquarters | Dependents included | Duration of the assignment | Official notification |
| NATO-7 | Attendant, servant or personal employee of a NATO-1 through NATO-6 | Immediate family included | Tied to the employer | Consular application |
The four statuses below often sit alongside visas in older lists, including the earlier version of this page, but none of them is a visa and none can be applied for at a consulate. They are protections granted from inside the United States, and they usually confer permission to work while they last.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) shields nationals of a country the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated because of armed conflict, disaster or other extraordinary conditions. Designations are added and terminated frequently — several have been ended in the past eighteen months — so we deliberately do not list countries here. Check the current USCIS designation list, or ask us, before you rely on it.
Humanitarian parole is permission to enter or remain for an urgent humanitarian reason or significant public benefit, decided case by case. It is not a status and it does not create a path to residence by itself.
Deferred action and Deferred Enforced Departure are decisions not to pursue removal for a period. They confer no lawful status.
Asylum and withholding of removal are separate protections claimed inside the United States or at the border, and are outside the scope of this page.
Older reference lists. All of them have lapsed, and none appears in the current list of visa symbols. We keep them here for readers researching an old case file or an expired document.
| Code | What it was | Why it is gone |
|---|---|---|
| H-1A | Registered nurses, created in 1989 | Sunset in 1995 |
| H-1C | Nurses for facilities in a health professional shortage area | The authorising statute expired on 20 December 2009 and USCIS confirms the classification has lapsed |
| H-2R | A one-off route around the H-2B cap for returning seasonal workers, created in 2005 | A temporary provision; the authority lapsed after fiscal year 2007 |
| C-4 and TWOV | Transit Without Visa, which let certain passengers and crew cross the U.S. without a visa | Suspended on 2 August 2003 and never reinstated; the symbol has since been removed from the regulations |
| Q-2 and Q-3 | The Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Programme, known as the Walsh visa | The programme’s authorisation lapsed and no visas have been issued since fiscal year 2008 |
Many people qualify for more than one classification, and the differences that matter are rarely the ones that look most important on a chart. A researcher may be eligible for both J-1 and H-1B, but only one of those carries a home-residence requirement. A founder may look at both E-2 and O-1, but only one depends on holding a particular nationality. A spouse’s ability to work — immediate for an L-2S or E-2S, conditional for an H-4, absent for an O-3 — often decides a family’s answer entirely. And a category with no fixed ceiling, such as E or TN, can be worth more over a decade than one with a six-year cap.
If you would like help mapping your situation onto the right code, or you are already in a status and want to change or extend it, contact our office for a consultation and we will walk you through the options.
Reviewed 31 July 2026 against the current classification symbols in 22 C.F.R. § 41.12, the USCIS temporary worker tables and the U.S. Department of State visa directory. Immigration rules change quickly; this page is general information and is not legal advice for your particular case.