Overview of U.S. nonimmigrant visas?
Contrary to the visas like Green cards that are given to people who desire to permanently settle in the USA the non-immigrant visas are for people who intend to make a short visit to the USA and stay temporarily. These visas are given to people who want to come to the USA for tourism, study, or to attend to business matters
Who needs to get a Non-immigrant visa?
In case you do not hold USA citizenship or legal residence status but plan to visit the USA for a short period you will be required to get a non-immigrant visa approved. But there are also some exceptions where if you belong to a certain nation then you are not required to get a non-immigrant visa if you plan to stay in the USA for less than 90 days with the purpose of tourism, study, or attending a business matter. This is known as the Visa Waiver Program which removes the obligation of getting a non-immigrant visa for people from 38 countries most of which are from the European Union. Moreover, Canadian Nationals also do not require visas to enter the USA until and unless they plan on settling permanently in the USA. You will be allowed to stay in the USA for a maximum of 6 months to stay in the USA.
A foreign national who desires to enter the United States temporarily for a limited period may apply for admission under various non-immigrant categories, depending on the purpose and duration of his or her intended stay.
The difference between immigrant and non-immigrant visas
An immigrant visa allows a foreign citizen to live and work permanently in the U.S. A non-immigrant visa, as the name implies, is used for temporary visits.
The term “non-immigrant” is a bit of a misnomer because many of the visas are intended to be used for extended stays of several years, and some of them even allow you to work in the U.S. A non-immigrant visa is an authorization to enter the United States for a specific, temporary period. The specific purpose for which a non-immigrant visa is issued will determine the length of stay and any restrictions on activities. But it is important to remember it does not lead to indefinite leave to remain visa.
For example, there’s the H1B visa that allows you to stay in the U.S. while working for your employer; or the L1A or L1B visas.
Types of non-immigrant visas
The USA government offers several non-immigrant visas. The categories of non-immigrant visas include:
- Business Visitor
- Temporary Worker
- Student
- Working Holiday
- Representative of foreign media
- Foreign government officials
- Intra-company transfer
- A crew member of a vessel
How to maintain your status in the US as a non-immigrant?
To maintain your status in the US as a non-immigrant, you must be able to prove that you are still maintaining your initial purpose of entering the US. If your original purpose changes and you need to apply for a different visa, it will be more difficult to obtain. If you are in the US on a student visa and decide to work instead of attending school, it will be very difficult to change your status from student to employment without being found out. The best way to avoid changing your status is to be aware of how your status can change.
There can be many reasons for one to visit the USA except the permanent residence. Many people want to visit the USA to study, tourism or just to run some errands regarding business. All these people are required to have a non-immigrant visa to stay in the USA. It allows them to stay in the USA for a short period. All the limitations of non-immigrant visas are mentioned above. It is a great opportunity for people who want to explore the world and to get exposure to different cultures.
If you require any more help regarding understanding non-immigrant visas for the USA then you must contact expert immigration lawyers to know about the visas that you can get for USA immigration as a non-immigrant and what are their requirements. Contact Total.law to get answers to all your queries and get your non-immigrant visa approved for the very first time.
Having legal assistance to help meet the leave to remain conditions can help you avoid many complications and make a really tough process easy for you. Our panel of expert lawyers has years of experience dealing with immigration cases and is proud to say that success is our trademark
Leave a Reply