In General
A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.
Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa if they meet the requirements for visa-free travel. The Visa section of this website is all about U.S. visas for foreign citizens to travel to the United States.
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A visa is the name given to the permission that the United States issues a person, under certain conditions, to enter the United States. Visas can be characterized or differentiated according to the requirements that need to be met, the limitations the visa bears, the permissions the visa allows, non-immigrant visas vs immigrant visas, and the length of the visa.
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Visas and immigration to the United States can be divided into three main categories:
Tourism related visas
Work related visas
A Permanent Resident Visa (also known as a "Green Card")
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A Visas
Is a non-immigrant type of visa used in case of a diplomat or foreign government official and/or foreign military personnel stationed in the United States. These visas also apply to immediate family members. A visas are further divided in to A-1, A-2, and A-3 visas.
A-1 and A-2 visas are best for Requesting to renew (re-apply) your visa or that of an immediate family member. A-3 visa holders must re-apply for their visas outside the United States. A visa holders most commonly transition (if at all) to G visas or Nato visas.
Diplomats and other foreign government officials traveling to the United States must obtain A-1 or A-2 visas before entering the United States. The Visa Waiver Program does not apply. Heads of State or Heads of Government qualifies for an A visa regardless of the purpose of travel, while all the rest will receive an A-1 or A-2 visa according to their position within their country’s government and their purpose of travel.
Immediate family members of diplomats and government officials receive A-1 or A-2 visas, with few exceptions. Personal employees, attendants, or domestic workers for diplomats and government officials (holding a valid A-1 or A-2 visa) may be issued A-3 visas.
The specific duties or services that will be performed must be governmental in character or nature, as determined by the U.S. Department of State, in accordance with U.S. immigration laws. Government officials traveling to the United States to perform non-governmental functions of a commercial nature, or traveling as tourists, require the appropriate visas and do not qualify for A visas.
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Examples of people and position holders that require an A-1 visa include (yet not limited to) Head of State or Government (regardless of travel purpose); Official coming to serve at a foreign embassy or consulate in the United States (such as an ambassadors and consuls); Government minister coming for official activities; Cabinet member coming for official activities; European and/or African Union (EU; AU) delegation members; and immediate family members of an A-1 visa holder.
Examples of people and position holders that require an A-1 visa include (yet not limited to) full-time government employees assigned to a foreign embassy or consulate in the United States (duties within the embassy only); Government official coming to perform official government related duties for to 90 days; Foreign military members stationed at a U.S. military base, foreign embassy, or foreign consulate in the United States; Staff of European and African (EU; AU) Union (delegation representatives; Immediate family members of an A-2 visa holder.
The following reasons do not apply to A-1 and A-2 visas as reason for travel (yet not limited to): non-official or non-governmental functions; commercial reasons, tourism. In such cases, though an A-1 or A-2 visa holder, they must apply for a different visa type; (Heads of State or Heads of Government must travel on an A-1 visa for all travel reasons).
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