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.
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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Other Types of Visas
IR3, IH3, IR4, IH4 visas are issued in cases of Inter-country adoption of orphan children by U.S. citizens.
Inter-country adoption is one of the Department of State’s highest priorities. The Department of Stat believes it should be an option for children in need of permanent homes when it is in the best interest of the child and domestic solutions have been given due consideration.
Each year, thousands of U.S. citizens adopt children from abroad, and families habitually resident in other countries also adopt children from the United States. Inter-country adoption is the process by which you adopt a child from a country other than your own through permanent legal means and then bring that child to your country of residence to live with you permanently.
IR2, CR2, IR5, F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4 visas are issue in cases of family based immigration. A foreign citizen seeking to live permanently in the United States requires an immigrant visa (IV). To be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen must be sponsored by an immediate relative who is at least 21 years of age and is either a U.S. citizen or U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (that is, a "green-card" holder).
There are two types of family-based immigrant visas:
Immediate Relative – these visas are based on a close family relationship with a U.S. citizen, such as a spouse, child or parent. The number of immigrants in these categories is not limited each fiscal year.
Family Preference – these visas are for specific, more distant, family relationships with a U.S. citizen and some specified relationships with a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR). The number of immigrants in these categories is limited each fiscal year.
U.S. citizens can file an immigrant visa petition for their: spouse, son or daughter, Parent, Brother or sister.
U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents can only file an immigrant visa petition for their: spouse and unmarried son or daughter.
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Diversity visas are issued for a limited period of time during which you can register for the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program during each fiscal year. Each year, the Department of State publishes detailed instructions for entering the DV Program. These instructions include the dates of the registration period during which you will be able to enter.
All entries must be submitted electronically on the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website during the specified registration period. No late entries or paper entries are accepted. The law allows only one entry by or for each person during each registration period. The Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries. If you submit more than one entry you will be disqualified. This website does not become active for submitting an entry until the date and time specified on the DV Instructions webpage.
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