Methods for Coming to the United States Legally

Hey everyone, so I decided that I would start a series of posts about how immigrants can come into
this country legally. There is going to be a lot of information given in this series, so I thought I would start this post with a brief overview of the opportunities and visas available. I will then spend the next few weeks, writing separate blog posts diving into and explaining more fully each one of these opportunities and visas. Once again, if you or anyone you know needs this information please forward it and contact me. I am here to help and want to help.

First off, it is important to understand that there are two different categories of visas: Non-Immigrant Visas and Immigrant Visas. Basically, the category depends on if you plan on staying in the United States permanently or just on a temporary basis. However, there is always the opportunity to adjust your status depending on what visas you are applying for. All the information that I will provide in this article comes from here.

NONIMMIGRANT VISAS

Purpose of Travel	Visa	Required: Before Applying for Visa
Athlete, amateur or professional (competing for prize money only)	B-1	N/A
Au Pair (Exchange Visitor)	J	Program approval entered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
Australian Professional Specialty	E-3	The U.S. employer must obtain foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor, prior to filing a petition with USCIS.
Border Crossing Card: Mexico	BCC	N/A
Business Visitor	B-1	N/A
CNMI-Only Transitional Worker	CW-1	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Crewmember	D	N/A
Diplomat or Foreign Government Official	A	N/A
Domestic Employer or Nanny – Must be Accompanying a foreign national employer	B-1	N/A
Employee of a Designated International Organization or NATO	G1-G5, NATO
Exchange Visitor	J	Program approval entered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
Foreign Military Personnel Stationed in the United States	A-2, NATO1-6	N/A
Foreign National with Extraordinary Ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business, or Athletics	O	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Professional: Chile, Singapore	H-1B1 – Chile H-1B1 - Singapore	The U.S. employer must obtain foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor, prior to filing a petition with USCIS.
International Cultural Exchange Visitor	Q	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Intra-Company Transferee	L	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Medical Treatment Visitor	B-2	N/A
Media, Journalist	I	N/A
NAFTA Professional Worker: Mexico, Canada	TN/TD	N/A
Performing Athlete, Artist, Entertainer	P	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Physician	J, H-1B	Program approval entered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
Professor, Scholar, Teacher (Exchange Visitor)	J	Program approval entered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
Religious Worker	R	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Specialty Occupations in Fields Requiring Highly Specialized Knowledge	H-1B	The U.S. employer must obtain foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor, prior to filing a petition with USCIS. THEN U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Student: Academic, Vocational	F, M	Program approval entered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
Temporary Agricultural Worker	H-2A	The U.S. employer must obtain foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor, prior to filing a petition with USCIS. THEN U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Temporary Worker Performing Other Services or Labor of a Temporary or Seasonal Nature	H-2B	The U.S. employer must obtain foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor, prior to filing a petition with USCIS. THEN U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Tourism, Vacation, Pleasure Visitor	B-2	N/A
Training in a Program Not Primarily for Employment	H-3	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor	E	N/A
Transiting the United States	C	N/A
Victim of Criminal Activity	U	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Victim of Human Trafficking	T	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
Nonimmigrant (V) Visa for Spouse and Children of Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR)	V	N/A

IMMIGRANT VISAS

Immediate Relative & Family Sponsored
Spouse of a U.S. Citizen	IR1, CR1
Spouse of a U.S. Citizen Awaiting Approval of an I-130 Immigrant Petition	K-3
Fiancé to marry U.S. Citizen & Live in U.S.	K-1
Intercountry Adoption of Orphan Children by U.S. Citizens	IR3, IH3, IR4, IH4
Certain Family Members of U.S. Citizens	IR2, CR2, IR5, F1, F3, F4
Certain Family Members of Lawful Permanent Residents	F2A, F2B
Employment-Based Immigration
Priority Workers (First Preference)	E1
Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees and Persons of Exceptional Ability (Second Preference)	E2
Professional and Other Workers (Third Preference)	E3, EW3
Certain Special Immigrants (Fourth Preference)	S and others
Employment Creation/Investors (Fifth Preference)	C5, T5, R5, I5
Religious Workers	SD, SR
Iraqi and Afghan Translators/Interpreters	SI
Iraqis Who Worked for/on Behalf of U.S. Government	SQ
Afghans Who Worked for/on Behalf of the U.S. Governement	SQ
Other Immigrants
Diversity Immigrant Visa	DV
Returning Resident	SB

Well there you have it. I know this is a lot of information to process, but I promise I will be taking time the next couple of weeks to explain everything. If you have any preferences on what you want to hear about first, please let me know. Also, if you have any questions or need any help please contact me. I am more than happy to help!