What kind of visa do I need to visit the USA?

Travel authorization is required for all visits to the United States. The easiest travel authorization to obtain for a foreign national is an ESTA authorization from the Visa Waiver Program. However, there are many different visas available for travel to the USA. Here are the main American visas offered by the Department of State in the USA.

Visa for the USA: Temporary visas

Temporary visas, also known as non-immigrant visas, allow temporary entry to the United States. They do not allow expatriation.

Visitor Visa

The visitor visa is the visa for the USA issued for business travel, tourism, medical treatment or transit.

A B1 visa is required for business travel. The USA tourist visa is the B2. Transit or stopovers require a C visa.

Student Visa

There are three categories of student visa:

• The F visa for students following an academic program and wishing, for example, to attend an American university;
• M visas for non-university students or students in vocational training;
• J visa for exchange programs, including au pairs.

Unless you’re taking a language course, you’ll need to have a good level of English (the most common test is the TOEFL).

Obtaining a student visa depends on the student’s acceptance into an educational institution, recognized by the U.S. government (sponsors), for full-time studies.

All student visa applications must be completed by registering, for a fee, with SEVIS (Student and Exchange Information System). The form to be completed depends on the visa: form I20 for F and M visas and form DS-2019 for J visas.

A work permit may be granted under certain conditions.

Note that the F1, M1 and J1 visas are for the applicant, while the F2, M2 and J2 are for the applicant’s spouse and children (under 21).

Work visa

This visa category is made up of a large number of different visas, classified according to profession:

• D visa for crew members (ship and aircraft) ;
• E visa for nationals of a U.S. trading partner for major business activities and for Australians specializing in a professional field (E3);
• H visas for temporary work or internships in the United States, classified according to their field of activity and only with the approval of the USCIS (immigration services);
• visa I for media;
• L visa for intra-company transfers of managers, executives and specialized employees in an American company;
• O and P visas for temporary professional stays. The O visa for workers or trainees with extraordinary abilities in the fields of science, commerce, sport, art and education. P visas for athletes and artists wishing to participate in one or more events related to their discipline;
• Q visa for international cultural exchanges ;
• Visa R for religious workers (recognized non-profit religious organization);
• TD and TN visas for NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) professionals, i.e. Canadian and Mexican professionals who have received a job offer from an American employer.

Other

Two visa categories have been set up for victims. Victims of human trafficking who need to come to the USA for investigation or prosecution can apply for a T visa. Victims of crime can apply for a U visa.

Visa for the USA: immigrant visas

Immigrant visas are intended for foreign nationals wishing to immigrate and live in the USA permanently. This is a visa for the USA offering legal permanent resident status.

Immigrant visas can only be obtained through sponsorship, unless you try your luck in the green card lottery for a diversity visa.

The green card lottery opens in October of each year and offers the chance for 50,000 people to gain permanent residency across the Atlantic, which is also the first step in applying for naturalization.

This family of visas includes 5 categories:

• E visa to work in the United States, in particular E1 for Treaty Traders and E2 for Treaty Investors (this visa acts as a work permit);
• F2 visa for certain family members of a permanent resident ;
• IR1 and CR1 visas for the spouse of an American citizen ;
• IR3 and IH3 visas for orphans adopted by an American citizen ;
• K visa for the fiancée/ fiancé of an American citizen (K2 for the minor children of this person);
• diversity visa (DV), better known as the green card.

How do I obtain an American visa?

Obtaining a USA visa, or any other authorization, is mandatory. There’s no point in trying to travel to the USA without a visa, access to the boat or plane will be refused.

Unlike the ESTA travel authorization, which can only be applied for by filling out an online form, the visa application requires you to go to the U.S. embassy (or U.S. consulate, if applicable) to have your application file examined.

U.S. homeland security is a highly sensitive political issue, and the U.S. authorities are committed to preserving their national security by controlling, among other things, borders and the flow of immigration.

The documents to be presented when applying for a visa for the USA vary according to the visa requested. A passport valid for the duration of the requested visa is required. The passport must be either an electronic or biometric passport, as the latter corresponds to the security measures required by the government. A biometric passport contains the holder’s digitized photo and fingerprints.

Generally speaking, to apply for a temporary visa, applicants are required to complete the DS-160 form online, upload a digital photo and pay the visa fee. Proof of attachment to the country of origin and financial resources is also often requested.

Applying for an immigrant visa generally involves 5 steps: requesting a petition from the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services), validation of the petition by the NVC (National Visa Center), preparation for the appointment at the American embassy (medical examination, online registration, application file), the appointment at the embassy with a consular officer to study the complete file, and the response to the application for a visa to the USA.