A Visa

Last updated

An A Visa is a category of non-immigrant visas allowing travel to the United States issued to ambassadors, diplomats, government officials, and their support staff.

Contents

Types

A-1

The A-1 visa is granted to many people such as ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, consular officers, and their immediate family members. [lower-alpha 1] [3] While government officials normally do not qualify for an A-1 visa if they are traveling for non-official, non-governmental purposes, heads of state and heads of government always qualify and must apply for an A visa regardless of their purpose of travel. [4] Visitors on an A-1 visa cannot be tried under US law for a crime, and may travel to and from the country an unlimited number of times. There is no maximum length of stay for individuals admitted on an A-1 visa, and there is no requirement to maintain a foreign residence. [3]

A-2

The A-2 visa is granted to certain government officials, employees, their immediate families, [lower-alpha 1] and their technical and support staff. [3] This includes military personnel traveling for reasons not related to NATO. [lower-alpha 2] Those typically admitted under an A-2 visa include:

There is a maximum limit of 5 years (no renewal possible) on the duration of stay for A-2 visa holders, and no requirement to maintain a foreign residence. [3]

A-3

The A-3 visa is granted to attendants, servants, and employees of those in the US under A-1 or A-2 visas. [3] A-3 recipients fall into two categories: those paid by the principal applicant's home government, and domestic employees paid by the principal applicant themselves. The maximum duration of stay is three years, and individuals are exempt from US taxes. [3]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Effective October 1, 2018, the unmarried domestic partner of a government official is no longer eligible for a derivative A-1 or A-2 visa. The only exception is in the case of countries where same-sex marriage is not legally available, but the sending nation accepts accreditation of U.S. same-sex spouses with the same privileges and immunities as opposite-sex spouses. [1] [2]
  2. ↑ Those whose travel directly relates to NATO will normally qualify for one of the seven NATO visa classes.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green card</span> Lawful permanent residency in the United States

A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. Green card holders are formally known as lawful permanent residents (LPRs). As of 2019, there are an estimated 13.9 million green card holders, of whom 9.1 million are eligible to become United States citizens. Approximately 18,700 of them serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travel visa</span> Authority to enter, stay in, or exit a territory

A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual can work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.

An L-1 visa is a visa document used to enter the United States for the purpose of work in L-1 status. It is a non-immigrant visa, and is valid for a relatively short amount of time, from three months to five years, based on a reciprocity schedule. With extensions, the maximum stay is seven years.

A K-1 visa is a visa issued to the fiancé or fiancée of a United States citizen to enter the United States. A K-1 visa requires a foreigner to marry his or her U.S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of entry, or depart the United States. Once the couple marries, the foreign citizen can adjust status to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Although a K-1 visa is legally classified as a non-immigrant visa, it usually leads to important immigration benefits and is therefore often processed by the Immigrant Visa section of United States embassies and consulates worldwide.

TN status is a special non-immigrant classification of foreign nationals in the United States, which offers expedited work authorization to a citizen of Canada or a national of Mexico. It was created as a result of provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement that mandated simplified entry and employment permission for certain professionals from each of the three NAFTA member states in the other member states. The provisions of NAFTA relevant to TN status were then carried over almost verbatim to the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement that replaced NAFTA in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of the United States</span> Policy on permits required to enter the United States and its unincorporated territories

Visitors to the United States must obtain a visa from one of the U.S. diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt or Visa Waiver Program countries.

The E-2 Investor Visa allows an individual to enter and work in the United States based on an investment in a U.S. business. The E2 visa is valid for three months to five years and can be extended indefinitely. The investment must be "substantial", although there is no legally defined minimum. The E-2 visa is available only to citizens of certain countries.

Resident return visas (RRV) are three separate but related systems for allowing ordinarily resident and former resident foreign nationals in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States to travel to another country and return to the issuing country.

An L-2 visa is a visa document used to enter the United States by the dependent spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age of qualified L-1 visa holders. It is a non-immigrant visa, and is only valid for the duration of the spouse's L-1 visa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B visa</span> Visitor visa for the United States

A B visa is one of a category of non-immigrant visas issued by the United States government to foreign nationals seeking entry for a temporary period. The two types of B visa are the B-1 visa, issued to those seeking entry for business purposes, and the B-2 visa, issued to those seeking entry for tourism or other non-business purposes. In practice, the two visa categories are usually combined and issued as a "B-1/B-2 visa" valid for a temporary visit for either business or pleasure, or a combination of the two. Nationals of certain countries do not usually need to obtain a visa for these purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J-1 visa</span> Type of United States visa

A J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued by the United States to research scholars, professors and exchange visitors participating in programs that promote cultural exchange, especially to obtain medical or business training within the U.S. All applicants must meet eligibility criteria, English language requirements, and be sponsored either by a university, private sector or government program. J-1 visa holders must usually return home for two years following visa expiration so they impart cultural knowledge learned in the United States. In 2022, the State Department issued 284,486 J-1 visas, with a visa approval rate of 88.8%. Between 2001 and 2021, there were 6,178,355 J-1 visas issued by the State Department. In 2023, there were 4,209 J-1 visa sponsors. Certain J-1 categories saw increased percentage increase in visas between 2021 and 2022. For example, The J-1 Visa for Summer Work/Travel increased 134% from 39,647 to 92,619. J-1 Teachers increased 467% from 719 to 4,076. Interns increased 212% from 5,402 to 16,833.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Brazil</span> Policy on permits required to enter Brazil

Visitors to Brazil must obtain a visa from one of the Brazilian diplomatic missions unless they are nationals of one of the visa-exempt countries or have the option to obtain an electronic visa. For stays longer than 90 days or for employment in Brazil, all foreign nationals must have a visa or residency authorization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Thailand</span> Policy on permits required to enter Thailand

Visitors to Thailand must obtain a visa from one of the Thai diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries, or citizens who may obtain a visa on arrival, or citizens eligible for an e-Visa.

Bangladesh requires all foreigners to obtain permission, specifically a visa, to enter its territory unless exempted. Visas are issued by Bangladesh diplomatic missions located throughout the world or, if applicable, on arrival in Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Lebanon</span> Policy on permit required to enter Lebanon

The visa policy of Lebanon deals with the requirements which a foreign national wishing to enter the Republic of Lebanon must meet to be permitted to travel to, enter and remain in the country.

The NATO-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows representatives from NATO member states, their official staff, and their immediate family members to travel to the United States. Recipients are normally exempt from inspection, and the visa is valid for the duration of the individual's stay in the US.

The R-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to the United States for service as a minister or other religious occupation. Between October 2019 and September 2020, there were 2,399 R visas issued.

The C-3 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows governmental officials and their families, attendants, servants and employees to travel to United States for the purpose of transiting through the country. The maximum duration of stay is 29 days.

The Interview Waiver Program (IWP), also called the Visa Interview Waiver Program, is a program managed by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants. The program has basis in the guidelines provided in the Foreign Affairs Manual 9 FAM 403.5. As of December 2023, some of the previously present clauses of the Interview Waiver Program were retired, and all remaining clauses now have no set expiration date.

A G visa is a category of official visas issued to diplomats, government officials, and international organization employees who are visiting the United States temporarily for a governmental purpose.

References

  1. ↑ "Notice 18-1029". United States Department of State. July 6, 2018.
  2. ↑ Miexler, Eli (October 2, 2018). "Trump Administration Halts Visas for Unmarried Same-Sex Partners of Diplomats". Time .
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Immigration pocket field guide. Matthew Bender & Company, Inc. 2013. p. 50.
  4. 1 2 "Visas for Diplomats and Foreign Government Officials". US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.