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The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is a program within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to manage foreign students and exchange visitors in the United States through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The SEVP encompasses the F status, J status, and M status. The exchange visitor part of the program is managed by the U.S. Department of State, although the SEVIS system is maintained by ICE.
The H-1B is a visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H) that allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. A specialty occupation requires the application of specialized knowledge and a bachelor's degree or the equivalent of work experience. The duration of stay is three years, extendable to six years; after which the visa holder may need to reapply. Laws limit the number of H-1B visas that are issued each year: 180,440 new and initial H-1B visas were issued in 2017. Employers must generally withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes from the wages paid to employees in H-1B status.
The E-3 visa is a United States visa for which only citizens of Australia are eligible. It was created by an Act of the United States Congress as a result of the Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA), although it is not formally a part of the AUSFTA. The legislation creating the E-3 visa was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on May 11, 2005. It is widely believed to have grown out of the negotiation of a trade deal between the US and Australia.
The V visa is a temporary visa available to spouses and minor children of U.S. lawful permanent residents. It allows permanent residents to achieve family unity with their spouses and children while the immigration process takes its course. It was created by the Legal Immigration Family Equity Act of 2000. The Act is to relieve those who applied for immigrant visas on or before December 21, 2000. Practically, the V visa is currently not available to spouses and minor children of LPRs who have applied after December 21, 2000.
The visa policy of the United States deals with the requirements which a foreign national wishing to enter the United States must meet to obtain a visa, which is a permit to travel to, enter, and remain in the United States. Visitors to the United States must obtain a visa from one of the United States diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries or Visa Waiver Program countries. The same rules apply to Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands while different rules apply to Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.
In the United States, the F visas are a type of non-immigrant student visa that allows foreigners to pursue education in the United States. F-1 students must maintain a full course of study. F-1 visas are only issued in U.S. embassies and consulates outside the United States, although extensions of stay and changes of status may be possible within the United States. Prospective F-1 students must apply at the schools and receive a form I-20 in order to apply for an F-1 visa. F-1 students must show that they are able to support themselves during their stay in the U.S., as their opportunities for legal employment are quite limited. F-2 visas are given to dependents of an F-1 student. F-2 visa-holders are prohibited from any form of compensated employment. However, minor children may attend public schools. Finally, the F-3 visa is issued to Canadians and Mexicans who commute across the border to attend American schools.
An H-4 visa is a visa issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to immediate family members of the H-1B visa holders.
A B visa is one of a category of non-immigrant visas issued by the United States government to foreign citizens 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 together 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. Citizens of certain countries do not usually need to obtain a visa for these purposes.
The M-1 visa is a type of student visa in the U.S. reserved for international students attending vocational schools and technical schools.
The G-1 diplomatic visa is a nonimmigrant visa which allows designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments recognized by the United States to enter into the U.S. to work for an international organization and not for personal business or pleasure. The staff and immediate family members of principal G-1 visa holders also qualify for a G-1 visa.
The U visa is a United States nonimmigrant visa which is set aside for victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse while in the U.S. and who are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. It permits such victims to enter or remain in the US when they might not otherwise be able to do so.
The M-2 visa is a type of visa reserved for the spouse or child of an M-1 student.
The G-3 visa is a nonimmigrant visa which allows designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments recognized by the United States to enter into the US. It is similar to a G-1 visa except that individuals admitted on a G-3 are not authorized to work. G-3 visas are identical to G-2 visas.
The C-1 visa is a type of visa reserved for immediate and continuous transit through the United States to a foreign country. Interviews are not required for individuals younger than 13 or older than 80. Recipients are not eligible for an extension or change of status, and must possess sufficient funds to effect transit and enter the destination foreign country. The maximum term of stay is 29 days.
The C-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows individuals to travel to United States for the purpose of immediate and continuous transit to or from the headquarters of the United Nations, or for United Nations officials transiting the US to another foreign nation. The holders of such a visa are considered "geographically restricted nonimmigrants".
The R-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to United States for service as a minister or other religious occupation. The institution must be a registered non-profit organization in the United States, or authorized for the use of a group tax exemption. The individual must have worked for at least the preceding two years as a member of a religious denomination, and work at least 20 hours a week for the institution while in the US. In addition to clergy, religious brothers, religious sisters, and lay missioners may receive visas.
The S-5 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to United States for individuals who are witnesses, informants, or otherwise supplying information regarding a criminal organization and whose presence in the US is necessary for law enforcement to pursue investigation or prosecution. The S visa class, including the S-5 and S-6 visas, was created in 1994 by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act.
The CW-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to United States for temporary workers to be employed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
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 D-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to United States for those serving as a crewman on marine vessel or aircraft, who will depart on a different vessel than that on which they arrived. Those who will depart on the same vessel would normally instead qualify for a D-1 visa. Individuals are not eligible for a D-1 visa if their vessel is in dry dock, is a fishing vessel, they are a coasting officer, or if they are destined for the outer continental shelf. The maximum duration of stay is 29 days. Travelers may present a seaman's book rather than a passport as identification. Those serving on a private yacht normally would not be eligible unless they are sailing out of a foreign home port, and will be in US waters for more than 29 days.
References
- ↑ "Visas for Employees of International Organizations and NATO". US Department of State. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ Immigration pocket field guide. Matthew Bender & Company, Inc. 2013. p. 29.
