United States (US)

The United States is a federation of 50 states and the District of Columbia spanning six time zones from the Atlantic to the Pacific, plus Alaska and Hawaii.

Capital: Washington, D.C.

Region: Americas

Language: English

Currency: USD ($)

Cost of living: Expensive (index 75)

Emergency: 911

Visa & Immigration

Entry and residence options for United States.

Visa-Free Access

Citizens of 41 countries in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) may visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa for tourism or business. VWP countries include the UK, most of the EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and Chile. All VWP travellers must obtain an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) before boarding — $40.27 fee (effective 1 September 2025; was $21; breakdown: $4 processing + $36.27 authorization fee), approval typically within minutes, valid 2 years or until passport expires. Canadian citizens do not need an ESTA for land/air entry and may stay up to 6 months. Citizens of all other countries need a visa (typically B-1/B-2) to visit.

US immigration is administered primarily by USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services), a bureau of the Department of Homeland Security. Consular interviews happen at US embassies abroad. The distinction between "non-immigrant" (temporary) and "immigrant" (green card) visas is fundamental. Two key processes exist for green card applicants already in the US: Adjustment of Status (I-485) and for those outside, Consular Processing (at a US embassy). Processing times fluctuate dramatically with administration changes and backlogs — always check USCIS processing times at uscis.gov and the State Department's monthly Visa Bulletin for priority date movement. 2025/2026 FEE ALERT: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 4, 2025) introduced a $250 Visa Integrity and Border Security Fee applying to nearly all nonimmigrant visa categories (B-1/B-2, F-1, H-1B, L-1, O-1, etc.) — signed into law but implementation guidance from the Bureau of Consular Affairs was still pending as of early 2026; verify current status at travel.state.gov before any nonimmigrant visa application. Always consult a US immigration attorney (AILA member) for complex cases — mistakes can result in multi-year re-entry bans, and USCIS does not refund fees for denied petitions.

B-1 / B-2 Visitor Visa

Business or Tourist Visitor

$185 application fee; additional reciprocity fees for some nationalities

Duration: Up to 6 months per entry; visa itself valid 1–10 years depending on nationality

Eligibility

Citizens of countries without Visa Waiver Program access, or VWP citizens wanting longer stays (up to 6 months)

Processing time

2 weeks to 6+ months depending on country and consulate backlog

Requirements

✓Valid passport with 6+ months validity
✓Form DS-160 completed online
✓Proof of strong ties to home country (job, family, property)
✓Proof of funds for trip
✓Detailed itinerary or travel purpose
✓Interview at US embassy or consulate

💡 B-1 for business meetings/conferences (no productive work), B-2 for tourism or medical treatment. Cannot work or study. Most are issued combined B-1/B-2. Overstaying triggers 3- or 10-year re-entry bans.

H-1B Specialty Occupation Worker

H-1B

Standard USCIS fees $1,500–$4,000+ (I-129, asylum programme fee, fraud prevention); attorney fees $3,000–$5,000 (employer bears legal fees, not the worker). CRITICAL 2025/2026 CHANGE: A Presidential Proclamation signed September 19, 2025 imposed a $100,000 one-time employer fee per new H-1B petition (not change-of-status), originally effective September 21, 2025 through at least September 21, 2026. LITIGATION STATUS (as of June 2026): a Massachusetts federal court vacated the fee on June 8, 2026; the administration appealed and was granted a stay on June 12, 2026, so the $100,000 fee is currently back in effect pending the First Circuit appeal. A separate D.C. court ruling upheld the fee in a different case. Status is actively contested — verify at uscis.gov before filing. Prevailing wage thresholds apply per Department of Labor wage levels for the occupation and location.

Duration: Initial 3 years, renewable to 6 years total; extendable beyond 6 years if green card process underway

Eligibility

Foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring a bachelor's degree or higher (tech, engineering, finance, medicine) with a US employer sponsor

Processing time

Annual lottery in March; approvals April–June; start date October 1. Regular processing: 4–6 months. Premium Processing ($2,805): 15 business days.

Requirements

✓Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a field directly related to the job
✓Employer petition (Form I-129) with Labor Condition Application (LCA)
✓Wage must meet or exceed Department of Labor prevailing wage for occupation and location
✓Job must be a "specialty occupation"
✓Passport and visa stamping at US embassy (if outside US)

💡 Annual cap of 85,000 new H-1Bs (65,000 regular + 20,000 US master's exemption). 4.25× oversubscription in recent years — lottery win rate ~25%. H-4 dependents (spouse, children under 21) can accompany; H-4 spouses of green-card-pending H-1Bs can get work authorisation (H-4 EAD).

L-1 Intracompany Transferee

L-1A / L-1B

Employer pays $1,500–$4,000+ in USCIS fees; legal fees $3,000–$5,000

Duration: L-1A: up to 7 years. L-1B: up to 5 years

Eligibility

Executives/managers (L-1A) or specialised-knowledge employees (L-1B) of multinational companies transferring from a foreign office to a US office

Processing time

Regular: 4–6 months. Premium Processing ($2,805): 15 business days.

Requirements

✓1 continuous year of employment with the foreign company in the preceding 3 years
✓Role abroad was executive/managerial or specialised-knowledge
✓US entity has qualifying corporate relationship (parent, subsidiary, affiliate, branch)
✓US entity must be actively doing business

💡 No annual cap. L-1A is a direct path to EB-1C green card for executives. L-2 dependents can work with automatic employment authorisation.

O-1 Extraordinary Ability

O-1

Employer/agent pays $1,500–$3,000 in USCIS fees; legal fees $5,000–$10,000

Duration: Initial 3 years, renewable in 1-year increments indefinitely

Eligibility

Individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, athletics, or extraordinary achievement in motion picture/TV (documented national/international acclaim)

Processing time

Regular: 2–3 months. Premium Processing ($2,805): 15 business days.

Requirements

✓Evidence of extraordinary ability: awards, publications, judging others' work, press coverage, high salary, leading roles at distinguished organisations — at least 3 of 8 criteria
✓US employer or agent petition (Form I-129)
✓Advisory opinion from relevant peer group or labor organisation

💡 Popular alternative to H-1B for founders, researchers, artists, and senior tech workers. No lottery, no cap. Self-petitioning not allowed (must be filed by agent or employer). Path to EB-1A green card for those meeting similar standards.

F-1 Student Visa

F-1

SEVIS I-901 fee: $350. Visa application fee: $185

Duration: Duration of study programme plus 60-day grace period

Eligibility

Admitted students to an SEVP-certified US school (university, college, high school, language programme) for full-time study

Processing time

2 weeks to 4 months depending on consulate

Requirements

✓I-20 form from the school
✓Proof of financial support for full cost of attendance
✓SEVIS fee payment
✓DS-160 application and consulate interview
✓Proof of intent to return to home country after studies

💡 Can work on-campus from day 1. Off-campus Curricular Practical Training (CPT) during study. 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation; STEM graduates get additional 24 months (total 36). Path to H-1B or O-1 for continuing in US.

J-1 Exchange Visitor

J-1

SEVIS I-901 fee: $220. Visa application fee: $185. Programme sponsor fees.

Duration: Varies by programme: 3 months (summer work) to 7 years (research scholar)

Eligibility

Participants in approved exchange programmes: au pairs, camp counsellors, research scholars, physicians, interns, trainees, teachers, summer work-travel students

Processing time

2 weeks to 3 months

Requirements

✓DS-2019 form from programme sponsor
✓SEVIS fee payment
✓Programme-specific eligibility (student, professional, teacher)
✓English proficiency
✓Health insurance meeting programme minimums

💡 Some J-1 visas carry a 2-year home residency requirement — cannot transition to H-1B or green card without returning home for 2 years first or getting a waiver. J-2 dependent spouses can apply for work authorisation.

E-2 Treaty Investor

E-2

$205 visa fee; investment itself typically $100,000–$500,000+ (no set minimum but must be "substantial")

Duration: 2–5 years per entry; renewable indefinitely as long as business operates

Eligibility

Nationals of E-2 treaty countries (UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, most of Europe — but not China or India) making a substantial investment in a US business

Processing time

2–4 months at consulate

Requirements

✓Treaty country nationality (50%+ ownership of business by treaty nationals)
✓Substantial investment already committed and at-risk
✓Business must be real, active, and more than marginal (must employ US workers)
✓Intent to depart US upon E-2 termination

💡 No annual cap, unlimited renewals. Popular for entrepreneurs from treaty countries. Spouse can get work authorisation. Not a direct path to green card — often called "the perpetual tourist" visa. India and China are notably not E-2 treaty countries.

EB-5 Immigrant Investor

EB-5

$800,000 (targeted employment area) or $1,050,000 (standard) minimum investment; $11,160+ USCIS filing fees; $50,000–$100,000+ legal and administrative fees

Duration: Conditional green card (2 years) followed by permanent green card

Eligibility

Foreign investors making a qualifying investment in a US commercial enterprise that creates 10 US jobs

Processing time

I-526E (petition): 2–5 years. Conditional GC to permanent: 2 years later, plus I-829 processing.

Requirements

✓Qualifying investment in cash or at-risk equity
✓Lawful source of funds (extensive documentation)
✓Creates 10 full-time US jobs directly or (via Regional Center) indirectly
✓Investment must be maintained through 2-year conditional period

💡 The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA) of 2022 overhauled the programme. Reserved visas for Rural (20%), High Unemployment (10%), and Infrastructure (2%) categories offer faster processing and retain lower investment thresholds. Most EB-5 investors use a USCIS-designated Regional Center rather than direct investment.

Family-Sponsored Green Card (IR/F-category)

Family Immigrant Visa

$3,005 total USCIS fees (I-130 + I-485 + medical + biometrics) for adjustment of status; $445 + consular fees for consular processing

Duration: Permanent residence (10-year renewable card)

Eligibility

Immediate relatives (spouse, unmarried under-21 child, parent) of US citizens have no numerical limit. Family Preference categories (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4) for other relatives are capped and have multi-year waits.

Processing time

IR-1/CR-1 spouse of USC: 12–24 months. F2A spouse of GC holder: 24–36 months. F-category wait times vary 2–20+ years depending on country of birth (India and Philippines have the longest waits).

Requirements

✓US citizen or green card holder petitioner
✓Proof of qualifying relationship (marriage, birth, adoption)
✓Affidavit of Support (I-864) — petitioner must meet income requirement of 125% of Federal Poverty Guidelines
✓Medical exam by designated civil surgeon
✓Background checks and biometrics

💡 IR-1/CR-1 (spouse of US citizen) is the most common path. K-1 fiancé visa allows entry to marry within 90 days, then file I-485. Adjustment of Status if already in US; Consular Processing if outside US.

Employment-Based Green Card (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3)

Employment Immigrant Visa

$4,000–$15,000+ in USCIS fees and PERM labor certification; $5,000–$15,000 legal fees typical

Duration: Permanent residence (10-year renewable card)

Eligibility

Foreign workers sponsored by US employer (EB-2, EB-3) or self-petitioning extraordinary individuals (EB-1A, EB-2 NIW)

Processing time

PERM: 8–18 months. I-140: 6–12 months regular / 15 business days premium. Adjustment or Consular: 1–3 years depending on visa number availability.

Requirements

✓Labor Certification (PERM) for EB-2 and EB-3 (proves no qualified US worker available)
✓I-140 petition approved
✓I-485 Adjustment of Status (in US) or consular processing (abroad)
✓For EB-1A: extraordinary ability evidence (self-petition possible)
✓For EB-2 NIW: advanced degree and "national interest" argument (self-petition possible)

💡 India- and China-born applicants face severe backlogs in EB-2 and EB-3 (10+ years wait). EB-1 is "current" (no wait) for most countries but not for India/China. EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) and EB-1A allow self-petition without employer sponsorship for exceptional individuals.

No formal Digital Nomad Visa

Digital Nomad

N/A

Not applicable

Duration: Not applicable

Eligibility

The United States does not offer a dedicated digital nomad visa. Remote workers for non-US employers may enter on B-1/B-2 or VWP/ESTA for short visits but cannot legally reside and work remotely for extended periods without a work visa.

Processing time

Not applicable

Requirements

✓Remote workers visiting the US are generally expected to maintain foreign tax residency and not stay long enough to trigger US tax residency (183 days in a calendar year under the Substantial Presence Test)

💡 Despite the absence of a formal digital nomad visa, some digital nomads use B-1 for short stays, O-1 for extraordinary ability, E-2 for treaty-country entrepreneurs, or spouse visas to legally live and work remotely from the US. Remote work for a US employer requires a work-authorising visa. Working without authorisation, even remotely from a Starbucks, can trigger visa violations and re-entry bans.

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