Overview guide
How the U.S. Visa System Actually Works
The basics of purpose, petitions, visas, I-94, status, work permission and the two paths to permanent residence.
Visa Library
Every U.S. visa category, explained in plain terms.
One article for each category, plus themed guides for working out which route fits. Written for people who need a straight answer, with a link to the government page behind every rule.
Start here
2026 tracker
What Changed in U.S. Immigration in 2026 and What Is Still in Court
Verified 2026 policy developments, form-edition dates, Visa Bulletin context and dated court-document summaries.
Most looked up
The categories most people are actually searching for. Start here if you are not sure where to look.
- B-1 / B-2The B-1 and B-2 Visitor Visa
- F-1 / F-2The F-1 Student Visa
- J-1 / J-2The J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa
- H-1BThe H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa
- K-1 / K-3The K Visas for Fiances and Spouses
- IR / CRImmediate Relative Green Cards
- EB-2EB-2 and the National Interest Waiver
- EB-3EB-3 Skilled Workers and Professionals
Explore your options
Follow a process or compare categories before reading the detailed guides.
Process
Step-by-step guidance
Follow the stages of study, temporary employment, green cards, consular processing, and naturalization, with key decision points and official resources.
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Visa Comparison Guides
Open detailed head-to-head comparison guides, then use the side-by-side comparison chart.
Overview guides
Read one of these when you are still working out which category applies. Each one links straight to the categories it covers.
F, M, J
Study and Exchange Visas
Academic study, vocational study and sponsored exchange: program documents, employment limits and family rules.
Covers
Capital
Investor and Treaty Routes
Treaty trade, treaty investment and EB-5: nationality, including Bangladeshi E-2 eligibility, and business evidence.
Covers
Official
Diplomatic and Official Visas
How official assignments determine A, G or NATO classification, with separate document, family and work rules.
Covers
Family
Family Based Immigration
Family relationships, separate petitions, visa-number waits and the final application routes explained.
Covers
Employment
Employment Based Green Cards
EB-1 through EB-5: petition forms, labor certification, visa queues and the rules governing employment changes.
Covers
Other routes
The Diversity Visa and Routes People Overlook
Diversity visas, returning residence and narrow legacy routes: the legal basis and limits of each framework.
Covers
Citizenship
Naturalization and U.S. Citizenship
A practical reference to eligibility, residence and travel history, preparation, the naturalization interview and oath.
Every category
Grouped by situation rather than by immigration status, since that is how most people are actually looking. Each row is tagged Temporary or Green card.
- EB-1AEB-1A Criteria: The 10 Evidence Types and Final MeritsGreen cardHow USCIS reviews EB-1A petitions: the 10 regulatory criteria, comparable evidence, and the final merits step that decides close cases.
- EB-1BEB-1B Outstanding Professors and Researchers ExplainedGreen cardWhat EB-1B requires: international recognition, three years of experience, a qualifying job offer, and two of six evidence criteria.
- EB-1CEB-1C Requirements: Green Card for Multinational ManagersGreen cardWhat USCIS requires for an EB-1C green card: the one-year-abroad rule, the company tests, and how manager and executive roles are defined.
- EB-3 OtherEB-3 Other Workers: Requirements and BacklogGreen cardEB-3 other workers covers jobs needing under two years of training. See who qualifies, how the 10,000 cap works, and where the queue stands.
- EB-3 StepsEB-3 Timeline: PERM to Green Card Step by StepGreen cardEach stage of the EB-3 green card process, from prevailing wage to I-485, with the latest DOL processing data and October 2026 bulletin dates.
- EB-4 SREB-4 Religious Worker Green Card: How It WorksGreen cardWho qualifies for the EB-4 religious worker green card, what employers must prove, and the December 11, 2026 non-minister sunset.
- I-140 / I-485Employment Green Card Costs: USCIS FeesGreen cardWhat USCIS charges at each step of an employment-based green card, from Form I-140 to Form I-485, plus optional premium processing.
- I-140I-140 Approved: What It Does and Doesn’t DoGreen cardWhat an approved I-140 means: priority date retention, the 180-day rule, H-1B extensions past six years, and what still has to happen.
- NIWNIW Dhanasar Test: The Three Prongs ExplainedGreen cardThe Dhanasar framework is how USCIS decides national interest waiver petitions. Here is what each of the three prongs asks, in plain terms.
- PNIWPhysician National Interest Waiver: How It WorksGreen cardHow the physician NIW works: five years of full-time service in a shortage area or VA facility, the evidence required, and green card timing.
- I-907Premium Processing for Employment Green CardsGreen cardHow USCIS premium processing works for Form I-140: the $2,965 fee, 15 and 45 business day clocks, and what it does not speed up.
- Schedule ASchedule A: Green Card Path for Nurses and PTsGreen cardSchedule A lets employers hiring nurses and physical therapists skip the DOL labor market test. Here is how the process works and what it requires.
- H-1BThe H-1B Specialty Occupation VisaTemporarySpecialty-occupation sponsorship explained: job eligibility, cap selection, LCA, petition, start dates, family and job changes.
- H-1B1The H-1B1 Visa for Chile and SingaporeTemporarySpecialty-occupation work for Chilean and Singaporean citizens: qualifications, LCA, application routes and family rules.
- H-2AThe H-2A Agricultural Worker VisaTemporaryTemporary agricultural employment: employer sponsorship, written job terms, worker protections and revised H-2 rules.
- H-2BThe H-2B Seasonal Worker VisaTemporaryTemporary nonagricultural work: employer eligibility, the annual cap, application stages and worker protections.
- H-3The H-3 Trainee VisaTemporaryStructured training and special-education exchanges: program evidence, host sponsorship and limits on productive work.
- L-1The L-1 Intracompany Transfer VisaTemporaryTransfers between related businesses: L-1A versus L-1B, overseas employment, new offices, family and application steps.
- O-1The O Visa for Extraordinary AbilityTemporaryO-1 standards, evidence, petitioners and actual engagements, with separate explanations of O-2 support and O-3 family.
- PThe P Visa for Athletes and EntertainersTemporaryP subtypes for athletes, entertainment groups, reciprocal exchanges and culturally unique programs.
- R-1R-1 Religious Worker Visa RequirementsTemporaryR-1 religious worker visa requirements: who can sponsor, the 20-hour rule, stay limits, family, and the 2026 readmission change.
- TNTN Visa Requirements: Canada and MexicoTemporaryTN visa requirements for Canadian and Mexican citizens: the profession list, credentials, how each country applies, and changing jobs.
- E-3The E-3 Visa for AustraliansTemporarySpecialty-occupation work for Australians: employer requirements, LCA, consular and USCIS routes, renewals and family.
- EB-1EB-1 Priority WorkersGreen cardThe three EB-1 routes explained separately: extraordinary ability, outstanding academics, and multinational managers or executives.
- EB-2EB-2 and the National Interest WaiverGreen cardEB-2 eligibility and the three NIW questions, with evidence examples and a clear explanation of the visa-number queue.
- EB-3EB-3 Skilled Workers and ProfessionalsGreen cardProfessional, skilled and other-worker green cards: the real job, PERM, I-140, visa availability and costs.
- EB-4What Is EB-4? Special Immigrant Green CardGreen cardEB-4 special immigrant green cards explained: religious workers, SIJ and other groups, with their forms, evidence and family rules.
- K-1 / K-3The K Visas for Fiances and SpousesTemporaryThe fiancé process from I-129F to marriage and adjustment, including children, work, travel and spouse-route comparisons.
- VThe V VisaTemporaryThe December 2000 petition cutoff, legacy V eligibility and the family preference route for newer cases.
- IR / CRImmediate Relative Green CardsGreen cardSpouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens: separate petitions, evidence, sponsorship and the final green-card process.
- F1 to F4The Family Preference CategoriesGreen cardFamily preference categories, priority dates, derivatives, and the effects of marriage, age and naturalization.
- F-1 / F-2The F-1 Student VisaTemporaryAcademic study from school admission to maintaining status, with separate explanations of CPT, OPT, STEM OPT and family rules.
- M-1 / M-2The M-1 Vocational Student VisaTemporaryVocational study: school approval, application steps, limits on practical training, extensions and family rules.
- J-1 / J-2The J-1 Exchange Visitor VisaTemporaryExchange programs explained: designated sponsors, DS-2019, permitted work, family and the two-year residence requirement.
- Q-1The Q-1 Cultural Exchange VisaTemporaryCultural exchange through Q-1: program design, employer evidence, the 15-month limit and separate family arrangements.
- B-1 / B-2The B-1 and B-2 Visitor VisaTemporaryBusiness visits, tourism and medical travel: permitted activities, application evidence, admission and common mistakes.
- VWPThe Visa Waiver Program and ESTATemporaryESTA and the Visa Waiver Program: eligibility, the 90-day limit, travel restrictions and limits on changing plans.
- CThe C Transit VisaTemporaryImmediate transit through the United States: category distinctions and evidence of the onward journey.
- DThe D Crewmember VisaTemporaryShip and aircraft crew: qualifying duties, transit arrangements, admission limits and activities that need another visa.
- IThe I Visa for Foreign MediaTemporaryForeign news and informational media: qualifying assignments, visa steps, family and changing admission procedures.
- SB-1The SB-1 Returning Resident VisaGreen cardReturning after a prolonged absence: residence evidence, DS-117, the separate visa stage and travel-document rules.
- EB-5 TEAEB-5 Investment Amounts: Standard vs. TEAGreen cardEB-5 requires $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area. See what qualifies as a TEA and what a proposed rule would change.
- EB-5 FundsEB-5 Source of Funds: What USCIS Asks ForGreen cardWhat USCIS requires to prove the lawful source and path of EB-5 funds, including tax records, gifts, loans, and escrow.
- I-829Form I-829: Removing EB-5 Conditions on ResidenceGreen cardWhen EB-5 investors file Form I-829, what it must prove about the investment and jobs, and how the 48-month extension works.
- E-1The E-1 Treaty Trader VisaTemporaryTreaty trade explained: qualifying nationality, trade volume, business ownership, evidence and application steps.
- E-2The E-2 Treaty Investor VisaTemporaryTreaty investment, including eligibility for Bangladeshi citizens: ownership, source of funds, business evidence and application steps.
- EB-5The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Green CardGreen cardInvestment thresholds, direct and regional-center cases, ten-job evidence, conditional residence and removing conditions.
- SIVAfghan and Iraqi SIVs: How They Work and 2026 StatusGreen cardHow the three Afghan and Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa programs work, their deadlines, and where processing stands in 2026.
- SIJSpecial Immigrant Juvenile Green Card ProcessGreen cardHow a Special Immigrant Juvenile case moves from a state court order to Form I-360, the EB-4 visa queue and adjustment of status.
- TThe T Visa for Trafficking VictimsTemporaryTrafficking-based protection: eligibility, evidence, cooperation exceptions, family, work and later adjustment.
- UThe U Visa for Crime VictimsTemporaryCrime-victim protection: qualifying harm, required certification, the waiting process, family and later adjustment.
- SThe S Visa for Witnesses and InformantsTemporaryAgency-sponsored witness and informant cases: government requests, restrictions, family and adjustment certification.
- VAWAVAWA Self PetitionsGreen cardSelf-petitioning after qualifying abuse: evidence, safe contact, prima facie notices, work authorization and permanent residence.
- AsylumRefugee and Asylee StatusGreen cardProtection eligibility, filing routes, the asylum EAD clock, family, travel and the separate green-card stage.
- AThe A Visa for DiplomatsTemporaryOfficial national-government travel: A-1, A-2 and A-3, diplomatic notes, family definitions and employment limits.
- GThe G Visa for International OrganizationsTemporaryInternational-organization assignments: G subtypes, official documentation, family and employment authorization.
- NATONATO VisasTemporaryNATO assignments: classifications, specific military visa exemptions, family documents and employment rules.
- N-8 / N-9The N VisaTemporaryThe narrow N-8 and N-9 family classifications: underlying special-immigrant codes, evidence, stay and work documentation.
Nothing matches that. Try the category letter, such as H or EB, or a word such as spouse or student.
TR Immigration is an independent immigration information platform. It is not a law firm. Nothing here is legal advice, an eligibility determination, or a prediction about your case.