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The definitive list of types of non-immigrant visas for the US

You want to come to the US. There are too many options! Where does one start? How many visas can there possibly be? What visa do I need to come to the United States!?

Here is a definitive list of every single visa there is. If you still don’t know, try our visa wizard at whatvisadoineed.us - it only takes one minute.

B-1: Visitor Visa

Who’s it for: Athletes (competing for prize money), businessmen attending a conference or meetings.

How long does it last: Depending on the country, but generally a B-1 visa will allow you to come for 6 months. It is multiple entry so it can be used over a long period of time.

B-2: Visitor Visa

Who’s it for: vacationers, tourists, persons seeking medical treatment.

How long does it last: Depending on the country, but generally a B-1 visa will allow you to come for 6 months. It is multiple entry so it can be used over a long period of time.

J: Exchange Visitor Visa

Who’s it for: Au pair, camp counselor, government visitor, intern, physicians, professor or research scholar on exchange, short-term scholar, specialist, student (on exchange), summer work travel, teachers, trainees.

How long does it last: A J visa can last up to 18 months. 

 E-3: Australian Specialty Visa

Who’s it for: Australian citizens with work in the United States.

How long does it last: Up to 24 months.

BCC: Border Crossing Card

Who’s it for: Similar to a B1/2 Visa, this is a card issued to Mexican nationals only.

D: Crewmember Visa

Who’s it for: pilots and flight attendants, captain, engineer, or deckhand on a sea vessel, lifeguard, cook, waiter, beautician, or other service staff on a cruise ship, and trainee on board a training vessel

A: Diplomat

Who’s it for: All those on diplomatic trips. 

How long does it last: Varies.

O: Persons of Extraordinary Ability

Who’s it for: For persons with extraordinary ability or achievement in the sciences, arts, education, business, athletics, or extraordinary recognized achievements in the motion picture and television fields, demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim, to work in their field of expertise. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual.

How long does it last: 3 years

Q: Cultural Exchange

Who’s it for: For practical training and employment and for sharing of the history, culture, and traditions of your home country through participation in an international cultural exchange program.

L: Intracompany Transfer

Who’s it for: To work at a branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of the current employer in a managerial or executive capacity, or in a position requiring specialized knowledge.  Individual must have been employed by the same employer abroad continuously for 1 year within the three preceding years.

How long does it last: 3 months up to 5 years.

I: Foreign Media

Who’s it for: Representatives of the foreign media, including members of the press, radio, film, and print industries, traveling temporarily to the United States to work in their profession engaged in informational or educational media activities, essential to the foreign media function.

How long does it last: the duration of your assigment

P: Athlete and Performer

Who’s it for: Artists and entertainers as well as personal or team athletes .

H-1b: Temporary Worker in a Specialty Occupation

Who is it for: This visa is for persons in the skilled labor force. They must be sponsored by an american employer on a petition to be eligible.

How long does it last: 3 years, renewable

R: Religious Worker

Who is it for: Members of the religious order coming to the United States to work as a minister or in a religious occupation.

M: Vocational Student

Who is it for: Students undergoing vocational training

How long does it last: For the duration of your training

C: Transit Visa

Who is it for: Persons from non-waiver countries who are transiting through the United States on their way to another country. 

There you have it. Everything you need to know about non-immigrant visas. Got any other questions? Email us!

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10 Schools with most international Students

Image via: fit.edu

So you want to study in the United States? Where do you go? Where can you live? What schools take international students?

Here is a list of the 10 schools with the most international student bodies:

1. Florida Institute of Technology: Melbourne, FL

The Florida Institute of Technology, is a private doctoral/research university in Melbourne, Florida. Florida Tech has six academic divisions with emphases on science, technology, engineering, mathematics and aviation.

2. New School: New York, NY

The New School is a university in New York City, United States, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York educators, and for most of its history, the university was known as The New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University. The university and each of its colleges were renamed in 2005.

3. Illinois Institute of Technology: Chicago, IL

Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting research university located in Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design and law. It traces its history to several 19th century engineering and professional education institutions.

4. University of Tulsa: Tulsa, OK

The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private university located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The university is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. The university offers programs in law, English, computer science, natural sciences, Clinical and Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and engineering disciplines. Its faculty includes the famous Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, psychologist Robert Hogan, political scientist Robert Donaldson. The campus's design is predominantly English Gothic, and the university manages the Gilcrease Museum, which includes one of the largest collections of American Western art in the world.

5. Lynn University:  Boca Raton, FL

Lynn University is an American private university in Boca Raton, Florida. It was founded in 1962. Its students come from all over the USA and approximately 80 other nations: 24% of students have citizenship in countries outside the United States. The university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate's, baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees.It is named for the Lynn family (Christine E. and Eugene M. Lynn). It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,100, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 123 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Lynn University's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, Tier 2.

6. Carnegie Mellon University: Pittsburgh, PA

The university began as the Carnegie Technical Schools, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1900. In 1912, the school became the Carnegie Institute of Technology and began granting four-year degrees. In 1967, the Carnegie Institute of Technology merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research to form Carnegie Mellon University.

7. Andrews University: Berrien Springs, MI

Andrews University is a university in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College, it was the first higher education facility started by Seventh-day Adventists, and is the flagship university of the Seventh-day Adventist school system,[5][6] the world's second largest Christian school system.[7][8][9][10] Andrews is the largest evangelical Christian college or university in the state of Michigan, in terms of undergraduate and graduate enrollment.

8. University of California San Diego: La Jolla, CA

The University of California, San Diego (also referred to as UC San Diego or UCSD) is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, in the United States.[12] The university occupies 2,141 acres (866 ha) near the coast of the Pacific Ocean with the main campus resting on approximately 1,152 acres (466 ha).[13] Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is the seventh oldest of the 10 University of California campuses and offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, enrolling about 22,700 undergraduate and 6,300 graduate students.

9. Boston University: Boston, MA

Boston University (most commonly referred to as BU or otherwise known as Boston U.) is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian,[7] but is historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church.[8][9]

The university has more than 3,800 faculty members and 33,000 students, and is one of Boston's largest employers.[10] It offers bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctorates, and medical, dental, business, and law degrees through eighteen schools and colleges on two urban campuses. The main campus is situated along the Charles River in Boston's Fenway-Kenmore and Allston neighborhoods, while the Boston University Medical Campus is in Boston's South End neighborhood.

10. Northeastern University: Boston, MA

Northeastern University (NU formerly NEU) is a private, research university in Boston, Massachusetts, established in 1898. It is categorized as a RU/H Research University (high research activity) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.[5]

The university offers undergraduate and graduate programs leading to doctoral degrees on its main campus in the Fenway-Kenmore, Roxbury, South End, and Back Bay neighborhoods, as well as advanced degrees at graduate campuses in Charlotte, North Carolina and Seattle, Washington. It has roughly 16,000 undergraduates and nearly 8,000 graduate students.

Descriptions via Wikipedia

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What should I bring to my Visa Interview? (For I visas - Foreign Media)

This is a typical question that we get a lot at Dowza.com: What should I bring for my interview? What are the visa interview appointment questions? Are there any tips?

This question depends a lot on the type of visa, so we’re going to break them down per visa. Today, we will talk about the I1 visa, also known as the student visa and what you need to bring to the interview.

Things you must bring:

These are the documents you absolutely must bring to your appointment at the consulate or embassy. You will not be given a visa without them.

1. Your appointment letter. If you filled out your visa online, you will get this at the end of the process. If you used Dowza, you will have this letter emailed to you.

2. The DS-160 Confirmation Letter. You will also have received this at the end of your DS-160 process. If you used Dowza, it will have been emailed to you.

3. Your passport valid for at least 6 months. Note: You will not be accepted if you bring a passport that expires in 6 months or less. There have also been cases of passports being declined if they are ripped or worn out.

4. One photograph as per the government’s specifications.

5. Contract. If you are working under contract or as a freelance for a foreign media outlet, you will need to present your contract. 

6. Credentials. If you are an employee of a foreign media you will need to present your credentials from that firm.

Things it is good to bring:

Beyond the required documentation, there are certain supporting documents that can help your case. No one has ever been refused a visa for being too prepared.

1. Travel documents: An itinerary from a travel agent, your booked ticket, hotel reservations.

These are the documents that you should bring to the interview. Should you have any other questions, shoot us a message on our Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/dowzacom

This list was compiled by Dowza as a reference and we are not affiliated with any of the branches of the U.S. Government and are not responsible for any inaccuracies.

[dowza]

What should I bring to my Visa Interview? (For M Visas - Vocational Training)

This is a typical question that we get a lot at Dowza.com: What should I bring for my interview? What are the visa interview appointment questions? Are there any tips?

This question depends a lot on the type of visa, so we’re going to break them down per visa. Today, we will talk about the M1 visa, also known as the student visa and what you need to bring to the interview.

Things you must bring:

These are the documents you absolutely must bring to your appointment at the consulate or embassy. You will not be given a visa without them.

1. Your appointment letter. If you filled out your visa online, you will get this at the end of the process. If you used Dowza, you will have this letter emailed to you.

2. The DS-160 Confirmation Letter. You will also have received this at the end of your DS-160 process. If you used Dowza, it will have been emailed to you.

3. Your passport valid for at least 6 months. Note: You will not be accepted if you bring a passport that expires in 6 months or less. There have also been cases of passports being declined if they are ripped or worn out.

4. One photograph as per the government’s specifications.

5. Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students, Form I-20: This is your I-20 form. It was sent to you by your school when you first began your immigration process.

Things it is good to bring:

Beyond the required documentation, there are certain supporting documents that can help your case. No one has ever been refused a visa for being too prepared.

1. Proof of financial stability: Proof of income, assets, bank accounts, property or businesses ownership documents. Anything to prove that you will not be living off the state when you arrive to the U.S.

2. Travel documents: An itinerary from a travel agent, your booked ticket, hotel reservations.

3. Transcripts, enrollment letters, diplomas.

4. Criminal history: If you have a criminal history, it is best to be upfront about it.

These are the documents that you should bring to the interview. Should you have any other questions, shoot us a message on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/dowzacom

This list was compiled by Dowza as a reference and we are not affiliated with any of the branches of the U.S. Government and are not responsible for any inaccuracies.

[dowza]

What should I bring to my Visa Interview? (For F Visas - Student Visa)

This is a typical question that we get a lot at Dowza.com: What should I bring for my interview? What are the visa interview appointment questions? Are there any tips?

This question depends a lot on the type of visa, so we’re going to break them down per visa. Today, we will talk about the F1 visa, also known as the student visa and what you need to bring to the interview.

Things you must bring:

These are the documents you absolutely must bring to your appointment at the consulate or embassy. You will not be given a visa without them.

1. Your appointment letter. If you filled out your visa online, you will get this at the end of the process. If you used Dowza, you will have this letter emailed to you.

2. The DS-160 Confirmation Letter. You will also have received this at the end of your DS-160 process. If you used Dowza, it will have been emailed to you.

3. Your passport valid for at least 6 months. Note: You will not be accepted if you bring a passport that expires in 6 months or less. There have also been cases of passports being declined if they are ripped or worn out.

4. One photograph as per the government’s specifications.

5. Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students, Form I-20: This is your I-20 form. It was sent to you by your University when you first began your immigration process. 

Things it is good to bring:

Beyond the required documentation, there are certain supporting documents that can help your case. No one has ever been refused a visa for being too prepared.

1. Proof of financial stability: Proof of income, assets, bank accounts, property or businesses ownership documents. Anything to prove that you will not be living off the state when you arrive to the U.S.

2. Travel documents: An itinerary from a travel agent, your booked ticket, hotel reservations.

3. Transcripts, enrollment letters, diplomas.

4. Criminal history: If you have a criminal history, it is best to be upfront about it. 

These are the documents that you should bring to the interview. Should you have any other questions, shoot us a message on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/dowzacom

This list was compiled by Dowza as a reference and we are not affiliated with any of the branches of the U.S. Government and are not responsible for any inaccuracies.

[dowza]

What should I bring to my Visa Interview? (For B Visas - B 1/2)

This is a typical question that we get a lot at Dowza.com: What should I bring for my interview? What are the visa interview appointment questions? Are there any tips?

This question depends a lot on the type of visa, so we’re going to break them down per visa. Today, we will talk about the B1 (aka B1/2) visa and what you need to bring to the interview. 

Things you must bring:

These are the documents you absolutely must bring to your appointment interview at the consulate or embassy. You will not be given a visa without them. 

1. Your appointment letter. If you filled out your visa online, you will get this at the end of the process. If you used Dowza, you will have this letter emailed to you.

2. The Ds-160 Confirmation Letter. You will also have received this at the end of your DS-160 process. If you used Dowza, it will have been emailed to you. 

3. Your passport valid for at least 6 months. Note: You will not be accepted if you bring a passport that expires in 6 months or less. There have also been cases of passports being declined if they are ripped or worn out. 

4. One photograph as per the government’s specifications.

Things it is good to bring:

Beyond the required documentation, there are certain supporting documents that can help your case. No one has ever been refused a visa for being too prepared. 

1. Proof of financial stability: Proof of income, assets, bank accounts, property or businesses ownership documents. Anything to prove that you will not be living off the state when you arrive to the U.S.

2. Travel documents: An itinerary from a travel agent, your booked ticket, hotel reservations. All the documents to prove when you will travel and when you plan to return. 

3. For business travelers, a letter from your employer detailing your position and purpose of this trip. 

4. For students: transcripts, enrollment letters, diplomas. 

5. If visiting a relative: proof of relative’s address and their status (photocopy of their passport/visa/green card)

6. Criminal history: If you have a criminal history, it is best to be upfront about it. 

These are the documents that you should bring to the interview. Should you have any other questions, shoot us a message on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/dowzacom

This list was compiled by Dowza as a reference and we are not affiliated with any of the branches of the U.S. Government and are not responsible for any inaccuracies.

[dowza]

Welcome

Welcome to the Dowza Blog, a resource for all those applying for visas for the United States. We will try our best to answer all your questions. If anything else comes up, just shoot us an email.