USA
- How long
- A set period
- Tied to
- One role or business
- Groups here
- Talent, work and investment
USA
US visa types
The United States runs a separate visa for each kind of applicant: skilled professionals, founders, researchers, artists and investors. Find the routes your record already supports.
Quick answers
What are the main US visa types?
US work and residence visas fall into four groups. Talent visas rest on a personal record of achievement. Work visas rest on a US employer sponsoring the role. Investment visas rest on capital and an active business. Green cards grant permanent residence outright.
Which US visas let you work?
Every employment and investment route carries work permission. Temporary visas such as the H-1B, L-1 and O-1 permit work only for the sponsoring employer named in the petition. Employment-based green cards carry permanent residence and unrestricted work permission once issued.
Do you need a job offer to get a US visa?
No, not for every route. The EB-1A, the EB-2 NIW and the EB-5 are self-petitioned, so no employer and no job offer is required. The H-1B, L-1, EB-1C, EB-2 and EB-3 all require a US employer to file the petition. The O-1 needs a US petitioner, which can be an employer or an agent.
Which US visas lead to a green card?
The EB categories are green cards in themselves. Among the temporary visas, the H-1B, L-1A, L-1B, O-1A and O-1B allow dual intent, so a green card petition can run alongside them. The E-1 and E-2 do not allow dual intent, so reaching permanent residence from either means changing category.
US visa types, explained
Start with what you can prove.
The four groups below sort every US visa by what qualifies you. Find yours and the field narrows to a handful.
How does the US visa process work?
- The petition
Almost every route starts with a petition: a filing that shows you meet the category's requirements.
- The decision
Your employer files it on the sponsored routes, and you file it yourself on the self-petitioned ones. USCIS decides it.
- The visa
From abroad, a US consulate issues the visa. From inside the US, many applicants change status instead and skip the consulate.
Two kinds of visa
Immigrant or non-immigrant visa?
A non-immigrant visa gives you permission to be in the US for a set period. An immigrant visa is the green card.
- How long
- No end date
- Tied to
- No employer
- Groups here
- Green cards
Dual intent connects the two. The H-1B, L-1 and O-1 let a green card petition run alongside them. The E-1 and E-2 do not, so reaching permanent residence from either means changing category.
US Talent Visas
These run on your own record: awards, published work, press coverage, judging roles, proof that your work changed something in your field. Immigration officers check that evidence against a fixed list of criteria, and you have to meet a set number of them. Most applicants spend a year or two building the record before they file.
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
O-1A
For people with extraordinary ability in the sciences, business, or athletics.
- Documented extraordinary ability in the field
- Sustained national or international acclaim
- Evidence meeting at least 3 of 8 USCIS criteria
- Processing
- 4–12 months
- Cost
- $9,000–$13,000
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
O-1B
For people with extraordinary ability in the arts, film, or TV.
- Distinction in the arts, or film and TV
- Evidence meeting at least 3 of 6 USCIS criteria
- A peer group or union consultation
- Processing
- 4–12 months
- Cost
- $9,000–$13,000
Your own record
For people whose work already stands out in their field.
US Work Visas
Your employer files the petition, pays most of the government fees, and the permission you receive covers the role described in it. The bar sits lower than on the talent routes, because the case turns on the job and your qualifications for it. The routes differ in what the employer has to prove before filing, from a wage attestation up to a full recruitment test of the US labour market.
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
H-1B
For professionals in specialty roles that require a degree.
- A specialty occupation tied to a degree
- A bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in that field
- Employer sponsorship, and the lottery for most
- Processing
- 2–6 months
- Cost
- $8,000–$12,000
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
L-1A
For executives and managers transferring to a US office.
- One year of qualifying employment abroad
- Executive or managerial role
- Qualifying relationship between the two companies
- Processing
- 2–6 months
- Cost
- $10,000–$13,500
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
L-1B
For specialized-knowledge employees transferring to a US office.
- One year of qualifying employment abroad
- Specialized or advanced knowledge
- Qualifying relationship between the two companies
- Processing
- 2–6 months
- Cost
- $10,000–$13,500
An employer
For people with a US employer ready to sponsor the role.
US Investment Visas
Both routes need a treaty between the US and your country of nationality, so check your passport before anything else. You also need capital at risk in a business that trades, and these visas renew for as long as the business does. Neither allows dual intent, so a green card plan on either one means changing category.
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
E-1
For traders in substantial, ongoing trade with the US.
- Citizenship from a treaty country
- Substantial, ongoing trade with the US
- More than half of trade with the US
- Processing
- 2–6 months
- Cost
- $9,800–$13,800
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
E-2
For entrepreneurs investing in and operating US businesses.
- Citizenship from a treaty country
- Substantial committed investment
- Real, operational business
- Processing
- 2–6 months
- Cost
- $9,800–$13,800
Your capital
For investors and traders from treaty countries.
US Green Cards
These are permanent residence, not permission for a period: no end date, and no employer to stay tied to. Talent, work or investment still qualifies you underneath, which is why the same names appear here. Three of them you file for yourself. Your category and country of birth decide whether you wait for a number before the final step.
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
EB-1A
For individuals with extraordinary ability.
- Extraordinary ability in field
- Sustained national or international acclaim
- At least 3 of 10 criteria met
- Processing
- 6–12 months
- Cost
- $12,500–$17,500
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
EB-1B
For outstanding professors and researchers.
- International recognition as outstanding
- 3+ years of teaching or research
- A permanent academic job offer
- Processing
- 6–12 months
- Cost
- $12,000–$17,000
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
EB-1C
For multinational managers and executives.
- A qualifying US-foreign company relationship
- 1 year abroad as a manager or executive
- A managerial or executive role in the US
- Processing
- 6–12 months
- Cost
- $12,500–$17,500
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
EB-2
For professionals with an advanced degree or exceptional ability.
- An advanced degree or exceptional ability
- A permanent US job that requires it
- PERM labor certification cleared
- Processing
- 2–3 years
- Cost
- $12,000–$19,500
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
EB-2 NIW
For researchers and founders serving the US national interest.
- An advanced degree or exceptional ability
- A proposed endeavor of national importance
- The three-prong Dhanasar test met
- Processing
- 6–12 months
- Cost
- $12,500–$17,500
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
EB-3
For professionals, skilled workers, and unskilled workers.
- A degree, experience, or an unskilled role
- A permanent US job offer
- PERM labor certification cleared
- Processing
- 2–4 years
- Cost
- $12,000–$19,500
imigos visa · USA
Visa type
EB-5
For investors making a major US investment.
- $800K (targeted area) or $1.05M invested
- Capital lawfully sourced and at risk
- At least 10 full-time US jobs created
- Processing
- 2–5 years
- Cost
- $30,000–$40,000
Permanent residence
For people planning to stay in the US for good.
Visa comparisons
Two visas, side by side.
Many people qualify for more than one route. Each comparison takes two and shows what differs: who files, how long it runs and where it leads.
O-1vsEB-1AWhich Should You File First?10 min readEB-1AvsEB-2 NIWWhich Green Card to Choose12 min readO-1vsH-1BKey Differences and How to Choose10 min readEB-1AvsEB-1BSelf-Petition or Employer Sponsor10 min readL-1vsH-1BWhich Is Better, and for Whom?12 min readL-1vsE-2Which Is Better for a Business Owner?17 min read
All visa comparisonsNewsroom
The latest US immigration news.
US immigration rules changed several times this year. Each update covers what changed and who it applies to.
US visas FAQ
Questions, answered.
No US visa is easy, and the least difficult route is the one your evidence already supports. A researcher with published work and citations has a shorter path through the EB-2 NIW than through the H-1B, which turns on a wage-weighted selection nobody controls. Fit decides difficulty more than the category does.
Yes, and many people qualify for several routes at once. A founder with a strong record can hold an O-1A while an EB-1A petition runs, and a sponsored employee can sit in an EB-2 queue while working on an H-1B. Whether to file in parallel is worth settling with a licensed attorney before anything goes in.
Processing runs from a few weeks to several years depending on the route. Premium processing shortens the decision on many petitions to 15 or 45 business days. It does not shorten the wait for a green card number, which depends on your category and country of birth. Each route page carries its own current timeline.
Total cost depends on the route, the size of the employer and whether premium processing is used. Government fees alone range from several hundred dollars to several thousand, before legal fees. Each route page carries a full breakdown, including the reduced fees that apply to employers with 25 or fewer staff.
It depends on the route. Spouses of L-1 and E visa holders can work. Spouses of H-1B holders can work only in limited circumstances. Spouses of O-1 holders cannot. Once a green card is issued, a spouse who is also a permanent resident has unrestricted work permission.
A denial ends that petition. The case can continue: depending on the category and the reason, you can refile with stronger evidence, appeal, or move to a route your record supports better. Immigration officers state their reasons in the decision, and those reasons tell you which of the three is worth doing.
A lawyer is not required by law, but every employer-sponsored and evidence-based route involves filings where an error costs months. imigOS runs a free eligibility check first, so you see which routes fit before spending anything, then connects you with a licensed attorney when a route is worth pursuing.
Sources
USCIS · US Department of State · US Department of Labor · Updated August 2026
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