There are many different types of visa available to individuals who are considering emigrating to the United States. If you are considering making this move, it is important that you apply for the correct visa for your circumstance. Otherwise, you can face problems entering and remaining in the United States.
Determining the correct type of visa for you can be difficult and confusing. Make it easier for yourself by consulting with an experienced immigration attorney about which type of visa is right for you. By working with a lawyer who has experience handling the various legal difficulties that new immigrants to the United States can face, you can avoid many of these problems yourself and have an easier time overcoming them if you do find yourself facing one.
There are two types of visas that foreigners can use to gain entry to the United States: immigrant visas and non-immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visas allow individuals to reside in the country temporarily to vacation, attend school, and work. Below are the types of visas available to immigrants entering the United States to live permanently.
I-129F Fiance Visa and Related Visas
This visa is used to bring one’s fiance and the fiance’s children to the United States so the individual and the fiance can marry. It can also be used to bring a spouse and the spouse’s children into the country. A fiance must use a K-1 visa to enter the United States, a spouse must use a K-3, and the fiance/spouse’s children must enter using K-4 visas.
Visas that start with the letter K are meant for spouses and children of United States citizens. When an individual who is not yet a United States citizen but instead a lawful permanent resident wants to bring his or her loved ones into the country to reside, his or her loved ones must use visas that begin with the letter V. A V-1 visa is for the spouse of a lawful permanent resident and a V-2 visa is for his or her child.
H-1B Visa
This type of visa is a visa for professionals in specialty professions who come to the United States to do work for up to three years. Although this is not an immigrant visa per se, an employer may opt to sponsor an employee who is in the country on an H-1B visa for a green card if it feels the individual should continue to reside in the United States permanently.
T-1 Visa
This type of visa is a temporary visa for individuals who are victims of human trafficking. As long as the holder complies with law enforcement in prosecuting the suspects charged with trafficking him or her, the holder may remain and work in the United States. The holder may also apply to become a lawful permanent resident and eventually complete the naturalization process to become a citizen. Children, spouses, parents, and minor siblings of a T-1 holder may also apply for other types of T visa.
Other Visa Types
The other types of visa that are available to immigrants entering the United States are divided into multiple categories. The type an individual may obtain depends on his or her relation to a United States citizen or reason for entering the country. For example, visas numbered IR-1 through IR-5 are for immediate family members of United States citizens, such as their parents and children. SB-1 visas are for permanent resident aliens who left the country and failed to return while their green cards remained viable for reasons they could not control. Certain types of visa are only for individuals coming from certain countries, such as visas numbered F-21 through F-25, those numbered B-21 through B-25, and those numbered FX-1 through FX-3 and BX-1 through BX-3. There are 185 types of visas available to individuals seeking entry to the United States, many of which are only for individuals coming to the country for temporary reasons.
Work with an Experienced Immigration Attorney
You might not know which type of visa you need or how you can obtain it to take the next step toward becoming an American citizen. Determine what you need to do by seeking guidance from an experienced visa lawyer. At Goldstein Immigration Lawyers we are dedicated to working with recent immigrants and can help make the visa procurement and immigration processes easier for you. Contact our firm today to set up your initial legal consultation with Mr. Goldstein to learn more about the right type of visa for you.
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