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United States
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), under the Department of Homeland Security; visas issued abroad by the U.S. Department of State
✔ Two agencies: USCIS approves petitions; State Department issues visas abroad.
✔ F-1 students get 12 months OPT work; STEM graduates up to 36.
✔ H-1B lottery is now wage-weighted; higher-paid jobs get more entries.
✔ From September 2026, student stay is fixed at program length, max 4 years.
✔ About 1 million green cards yearly, but backlogs top 11 million cases.
✔ Indian applicants can wait over a decade for employment green cards.
Languages English (designated official language by 2025 executive order); Spanish widely spoken
Population ~342 million (2026)
Visitor visas
Visitor Visa (Business/Tourism)
B-1/B-2
The standard visa for temporary business trips (B-1) or tourism, family visits, and medical treatment (B-2) for nationals of countries not in the Visa Waiver Program.
Fees
USD $185 MRV application fee; a $250 Visa Integrity Fee is enacted (OBBBA, July 2025) but implementation is still pending as of mid-2026; optional $750 expedited-interview service at select posts (temporary program effective July 1, 2026, guaranteeing an appointment within 10 business days)
Processing
Interview wait varies enormously by post — from days in some countries to 4.5–11 months at Indian posts (mid-2026); visa typically issued within about a week after the interview
Validity
Up to 10 years, multiple entry, for many nationalities (per reciprocity schedule); each entry normally admitted up to 6 months
Who can apply: You can apply if you want to visit the US for a short time — for tourism, visiting family, business meetings, or medical treatment. You must show you have a job, home, or family in your own country so the officer believes you will go back. You cannot use this visa to work or study in the US.
Key requirements (6)
- Demonstrate nonimmigrant intent — strong ties (job, property, family) to your home country
- Legitimate temporary purpose: tourism, family visit, business meetings, or medical treatment
- Sufficient funds to cover the entire stay without working in the US
- Complete Form DS-160 online, including social media identifiers
- Attend an in-person consular interview (interview waivers were sharply narrowed from September 2025)
- No criminal, immigration-violation, or other inadmissibility grounds
How to apply — step by step
- Fill out Form DS-160 online at the CEAC website (ceac.state.gov), including your social media accounts.
- Pay the $185 visa application (MRV) fee.
- Create a profile on the US visa appointment site for your country (usvisascheduling.com or ustraveldocs.com) and book an interview at the US embassy or consulate.
- Gather proof of ties to home, like a job letter, bank statements, and property papers.
- Attend the in-person interview and give your fingerprints.
- If approved, collect your passport with the visa inside, usually within about a week.
Path to PR: None — B visas carry strict nonimmigrant intent; status changes are scrutinized
Official Site ↗
ESTA – Visa Waiver Program
ESTA
Electronic travel authorization allowing citizens of ~40 Visa Waiver Program countries (most of Europe, UK, Japan, Australia, South Korea, etc.) to visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa.
Fees
USD $40.27 (nearly doubled from $21 effective September 30, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act; adjusted for inflation)
Processing
Usually approved within minutes; allow up to 72 hours
Validity
2 years or until passport expiry, multiple entries of up to 90 days each
Who can apply: You can apply if you are a citizen of one of about 40 Visa Waiver countries (most of Europe, the UK, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and others) and have an electronic chip passport. It lets you visit the US for up to 90 days for tourism or business without a visa. You cannot apply if you were ever refused a US visa or overstayed.
Key requirements (5)
- Citizenship of a Visa Waiver Program country with a biometric e-passport
- Travel for tourism, business, or transit lasting 90 days or less
- No prior US visa refusals, overstays, or ineligibilities
- No travel since 2011 to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen (and no dual nationality of certain listed countries)
- Apply online before boarding; no extension or change of status once admitted
How to apply — step by step
- Go to the only official site, esta.cbp.dhs.gov (avoid lookalike websites).
- Fill in your passport details, travel plans, and the security questions.
- Pay the $40.27 fee with a bank card.
- Wait for approval — usually minutes, but allow up to 72 hours before your flight.
- Travel to the US; the approval is linked electronically to your passport for 2 years.
Path to PR: None — VWP entrants generally cannot change or extend status
Official Site ↗
Study visas
The main visa for full-time academic study at US universities, colleges, and language schools, with post-study work via OPT and STEM OPT.
Fees
USD $350 SEVIS I-901 fee + $185 MRV visa fee (the $250 Visa Integrity Fee will also apply once implemented)
Processing
Interview appointment waits of weeks to several months depending on post (students prioritized at many); visa usually issued days to weeks after interview
Validity
Historically 'duration of status'; under the final rule published July 17, 2026 (effective September 15, 2026), admission is fixed at the program length up to 4 years plus a 30-day grace period, with extensions via Form I-539
Who can apply: You can apply if a US school, college, or university that is approved by the government (SEVP-certified) has accepted you as a full-time student. You must show you have enough money for tuition and living costs and that you plan to leave the US after your studies.
Key requirements (6)
- Acceptance at an SEVP-certified school and issuance of Form I-20
- Payment of the SEVIS I-901 fee and registration in SEVIS
- Proof of funds for tuition and living costs for the program
- English proficiency or enrollment in an approved English program
- Nonimmigrant intent — intention to depart after studies
- Social media identifiers disclosed on DS-160 with profiles set to public (June 2025 vetting directive); nearly all applicants now require an in-person interview
How to apply — step by step
- Get accepted by an SEVP-certified school and receive your Form I-20.
- Pay the $350 SEVIS I-901 fee at fmjfee.com and keep the receipt.
- Complete Form DS-160 online at ceac.state.gov, listing your social media accounts.
- Pay the $185 visa fee and book an interview through your country's US visa appointment site (usvisascheduling.com or ustraveldocs.com).
- Attend the interview with your I-20, SEVIS receipt, and proof of funds.
- If approved, you can enter the US up to 30 days before your program starts.
Path to PR: Indirect but well-trodden: 12 months OPT (+24-month STEM extension) → H-1B → employer-sponsored EB-2/EB-3 green card
Official Site ↗
Work visas
H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa
H-1B
America's flagship skilled-work visa for specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree, capped at 85,000 per year and allocated — from FY 2027 — by a wage-weighted lottery that favors higher-paid roles.
Fees
USD $215 registration; I-129 base $780 ($460 small employers/nonprofits); ACWIA training fee $750/$1,500; $500 fraud fee; Asylum Program Fee $600 ($300 small employers, $0 nonprofits); $4,000 Public Law 114-113 fee for large H-1B/L-dependent employers; optional premium processing $2,965 (since March 1, 2026); $205 visa stamping (MRV); possible $100,000 proclamation payment for new overseas hires
Processing
Standard I-129: roughly 3–6 months; premium processing: 15 business days; lottery selection notified by March 31 for an October 1 start
Validity
3 years initially, extendable to 6; extensions beyond 6 years possible with a pending green card process (AC21)
Who can apply: You can apply if a US employer offers you a job that needs at least a bachelor's degree, like software engineer, accountant, or doctor, and you have that degree or equal experience. Most people must also win a yearly lottery of 85,000 spots, which now gives higher-paid jobs more chances.
Key requirements (6)
- US employer sponsor with a certified Labor Condition Application (LCA) paying at least the prevailing wage
- Bachelor's degree or higher (or equivalent) in a field directly related to the specialty occupation
- Selection in the annual electronic registration lottery (85,000 cap: 65,000 + 20,000 US-master's exemption); March 2026 registration used the new wage-weighted selection (final rule effective Feb 27, 2026) where OEWS Level IV wages get 4 lottery entries vs. 1 for Level I
- Employer files Form I-129 within the filing window after selection
- Cap-exempt route available for universities, affiliated nonprofits, and research organizations
- For new petitions for beneficiaries outside the US filed after Sept 21, 2025: the $100,000 proclamation payment via pay.gov (ruled against by a federal district court in June 2026 but still required by USCIS pending appeal, with exemptions)
How to apply — step by step
- Your employer creates a USCIS online account and registers you in the March lottery for $215.
- If you are selected, your employer files a Labor Condition Application in the Department of Labor's FLAG system.
- Your employer then files Form I-129 with USCIS between April 1 and June 30.
- If this is a new petition for you while you are outside the US, your employer may also have to pay a $100,000 fee at pay.gov — a court struck this down in June 2026, but it still applies during the appeal.
- Wait for USCIS approval — about 3 to 6 months, or 15 business days with premium processing.
- If you are outside the US, complete Form DS-160 at ceac.state.gov and attend an embassy interview to get the visa stamp.
- Enter the US and start work on or after October 1.
Path to PR: Yes — dual intent; typical route is PERM labor certification → I-140 (EB-2/EB-3) → I-485, though Indian and Chinese nationals face multi-year to decade-plus priority-date backlogs
Official Site ↗
L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa
L-1A / L-1B
For executives/managers (L-1A) and specialized-knowledge employees (L-1B) transferring from a foreign office to a related US entity; also used to open new US offices. No annual cap and no lottery.
Fees
USD I-129 base $1,385 ($695 small employers/nonprofits); $500 fraud fee; Asylum Program Fee up to $600; $4,500 Public Law 114-113 fee for large H-1B/L-dependent employers; optional premium processing $2,965; $205 MRV visa fee
Processing
I-129: roughly 1–4 months standard, 15 business days premium; blanket L applicants processed directly at consulates in days to weeks
Validity
1–3 years initially; maximum 7 years for L-1A, 5 years for L-1B
Who can apply: You can apply if you have worked at least 1 year in the last 3 years for a company outside the US, and that company wants to move you to its US office. You must be a manager or executive (L-1A) or have special knowledge of the company's products or systems (L-1B). There is no lottery or yearly limit.
Key requirements (5)
- Qualifying corporate relationship between foreign and US entities (parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate)
- At least 1 continuous year of employment abroad with the qualifying organization within the preceding 3 years
- Executive/managerial role (L-1A) or specialized knowledge (L-1B) both abroad and in the US position
- US entity actively doing business (special evidentiary rules for new-office L-1s, approved for 1 year initially)
- Large multinationals can use Blanket L certification for faster consular processing
How to apply — step by step
- Confirm you have worked 1 continuous year abroad for a company related to the US office.
- Your employer files Form I-129 with the L supplement to USCIS (big companies can use a Blanket L instead).
- Wait for approval — 1 to 4 months, or 15 business days with premium processing.
- Complete Form DS-160 at ceac.state.gov and pay the visa fee.
- Attend the embassy interview with your company transfer documents.
- Enter the US and start work at the US office.
Path to PR: Yes — dual intent; L-1A executives/managers have a direct route to the EB-1C multinational manager green card with no PERM required
Official Site ↗
O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa
O-1A / O-1B
For individuals at the very top of their field — sciences, education, business, athletics (O-1A) or arts, motion picture/TV (O-1B). Uncapped, no lottery, and increasingly popular with startup founders and researchers.
Fees
USD I-129 base $1,055 ($530 small employers/nonprofits); Asylum Program Fee up to $600; optional premium processing $2,965; $205 MRV visa fee
Processing
Roughly 2–4 months standard; 15 business days with premium processing
Validity
Up to 3 years initially; unlimited 1-year extensions for continuing work
Who can apply: You can apply if you are one of the best in your field — science, business, education, sports, arts, or film — and can prove it with things like major awards, press articles about you, or important published work. A US employer or agent must file for you, and there is no lottery or limit.
Key requirements (5)
- Sustained national or international acclaim — a major award (e.g., Nobel) or at least 3 of the regulatory criteria (major media coverage, original contributions, high salary, judging others' work, critical roles, memberships, publications)
- US employer or agent to file the petition (self-employment via an agent structure is possible)
- Written advisory opinion (consultation) from a relevant peer group or labor organization
- Coming to continue work in the area of extraordinary ability
- Itinerary/contracts covering the planned work
How to apply — step by step
- Collect evidence of your achievements: awards, media coverage, publications, high salary, and expert letters.
- Get a written advisory opinion letter from a peer group or union in your field.
- Have your US employer or agent file Form I-129 with the O supplement to USCIS.
- Wait for approval — 2 to 4 months, or 15 business days with premium processing.
- If abroad, complete Form DS-160 at ceac.state.gov and attend an embassy interview.
- Enter the US and begin the work described in your petition.
Path to PR: Strong stepping stone to the EB-1A extraordinary-ability green card, which uses similar (stricter) criteria and allows self-petition
Official Site ↗
Permanent residency & settlement
Employment-Based Green Card (EB-1 / EB-2 / EB-3)
EB-1/EB-2/EB-3
The three main employment-based permanent residence preferences: EB-1 for extraordinary ability, outstanding researchers, and multinational executives; EB-2 for advanced-degree professionals (including the self-petitioned National Interest Waiver); EB-3 for skilled workers and professionals. About 140,000 visas per year across all employment categories.
Fees
USD I-140 $715 + Asylum Program Fee up to $600 (employer); I-485 $1,440 per applicant (or DS-260 $325 + $120 affidavit of support review + $235 USCIS immigrant fee abroad); PERM filing is free; optional I-140 premium processing $2,965
Processing
PERM (with prevailing wage) ~18–24 months; I-140 6–12 months standard or 15–45 days premium; I-485 ~8–16 months — plus priority-date waits from zero (most countries, EB-1) to 10+ years (India EB-2/EB-3)
Validity
Permanent residence; 10-year renewable card; citizenship eligibility after 5 years
Who can apply: You can apply if a US employer sponsors you for a permanent skilled job, or on your own if you are outstanding in your field (EB-1A) or your work helps the whole country (EB-2 National Interest Waiver). EB-2 needs an advanced degree and EB-3 needs a bachelor's degree or 2 years of skilled experience. People born in India or China often wait many years for their turn.
Key requirements (6)
- EB-1A: extraordinary ability with sustained acclaim (self-petition allowed); EB-1B: outstanding professor/researcher; EB-1C: multinational manager/executive
- EB-2: advanced degree or exceptional ability, with PERM labor certification unless granted a National Interest Waiver (NIW)
- EB-3: bachelor's degree, 2+ years skilled experience, or other workers, with employer sponsorship and PERM
- PERM: employer must test the US labor market and obtain a prevailing wage determination
- Priority date must be current in the monthly Visa Bulletin (severe backlogs for India, significant for China)
- Final step via I-485 adjustment of status in the US or DS-260 consular processing abroad
How to apply — step by step
- Your employer tests the US job market and files a PERM labor certification with the Department of Labor (skipped for EB-1 and National Interest Waiver).
- Your employer — or you yourself for EB-1A or NIW — files Form I-140 with USCIS.
- Check the monthly Visa Bulletin on travel.state.gov and wait until your priority date is current.
- If you are in the US, file Form I-485 through your USCIS online account; if abroad, file Form DS-260 at ceac.state.gov.
- Attend your biometrics appointment and any interview.
- Receive your green card, valid for 10 years and renewable.
Path to PR: This is permanent residence itself; naturalization possible after 5 years as an LPR
Official Site ↗
Family visas
Family-Based Green Card (incl. IR-1/CR-1 Spouse Visa)
IR-1/CR-1, F1–F4
Permanent residence through a US citizen or green-card-holder relative. Immediate relatives of citizens (spouses, minor children, parents) are uncapped; preference categories (adult children, siblings) face long quota queues.
Fees
USD I-130 $675 ($625 online); consular route adds DS-260 $325 + $120 affidavit of support review + $235 USCIS immigrant fee; in-US adjustment instead uses I-485 $1,440
Processing
Spouse of a US citizen via consular processing: ~14–24 months end-to-end in 2026 (I-130 alone ~10–15 months); preference categories add years of priority-date wait
Validity
Permanent residence (2-year conditional card if the marriage is under 2 years old, then 10-year card)
Who can apply: You can apply if your husband, wife, parent, child, or sibling is a US citizen, or if your spouse or parent is a US green card holder. Spouses, parents, and young children of citizens have no waiting quota; other relatives can wait years for their turn.
Key requirements (6)
- Qualifying relationship: spouse, parent, child, or sibling of a US citizen, or spouse/child of a permanent resident
- Petitioner files Form I-130 with evidence the relationship is genuine (especially for marriages)
- Sponsor signs an enforceable Affidavit of Support (I-864) showing income at 125% of the federal poverty line
- Beneficiary must be admissible (medical exam, police clearances, no immigration bars)
- Preference categories must wait for their priority date in the Visa Bulletin (F4 sibling queues run 15+ years)
- Marriages under 2 years old at approval get conditional 2-year status, removed via Form I-751
How to apply — step by step
- Your US relative files Form I-130 with USCIS (it can be filed online with a USCIS account).
- Wait for I-130 approval, and for a visa number if you are in a preference category.
- Your case moves to the National Visa Center, where you pay fees and file Form DS-260 at ceac.state.gov (or Form I-485 if you are already in the US).
- Your sponsor files the Affidavit of Support, Form I-864, showing enough income.
- Complete a medical exam with an approved doctor.
- Attend the interview at the US embassy or USCIS office and receive your green card.
Path to PR: Direct permanent residence; spouses of citizens can naturalize after 3 years
Official Site ↗
Business & investor visas
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
EB-5 (I-526E)
Green card through investment: $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (rural/high-unemployment) or $1,050,000 elsewhere, creating 10 US jobs — most investors go through USCIS-designated Regional Centers.
Fees
USD I-526E $3,675 + $1,000 EB-5 Integrity Fund fee (current USCIS G-1055 fee schedule — the 2024 rule's $11,160 level was rolled back after litigation; an October 2025 proposed rule would raise it to ~$9,625 plus a $95 technology fee, so expect increases); I-829 removal of conditions $3,750; investment of $800,000–$1,050,000 plus typically $50,000–$80,000 in admin/legal costs
Processing
I-526E: ~11–36 months for rural priority projects, ~17–52 months high-unemployment, up to ~61 months unreserved (July 2026 USCIS data); concurrent I-485 filing lets US-based investors get work/travel permits while waiting
Validity
2-year conditional green card, converted to permanent residence via Form I-829
Who can apply: You can apply if you invest $800,000 in a rural or high-unemployment area project (or $1,050,000 elsewhere) and the investment creates 10 US jobs. You must prove all the money was earned legally. Most people invest through government-approved Regional Center projects.
Key requirements (6)
- At-risk capital investment of $800,000 (TEA) or $1,050,000 (standard)
- Documented lawful source and path of all invested funds
- Creation of 10 full-time US jobs (indirect jobs count for Regional Center projects)
- Investment sustained for the required period under the 2022 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA)
- Rural set-aside projects get priority processing and 20% of visas — the fastest lane, especially for backlogged countries
- Regional Center program authorized through Sept 30, 2027; petitions filed by Sept 30, 2026 are grandfathered
How to apply — step by step
- Choose a project, usually through a USCIS-designated Regional Center, and make your investment of $800,000 or $1,050,000.
- Collect documents proving where all the invested money came from.
- File Form I-526E with USCIS ($3,675 plus a $1,000 Integrity Fund fee).
- After approval, file Form I-485 if you are in the US, or Form DS-260 at ceac.state.gov if abroad (US-based investors can file I-485 at the same time as I-526E).
- Receive a 2-year conditional green card.
- In the last 90 days of those 2 years, file Form I-829 to make your green card permanent.
Path to PR: Direct: conditional PR on approval and visa availability, full PR after I-829; citizenship after 5 years
Official Site ↗
Other pathways
Trump Gold Card
Gold Card
Expedited residence route created by Executive Order 14351 (signed September 19, 2025), with applications opening via the official trumpcard.gov site in December 2025: a $1 million gift to the US government ($2 million for corporate sponsorship) buys expedited processing under the existing EB-1/EB-2 categories. A $5 million 'Trump Platinum Card' (270 days/year in the US without US tax on non-US income) is waitlisted but not yet launched. Uptake has been minimal and the program faces active legal challenge.
Fees
USD $15,000 application fee + $1,000,000 contribution ($2,000,000 corporate)
Processing
Unproven — applications opened Dec 2025; as of mid-2026 only a few hundred applicants and very few reported approvals, with no published service standard
Validity
Leads to an immigrant visa/green card under EB-1/EB-2 (permanent residence)
Who can apply: You can apply if you are wealthy enough to give the US government $1 million as a gift ($2 million if a company sponsors you) and you pass background checks. It buys faster processing of a green card under the existing EB-1/EB-2 rules, but people born in backlogged countries like India or China may still wait years. The program is new, little-used, and being challenged in court.
Key requirements (5)
- Non-refundable $15,000 DHS processing/vetting fee paid on application (per employee for corporate sponsors)
- $1,000,000 personal contribution after background approval (or $2,000,000 from a corporation sponsoring an employee)
- Pass USCIS security and background vetting
- Meet standard admissibility requirements (small additional State Department fees may apply)
- Still subject to EB-1/EB-2 annual numerical caps — applicants from backlogged countries (India, China) may wait years regardless
How to apply — step by step
- Apply on the official trumpcard.gov website.
- Pay the non-refundable $15,000 processing and vetting fee.
- Pass USCIS security and background checks.
- After approval of your background check, pay the $1,000,000 contribution ($2,000,000 for a corporate sponsor).
- Complete the normal green card steps under EB-1/EB-2 — Form DS-260 at ceac.state.gov if abroad or Form I-485 if in the US.
- Wait for a visa number if you were born in a backlogged country, then receive your green card.
Path to PR: Direct route to permanent residence via EB-1/EB-2 if approved, but legality is being litigated and visa caps still apply
Official Site ↗
Popular universities & fees
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Cambridge, MA · University · Engineering & computer science
~USD $67k/yr
Stanford University
Stanford, CA · University · Tech, business & innovation
~USD $68k/yr (flat for 2026-27)
New York University (NYU)
New York, NY · University · Business, arts & media
~USD $63k-66k/yr
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · University · Top public research university
~USD $49k-53k/yr
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Urbana-Champaign, IL · University · Engineering, CS, big international community
~USD $34k-45k/yr
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN · University · Affordable engineering powerhouse
~USD $32k/yr (base frozen since 2012)
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ · University · Innovation, huge international intake
~USD $37k-40k/yr
CUNY City College
New York, NY · College · Affordable public NYC option
~USD $15k/yr
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, CA · College · 2-year transfer path to UC
~USD $11k-12k/yr
Scholarships to know: Fulbright Foreign Student Program (Full tuition, airfare, stipend (graduate)) · Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship (Full funding, 1-year non-degree) · AAUW International Fellowships (USD $20k-$50k (women, graduate)) · #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship (50%+ tuition at ~50 partner universities)
Official portals
Community & guides
Boundless Immigration
Consistently updated plain-English guides, fee trackers, and news on US visa and green card changes — strong coverage of the 2025-26 fee and policy upheavals.
VisaJourney
The largest US immigration community forum, with crowdsourced case timelines for family visas, K-1, adjustment of status, and naturalization.
AM22Tech
Popular with H-1B and employment-based green card applicants — trackers for Visa Bulletin movement, H-1B lottery, PERM, and USCIS processing.
r/USCIS on Reddit
Active community sharing real-time case experiences, RFE examples, and interview reports across every USCIS form type.