---
title: United States Visa Options
description: Explore visa options for United States, including requirements, process, and key costs.
image: https://migrantiq.com/og/default.png
---

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🇺🇸 UNITED STATES VISA HUB

Compare visa pathways, eligibility patterns, processing timelines, and next planning steps.

Official immigration authority

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Apply on official site → [https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/eb-5-immigrant-investor-program]

Visa fit wizard

WHICH UNITED STATES VISA FITS ME?

Answer a few questions and we’ll rank the best matches from the live visa catalog. This is a planning tool, not a legal decision.

21 route(s)
Main goalVisit / tourismStudyWork for an employerRemote work / freelanceJoin family or spouseBusiness / investmentPermanent residenceHighest educationNo formal credentialHigh schoolDiploma / vocationalBachelor or higher
I have a qualifying job offerI have a family sponsorI want a PR pathwayI have language-test evidence

Search pathways across all countries → [/tools/pathway-finder/]

Match 1Work62% fit

H-1B SPECIALTY OCCUPATION

H-1B is the U.S. work visa for skilled professionals in specialty occupations. It is subject to a yearly lottery and can last up to 6 years, with a pathway to a green card.

Read guide → [/visas/united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupation/]

Why it fits

 * Matches your work for an employer goal.
 * Can support a longer-term PR pathway.
 * Education looks compatible: Bachelor's degree or equivalent in the specialty.

Check carefully

 * This route usually needs a qualifying job offer.

Match 2Business58% fit

EB-5 INVESTOR VISA

EB-5 grants U.S. permanent residency to qualifying investors. It requires a minimum investment of USD 800,000 in a TEA project that creates 10 U.S. jobs.

Read guide → [/visas/united-states/eb-5-investor/]

Why it fits

 * Can support a longer-term PR pathway.
 * Self-petition or sponsor-light route.

Check carefully

 * Confirm all official requirements before applying.

Match 3Migration48% fit

EB-5 IMMIGRANT INVESTOR PROGRAM

## Who is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program for in United States?

What is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program? This program offers a way for investors to gain U.S. permanent residency. How

Read guide → [/visas/united-states/eb-5-immigrant-investor-program/]

Why it fits

 * Can support a longer-term PR pathway.
 * Self-petition or sponsor-light route.

Check carefully

 * Confirm all official requirements before applying.

Match 4Migration42% fit

CR-1/IR-1 SPOUSE OF US CITIZEN

€24,322/monthly ·, ·, · 17-30 weeks · 5 years

Read guide → [/visas/united-states/cr-1-ir-1-spouse-of-us-citizen/]

Why it fits

 * Can support a longer-term PR pathway.

Check carefully

 * Confirm all official requirements before applying.

EB-5 INVESTOR VISA

Business · 24-48 months end-to-end

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/eb-5-investor/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/eb-5-immigrant-investor-program]

CR-1/IR-1 SPOUSE OF US CITIZEN

Migration · 17-30 weeks

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/cr-1-ir-1-spouse-of-us-citizen/]

DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY (DV)

Migration · 17-30 weeks

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/diversity-visa-lottery-dv/]Apply on U.S. Department of State → [https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/diversity-visa-lottery.html]

E-1 TREATY TRADER

Migration · 8-17 weeks

PR pathway: No · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/e-1-treaty-trader/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/e-1]

E-2 TREATY INVESTOR

Migration · 8-17 weeks

PR pathway: No · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/e-2-treaty-investor/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/e-2]

EB-1A EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY GREEN CARD

Migration · 17-30 weeks

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/eb-1a-extraordinary-ability-green-card/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/eb-1a]

EB-2 ADVANCED DEGREE OR EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY

Migration · 17-30 weeks

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/eb-2-advanced-degree-or-exceptional-ability/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/eb-2]

EB-3 SKILLED WORKERS AND PROFESSIONALS

Migration · 17-30 weeks

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/eb-3-skilled-workers-and-professionals/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/eb-3]

EB-5 IMMIGRANT INVESTOR PROGRAM

Migration · 17-30 weeks

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/eb-5-immigrant-investor-program/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/eb-5]

F-1 STUDENT VISA

Migration · 4-12 weeks

PR pathway: No · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/f-1-student-visa/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/f-1-student-visa]

H-1B SPECIALTY OCCUPATION WORKER

Migration · 17-30 weeks

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupation-worker/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/h-1b]

H-2B TEMPORARY NON-AGRICULTURAL WORKER

Migration · 17-30 weeks

PR pathway: No · Job offer: Required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/h-2b-temporary-non-agricultural-worker/]

J-1 EXCHANGE VISITOR

Migration · 4-12 weeks

PR pathway: No · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/j-1-exchange-visitor/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/j-1-exchange-visitor]

K-1 FIANCÉ(E) VISA

Migration · 17-30 weeks

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/k-1-fianc-e-visa/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/k-1-visa]

L-1 INTRACOMPANY TRANSFER

Migration · 17–30 weeks

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/l-1-intracompany-transfer/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/l-1]

O-1 EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY

Migration · 8-17 weeks

PR pathway: No · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/o-1-extraordinary-ability/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/o-1]

TN VISA (USMCA)

Migration · 1-4 weeks

PR pathway: No · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/tn-visa-usmca/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/tn-visa-usmca]

EMPLOYMENT-BASED GREEN CARD (EB-2 / EB-3)

Residency · 1-6 years depending on country of birth and category

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/green-card-employment-based/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/green-card-for-employment-based-immigrants]

F-1 STUDENT VISA

Student · 2-8 weeks plus consulate wait

PR pathway: No · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/f-1-student/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html]

B-1 / B-2 VISITOR VISA

Tourist · 2-8 weeks (depends on consulate wait)

PR pathway: No · Job offer: Not always required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/b1-b2-visitor/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html]

H-1B SPECIALTY OCCUPATION

Work · 3-6 months standard; 15 days with premium processing

PR pathway: Yes · Job offer: Required

Read full guide → [/visas/united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupation/]Apply on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) → [https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations]

HELPFUL PARTNER LINKS

MigrantIQ is free. Some links are affiliate partners — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

 * relocation
   
   United States: US planning checklist → [/api/affiliate/united-states-relocation/?source=%2Fvisas%2Funited-states%2F]
   
   Build your US move checklist before paying for services.

Sponsored or partner placement when a matching partner is active.

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RELATED RESOURCES

 * United States profile [/countries/united-states/]
 * United States laws [/laws/united-states/]
 * United States scam alerts [/scam-alerts/united-states/]

Plan smarter

Save countries, compare destinations, track visa checklists, and sync your migration plan across devices.

Open My Plan [/plan/]Account Dashboard [/account/]

Free resources

TOOLS & GUIDES

Full sitemap → [/sitemap/]

PLAN YOUR MOVE

 * Eligibility quiz [/tools/eligibility/]
 * Tax calculator [/tools/tax-calculator/]
 * Tax compare [/tools/tax-compare/]
 * Tax guides [/tools/tax-guides/]
 * Points calculator [/tools/points-calculator/]
 * Cost calculator [/calculator/]
 * Move planner [/tools/planner/]
 * Best country [/tools/best-country/]
 * Pathway finder [/tools/pathway-finder/]
 * Corridor fit [/tools/corridor-fit/]
 * Compare 3 countries [/tools/compare-three/]
 * Job → visa matcher [/tools/job-visa-match/]
 * Scam checker [/tools/scam-check/]
 * All tools [/tools/]

GUIDES & SAFETY

 * Visa guides [/visas/]
 * Scholarships [/scholarships/]
 * Government jobs [/government-jobs/]
 * Immigration updates [/countries/canada/immigration-updates/]
 * Embassies [/embassies/]
 * Laws [/laws/]
 * Scam alerts [/scam-alerts/]
 * Checklists [/checklist/]
 * Country profiles [/countries/]

COMMUNITY

 * Q&A [/qa/]
 * People stories [/stories/]
 * Blog [/blog/]
 * Android app (Google Play) [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.migrantiq.app&hl=en]
 * Write for us [/write-for-us/]
 * Experts [/experts/]
 * Apply for expert listing [/experts/apply/]
 * Documentation [/documentation/]
 * Employers (HR) [/employers/]

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