What is a U.S. Visa? (2024)

FAQs

What is a U.S. Visa? ›

A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler's passport, a travel document issued by the traveler's country of citizenship.

A passport is for identity verification, while a visa permits you to enter a country. If you're traveling internationally, you'll need a passport. In addition to your passport, some countries require you to apply and be approved for a visa in advance of your travel.

Immigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals who intend to live permanently in the United States. Nonimmigrant visas are for foreign nationals wishing to enter the United States on a temporary basis - for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work, study, or other similar reasons.

While B-1 or B-2 visas may be valid up to 10 years, visitors on B-1 or B-2 will only be permitted to stay in the United States for a short duration (maximum 6 months), as granted by US Customs and Border Protection upon arrival.

Green cards are technically a type of visa that allows for permanent residence. Green cards are issued after arrival in the United States.

These are: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Anguilla, the Caribbeans like Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius & St Maarten, the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, ...

A visa allows foreign nationals to enter, stay or work in the United States for a specific purpose and duration. Visas come in various types, each tailored to a specific purpose. Conversely, U.S. citizenship is the highest legal status attainable in the United States.

Having a U.S. visa allows you to travel to a port of entry, airport or land border crossing, and request permission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspector to enter the United States.

What happens if you get a US visa and don't use it? ›

Failure to do so will cause you to be out-of-status. Staying beyond the period of time authorized, by the Department of Homeland Security, and out-of-status in the United States, is a violation of U.S. immigration laws, and may cause you to be ineligible for a visa in the future for return travel to the United States.

Travel Purposes Not Permitted On Visitor Visas

Study. Employment. Paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience. Arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft.

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP), administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in consultation with the State Department, permits citizens of 41 countries to travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa.

Although some Permanent Resident Cards, commonly known as Green Cards, contain no expiration date, most are valid for 10 years. If you have been granted conditional permanent resident status, the card is valid for 2 years. It is important to keep your card up-to-date.

The benefits of a Green Card are more significant than that of a visa for those that want to make the United States their permanent home. However, if you do not want to become a permanent resident in the US, then you need a visa.

The Visa section of this website is all about U.S. visas for foreign citizens to travel to the United States. (Note: U.S. citizens don't need a U.S. visa for travel, but when planning travel abroad may need a visa issued by the embassy of the country they wish to visit.

While not all countries require visas for American travelers, many do. Look up your destination using the U.S. State Department's Learn About Your Destination search tool. On the country's information page, you will find entry, exit, and visa requirements.

A passport is an identification document issued by a government that gives a citizen official permission to travel in and out of their home country. A visa is a document issued by a government to foreign visitors, providing them with legal entry into a foreign country. A passport comes from the country you live in.

In fact, there are well over 100 countries that Americans with passports can travel to, visa-free. With just a valid American passport, you can travel to most countries in Europe, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, as well as many other popular tourist destinations.