Everything you need to know about the visas essential for living in the United States and starting a business there
Do you want to live in the United States? Do you want to start a business in this country where anything is possible? To achieve this, you will need a visa. But which type of visa should you choose? This question arises because there are many visas for living and working in the USA. Here is everything you need to know about U.S. visas, but also and above all, the procedures to follow to obtain one.
Visa for living in the United States
There are several types of visas for living in the United States. To choose the right one, several factors must be considered: the time you wish to spend in the United States and the type of activity you will carry out.
The A visa
The A visa is intended for people traveling in a diplomatic capacity, as well as their immediate family members. If you wish to start a business in the United States, you are therefore not concerned.
- A-1: visa for diplomats, consular officers, ambassadors, heads of state, ministers, and their immediate family members.
- A-2: visa for foreign government officials, their employees, and their immediate family members.
- A-3: visa for employees holding an official or diplomatic visa and their immediate family members.
The B VISA
The B visa is more accessible than the A visa. It is most often granted to professionals and tourists. It is valid for 3 years or 10 years and allows holders to live in the United States for 6 months per year.
- B-1: visa reserved for business travel and domestic staff.
- B-2: visa issued to tourists and foreign nationals traveling for medical reasons.
The C VISA
The C visa is for people in transit.
- C-1: visa for passengers in transit.
- C-2: visa for individuals in transit within the United Nations allied headquarters.
- C-3: visa for senior officials, employees, and their family members in transit.
- C-4: visa granted to passengers in transit under the ATP program.
The E, F, and G VISAS
- The E visa is granted to foreign nationals whose countries have trade treaties with the USA. It is given to investors, their spouse, and their child under 21.
- The F VISA is reserved for students, their spouse, and their child under 21.
- The G VISA is for people working for an international organization, as well as those representing a government not recognized by the USA.
The H VISA
The H visa is for people working in specialized professional jobs and is valid for 3 to 6 years.
- H-1B1: visa for specialized professional jobs requiring a higher education degree.
- H-1B2: visa for individuals carrying out research projects.
- H-1B3: visa for recognized professional models.
- H-1C: visa for registered nurses.
- H-2A: visa for agricultural workers.
- H-2B: visa for people recruited for temporary jobs that need to be filled.
- H-3: visa for professional trainees.
- H-4: for the spouses and children under 21 of the categories of individuals mentioned above.
The I, J and K VISA
- The I VISA is intended for journalists, their spouses, and their children under 21.
- The J VISA is granted to exchange visitors, their spouses, and their children under 21.
- The K VISA is for the fiancé(e) of a US citizen and their children.
The L and M VISA
- L-1A: visa for managers and executives coming to work at the US subsidiary.
- L-1B: visa for expatriate workers coming to work at a US subsidiary.
- L-2: visa for the spouses and children under 21 of the individuals mentioned above.
- M-1: visa for vocational or specialized studies.
- M-2: visa for the spouses and children under 21 of people pursuing specialized or vocational studies.
The NATO VISA
There are several types of NATO VISA. These visas are issued to officials, members of NATO national delegations, their immediate family members, and their staff.
The O VISA
- O-1A: visa for people with extraordinary abilities in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.
- O-1B: visa for people with extraordinary abilities in the arts or who have achieved extraordinary artistic accomplishments in the motion picture industry.
- O-2: visa for accompanying professional assistants.
- O-3: visa for the spouses and children under 21 of the individuals mentioned above.
The P, R and T VISA
- The P VISA is issued to athletes, groups of artists, and dependent support personnel, namely artists, athletes, coaches, and their close relatives.
- The R VISA is intended for religious workers and their close relatives.
- The T VISA is issued to professional Canadian and Mexican workers and their close relatives.
The Green Card
The Green Card, or permanent resident card, is the ultimate goal for people who do not have US citizenship. It allows them to reside permanently in the United States and also enjoy all the social benefits available to US citizens. There are several ways to obtain it, including:
- Marriage to a US citizen,
- An investment of at least one million dollars in a business in the USA combined with hiring at least 10 employees,
- The lottery, which offers 50,000 Green Cards each year,
- Family ties.
Please note that Merritt is not a firm specializing in visa applications for the USA. However, if you use our services, we can put you in contact with two specialized firms. They are located near our offices in Florida and will assist you with the procedures involved in setting up your company.
