Specific Visa Types:
Class A - Diplomatic Personnel
A-1. Foreign Ambassadors, Senior Chiefs, Diplomatic or Consular Officers, and their Family Members
A-2. Other Foreign Government Officials or Employees, and their Family Members
A-. 3. attendants, servants or personal assistants of A-1 and A-2 visa holders and their family members
Class B - Short-term Visitors
B-1. Short-term Business Visitors
B-2. Short-term Travelers
Class C-. -Transit Persons
C-1. Transit of Aliens
C-2. Transit to/from United Nations Headquarters and foreign countries and for eligible aliens
C-3. Transit of Foreign Government Officials, Family Members, Attendants, Servants, Servants, and Personal Assistants
Category D. -Crew
D- Flight Attendants
Category E - Special Investors
E-1. Businessman, spouse and minor children
E-2. Investor, spouse and minor children
Category F --Students
F-1. Students enrolled full-time in a lawful school
F-2. Spouses and minor children of students
Category G - Personnel of International Organizations
G-1. Recognized foreign government members of international organizations
G-1. Chief representatives, members and family members of member States of a recognized foreign government of an international organization
G-2. Representatives of member States of other recognized foreign governments
G-3. Chief representatives, members and family members of non-member States of an international organization which are not recognized foreign governments
G-4. Officials or employees of an international organization and members of their families
G-5. waiters, servants, or personal assistants of G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4 visa holders, and family members
Class H - Specially Skilled Personnel
H-1A. professional nurses
H-1B. short-term professional workers engaged in designated professional occupations
H-2A. short-term agronomic workers engaged in short-term or seasonal work
H-2B. skilled and unskilled workers engaged in short-term service or labor
H-3. trainees
H-4. spouses and minor children of H-1, H-2, and H-3
Class I-. -Journalists
I Representatives of foreign media, spouses and minor children
Class J - Visiting Scholars
U.S. J2 Visas
J-1. Exchange Visiting Scholars in Approved Programs
J-2. J-1 Exchange Spouses and Children of Visiting Scholars
Class K - Spouses and Children of U.S. Persons
K-1. Immigration to the U.S. of the Fiancé of a U.S. Citizen
K-2. Children of the K-1 Fiancé
Class L-. -Personnel of Multinational Corporations
L-1A. Executives and Managers of Branch Offices to the U.S.
L-1B. Specialized Knowledge Employees
L-2. Spouses and Children of L-1's
Class M- Special Skills Students and Dependents
M-1. Students coming to the U.S. on vacation for short-term vocational training visas, such training may not be at a language school, but generally at a university
Class N - Representatives of Member Countries of the North Atlantic Organization and Dependents, and Dependents of Special Immigrant Personnel
N-8. Children of Aliens designated as Special Immigrants by the parent
N-9. children of a parent designated as a special immigrant
NATO-1. permanent chief representatives of North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries, and members of their families
NATO-2. other representatives of North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries, and members of their families
NATO-3. co-officials of representatives of North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO-4. other NATO officials and members of their families
NATO-5. experts employed on behalf of the NATO mission and their entourage, who do not qualify under NATO-4
NATO-6. staff members and their entourage who enter by force under the control of the NATO. Staff entering by force and their attendants
NATO-7. Attendants, servants or personal assistants and members of the families of NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, and NATO-6
Category O - Distinguished Personnel and Aides
O-1. aliens or athletes who have demonstrated outstanding ability in the sciences, arts, education, or business
O-2. certain aliens who follow the O-1 visa holder
O-3. family members of the O-1 visa holder
Class P - Internationally Recognized Persons P-1. International athletes or international performing arts groups
P-2. Artistic or performing arts groups participating in exchange programs
P-3. Artistic or performing arts groups participating in special cultural exchange programs
P-4. Spouses or children of P-1s, P-2s, and P-3s
Q. -Cultural Exchange Program Personnel
Q-1. Participants in International Cultural Exchange Programs
Category R - Religious Personnel
R-1. Religious Personnel
R-2. Spouse or Child of R-1
Category S
S
. p>S-5. Individuals who provide emergency information about an offending organization or business
S-6. Individuals who provide information related to a terrorist organization
Class T
TN. NAFTA Practitioners
TD. Spouses or children of NAFTA Practitioners who pay their fees.
EXTENDED INFORMATIONA U.S. visa is an endorsement by the United States on a passport or other travel document held by a citizen of this country or a foreign country to indicate that the holder is permitted to make an application for entry into the territory of the United States, and may be described as an endorsement-type certificate issued to them. U.S. visas can be categorized into two broad categories: immigrant visas and non-immigrant visas, each of which can be divided into a number of subcategories.
L1 Visa
The L1 visa is a nonimmigrant work visa for managerial-level executives within multinational corporations as well as employees with specialized knowledge for reassignment within corporate establishments in the U.S. and other countries.
Beneficiaries of the L1 visa must have worked continuously for more than one year in the Chinese company for which they are the applicant for at least three years prior to filing the L1 petition.?
The Chinese company must be in a parent-subsidiary, branch, or affiliate relationship with the U.S.-based organization and have actual financial and business dealings. The L1 visa is also available to multinational corporations that are planning to set up a U.S. affiliate office and are sending managers and professionals to the U.S. to prepare for the office; however, the L1 visa is usually only valid for one year. However, such L1 visas are usually only valid for one year, after which the applicant must apply for an extension.
The L1 visa gives Chinese immigrant investors a fast and money-saving immigration channel through the EB-1C. Some slots have not yet been filled, meaning there is no need to wait for a long waiting period. Although L1A is not a prerequisite for an EB-1C application, having an L1A visa will make an EB-1C immigration application relatively easy. Prior L1 status will make the case for a green card application even stronger.
Categories of L1 Visas in the U.S.
Depending on the status of the gainer, the USCIS categorizes L1 visas into L1A and L1B, but will only indicate L1 visas at the time of issuance.
L1A Visa
The L1A visa is designed for a Chinese company to send an in-house managerial-level executive to a branch, subsidiary, parent or affiliate in the United States as a managerial-level executive. The transferred executive must have worked continuously for the Chinese company for at least one year during the three years prior to the filing of the application.
Also, the L1A allows Chinese companies that have not yet established a U.S. office to send executives to the U.S. to set up a U.S. corporate office, but such L1 visas are usually only approved for one year, at which point an extension can be requested. In addition, L1A visas are valid for one to three years and can be extended twice, up to a maximum of seven years.
L1B Visa
The L1B visa is designed for Chinese companies to send individuals with specialized knowledge to the U.S. to apply that knowledge to the company's operations. What is specialized knowledge? The law is not clear, so L1B petitions often receive a Request for Evidence (REF) from USCIS.
"Specialized knowledge" is described in the L1 Memorandum issued by USCIS as an individual's special knowledge of the products, services, research, equipment, techniques, and management of the multinational corporation that is the petitioner's business and their use in the international marketplace; or advanced knowledge or expertise in the operations and procedures of the multinational corporation. Advanced knowledge or expertise in the operations and procedures of the multinational corporation. The USCIS also lists occupations such as architects, engineers, lawyers, doctors, surgeons, teachers in various educational institutions, but is not limited to these occupations.
Like the L1A, the L1B can be used to establish the office of a U.S. affiliated company.
Whether L1A or L1B, the beneficiary must still work as a managerial executive or mentor with specialized knowledge when he or she arrives at the Chinese company's U.S. facility.
The validity period of a U.S. visa is the period of time from the date of issuance of the visa to a later period of authorized entry, beyond which the visa is invalid. Generally, the United States issues entry visas that are valid for three months.
Visa validity
"Visa validity" generally means that the visa is valid and may be used for travel for the same purpose from the date of issuance to the date of expiration. To determine how many times you can travel to the U.S. on this visa, look at the number of entries ("entries" represent the number of entries) on the visa.
If the number of entries is multiple ("M" for multiple entries), then the visa owner may travel to the United States on the visa multiple times before the expiration date of the visa, provided that the purpose of each trip is the same. If the number of entries on the visa is one, then you may only enter the United States once during the validity period of the visa.
The number of entries may be any number, from a minimum of one to a maximum of "M" (for either unlimited or multiple entries), provided that the purpose of each entry is the same.
If you need to travel to the U.S. frequently and have a multiple-entry visitor's visa, you do not need to apply for a new visitor's visa each time you travel. However, it is important to note that although you have a multiple-entry visitor's visa, you cannot work or study in the U.S. after you enter the country on this visa.
The validity of your visa is the period of time during which you are permitted to present your visa to a U.S. immigration inspector at a U.S. port of entry and request entry into the United States. Having a visa does not guarantee that you will be admitted to the United States.
Nor should you confuse the expiration date of your visa with the period of time you are authorized to remain in the United States. The duration of a visa holder's stay in the United States is determined by the immigration inspector at the U.S. port of entry and is shown on your entry/exit record (Form I-94 or Form I-94W for citizens of visa-exempt countries). The expiration date of your visa has no bearing on the duration of your authorized stay in the United States for each entry.
Duration of Visa Stay
If an applicant is admitted to the United States, Customs and Border Protection officers will specify the duration of the applicant's stay in the United States on the Entry and Exit Record. Each time an applicant is admitted to the U.S., the applicant should ensure that he or she departs the U.S. on or before the last day of the authorized period of stay, based on the specific departure date specified on the Entry and Exit Record Form. Failure to depart the U.S. by the specified deadline will result in the applicant's loss of legal status.
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