Here’s a list of US Temporary Visas
Nonimmigrant Visas
| Visa Type | Description | Labor Certification Required | Initial Period of Stay | Allotted visas for FY 2013 |
| B-1 Business Visitors | Temporary business related travel. | no | ≤90 days | undetermined |
| H-1B Speciality Occupations | Work requiring a person with an advanced degree to apply theoretical and practical application of highly specialized knowledge. | yes | ≤3 years | 65,000 |
| H-1B2 DOD Researcher and Development Project Workers | Research and development project or co-production project which is provided for under a government-to-government agreement administered by the US Department of Defense. | no | ≤3 years | 100 |
| H-1B3 Fashion Models | Work requiring a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability. | yes | ≤3 years | 100 |
| H-2A Seasonal Agricultural Workers | Work that is temporary or seasonal and agricultural in nature. Only for persons from a designated country. | yes | ≤3 years | undetermined |
| H-2B Temporary or Season Non-Agricultural Workers | Work that is temporary or seasonal and non-agricultural in nature. Only for persons from a designated country. | yes | ≤3 years | 66,000 |
| H-3 Trainee or Special Education Exchange Visitors | Travel to the US to receive training, other than graduate or medical education training, that is not available in your home country. Or to participate in a special education exchange visitor training program for children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. | no | ≤2 years | 50 |
| I Representatives of Foreign Media | Media-related work for employees of a foreign media office or for individuals coming to the United States for the sole purpose of engaging in media-related work. | no | No Limit | undetermined |
| L Intracompany Transferees | For transfer of an employee from a foreign office to an office located in the United States. | no | ≤3 years | undetermined |
| O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement | For individuals who possess extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics. Or for individuals who have been recognized for extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry. | no | ≤3 years | undetermined |
| P-1 Individual or Team Athletes, or Members of an Entertainment Group | To participate in a specific athletic competition as an athlete, individually or as part of a team. Or, to participate in a performance as a member of an entertainment group. | no | Individual athlete: ≤5 yearsAthletic group: ≤1 year
Member of an entertainment group: ≤1 year |
25,000 |
| P-2 Artists or Entertainers | To perform as an artist or entertainer, individually or as part of a group, participating in a cultural exchange program. | no | ≤1 year | undetermined |
| P-3 Artists or Entertainers | To perform, teach or coach as an artist or entertainer, as an individual or part of a team, in a culturally unique program. | no | ≤1 year | undetermined |
| Q Cultural Exchange | For individuals participating in Exchange Visitor programs designated by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). | no | ≤15 months | undetermined |
| R-1 Temporary Religious Workers | Work as a minister or in a religious vocation or occupation at a non-profit religious organization. | no | ≤30 months | undetermined |
| TN NAFTA Professionals | Professional work for nationals of Canada or Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). | no | ≤3 years | undetermined |
Immigrant Visas
| Visa Type | Description | Labor Certification Required | Period of Stay | Allotted visas for FY 2013 |
| EB-1 First Preference Employment, Immigrant Visa | For individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers and certain multinational executives and managers. | yes | Permanent residency/ green card | 40,040 |
| EB-2 Second Preference Employment, Immigrant Visa | For members of the professions requiring advanced degrees. Or individuals of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business. | yes | Permanent residency/ green card | 40,040 |
| EB-3 Third Preference Employment | For professionals and skilled workers (requiring 2 or more years of specific education, training, or experience) and other (unskilled) workers. | yes | Permanent residency/ green card | 40,040 |
| EB-4 Fourth Preference Employment, Immigrant Visa | For certain special immigrants: religious workers, broadcasters, Iraqi/Afghan translators, Iraqis who have assisted the United States, International Organization Employees, Physicians, Armed Forces Members, Panama Canal Zone Employees, Retired NATO-6 employees, and spouses and children of deceased NATO-6 employees. | yes | Permanent residency/ green card | 9,940 |
| EB-5 Fifth Preference Employment, Immigrant Visa | For employment creation – immigrants who invest in a new commercial enterprise that will benefit the US economy and create at least 10 full-time jobs for US workers. | yes | Permanent residency/ green card | 9,940 |
Students and Exchange Visas
| Visa Type | Description | Initial Period Stay | Allotted visas for FY 2013 |
| F-1 Academic Students | For study at an SEVP certified university, college, high school, private elementary school, seminary, conservatory or other academic institution. | Length of program | undetermined |
| F-3 Canadian or Mexican national academic commuter students | For individuals who reside in Canada or Mexico to commute to the United States to attend an academic program. | Length of program | undetermined |
| H-3 Trainee or Special Education Exchange Visitors | Travel to the US to receive training, other than graduate or medical education training, that is not available in your home country. Or to participate in a special education exchange visitor training program for children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. | no | ≤2 years |
| J-1 Exchange Visitors | For individuals participating in Exchange Visitor programs designated by the US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. | between 1- 3 years, depending on the type of program | undetermined |
| M-1 Vocational Students | For students attending vocational or other recognized non-academic institutions, other than a language training program. | Length of program | undetermined |
| M-3 Canadian or Mexican national vocational commuter students | For individuals who reside in Canada or Mexico to commute to the United States to attend a vocational or other recognized non-academic institution, other than a language training program. | Length of program | undetermined |
| P-2 Artists or Entertainers | To perform as an artist or entertainer, individually or as part of a group, participating in a cultural exchange program. | no | ≤1 year |
| Q Cultural Exchange Visitors | For individuals participating in Exchange Visitor programs designated by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). | ≤15 months | undetermined |
