Visa policy of the United States

The U.S. government requires all individuals entering or departing the United States by air, or entering the United States by sea from outside the Americas, to hold one of the following documents:[1] For entry by land or sea from the Americas, individuals must present one of the documents acceptable for entry by air or one of the following:[1] Children born to a U.S. permanent resident mother during a temporary visit abroad do not need a passport or visa at the mother's first re-entry to the United States within two years after birth.

The final admission to the United States is made at the port of entry by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer.

For those entering in a nonimmigrant visa status, the admission details are recorded by the CBP officer on a Form I-94 (or Form I-94W for nationals of the Visa Waiver Program countries for short visits), which serves as the official document authorizing the stay in the United States in a particular status and for a particular period of time.

[19][21] Their nationals do not need a U.S. visa for short stays, but they are required to obtain an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to arrival.

The VWP does not apply at all if arriving by air or sea on an unapproved carrier (e.g. a private ship or plane), in which case a standard visa is required.

[50] As of 2024, those who have previously been in Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011, or in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021, or who are dual nationals of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria, are not eligible to travel under the VWP and must obtain a standard visa.

[19] However, those who traveled to such countries for diplomatic, military, humanitarian, reporting or legitimate business purposes may have this ineligibility waived.

The Guam–CNMI Visa Waiver Program, first enacted in October 1988 and periodically amended, permits nationals of 12 countries to visit Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands for up to 45 days, and nationals of China to visit the Northern Mariana Islands for up to 14 days, for tourism or business, without the need to obtain a U.S.

If required, an entry permit or an electronic authorization called "OK Board" must be obtained from the Department of Legal Affairs of American Samoa.

[69] In addition to their identification document or electronic authorization, U.S. nationals must also show proof of residence or employment in American Samoa or a ticket for future departure from the territory.

The United States has also prohibited visas for certain people as sanctions for many other reasons, such as government officials allegedly violating human rights or undermining democracy.

[109] Amongst the items included in the qualification decision are financial independence, adequate employment, material assets and a lack of a criminal record in the applicant's native country.

The highest number of non-immigrant admissions for tourists and for business purposes into the United States in fiscal year 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 was from the following countries (listed over 700,000 admissions):[110][111][112][113] A visas are issued to representatives of a foreign government traveling to the United States to engage in official activities for that government.

[125][126] Effective January 24, 2020, B visas are not issued to individuals expected to give birth during their stay, unless they demonstrate that the primary purpose of their visit is not to obtain U.S. citizenship for the child.

The Department of Homeland Security publishes annual reports that list the number of violations by passengers who arrive via air and sea.

The table below excludes statistics on persons who left the United States later than their allowed stay or legalized their status and shows only suspected overstays who remained in the country.

A subtype C-2 visa is issued to diplomats transiting to and from the Headquarters of the United Nations and is limited to the vicinity of New York City.

[155] G visas are issued to diplomats, government officials, and employees who will work for international organizations in the United States.

[164] The I-1 visa is issued to representatives of the foreign media, including members of the press, radio, film, and print industries travelling to temporarily work in the United States in the profession.

A K-1 visa requires a foreigner to marry his or her U.S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of entry, or depart the United States.

Once the couple marries, the foreign citizen can adjust status to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States (Green Card holder).

[196] A law enforcement agency can then submit an application for resident alien status, i.e. a green card on behalf of the witness or informant once the individual has completed the terms and conditions of his or her S visa.

It allows permanent residents to achieve family unity with their spouses and children while the immigration process takes its course.

[203] All US visa types and subtypes are listed below:[204][205] The Trump administration issued new rules on August 12, 2019, that will reject applicants for temporary or permanent visas for failing to meet income standards or for receiving public assistance such as welfare, food stamps, public housing or Medicaid.

Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act defined several classes of aliens ineligible to receive visas.

An example of a denial based upon the first ground would be an applicant for an F-1 student visa who the consular officer felt was secretly intending to remain in the U.S. permanently.

[215] In rare cases, Section 212(d)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows for the temporary entry of certain aliens who would otherwise be prohibited from entering the United States.

Japanese mafia (yakuza) leader Tadamasa Goto and three others were issued visas for travel between 2000 and 2004 to undergo liver transplant surgery at UCLA Medical Center.

The B-1/B-2 visa that had previously been granted to him was also revoked, under a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act which makes any foreign government official who was responsible or "directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom" ineligible for the visa (the violations of religious freedom in question being the 2002 Gujarat riots).

2 Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia and the partially recognised republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia each span the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia.