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Main topic: Visa ::: Sub topic: Visa

If you are a citizen of a foreign country, it is likely that you will need a visa to enter the United States.

A visa is an indication that a person is authorized to enter the country which "issued" the visa, subject to permission of an immigration officer at the time of actual entry.

A visa does not permit entry into the U.S. Thus, a visa simply indicates that your application has been reviewed by a U.S. consular officer at an American embassy or consulate, and that the officer has determined that you are eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose.

A visa allows you to travel to the United States as far as the port of entry (airport or land border crossing) and ask the immigration officer to allow you to enter the country. It is only the immigration officer that has the authority to permit you to enter the United States. He or she decides how long you can stay for any particular visit.

The country issuing the visa typically attaches various conditions to the visa, such as the time that the visa is valid, the period that the person may stay in the country, whether the visa is valid for more than one visit, etc. The possession of a visa is not in itself a guarantee of entry into the country that issued it, and a visa can be revoked at any time.

A visa does not generally give a person any rights beyond the right to enter a country and remain there. Anything beyond those basic entitlements requires special permits, such as a residency permit or work permit.

Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter (or exit) a country, and are thus, for some countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country.

There are two categories of U.S. visas: immigrant visas and nonimmigrant visas. Immigrant visas are for people who intend to live permanently in the U.S. Nonimmigrant visas are for people with permanent residence outside the U.S. but who wish to be in the U.S. on a temporary basis, e.g., for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work or study.

Our immigration attorneys can assist you with your request for any type of visa. We encourage you to contact us at your earliest convenience for a consultation.