Work Visas
Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Workers
In order for you to come to the United States lawfully as a nonimmigrant to work temporarily in the United States your prospective employer must generally file a nonimmigrant petition on your behalf with USCIS1. The main nonimmigrant temporary worker classifications are listed in the table below.
| Nonimmigrant Classification (Temporary Worker) | Description | Nonimmigrant Classification (Dependant Spouses and Children of a Temporary Worker) |
| E-1 | Treaty traders and qualified employees. | E-1 |
| E-2 | Treaty investors and qualified employees. | E-2 |
| E-3 | Certain "specialty occupation" professionals from Australia. |
E-3 |
| H-1B | Workers in a specialty occupation and the following su-classifications: H-1B1- Fre Trade Agreement workers in a specialty occupation from Chile |
H-4 |
| H-1C | Registered nurses working in a health professional shortage areas as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor. |
H-4 |
| H-2A | Temporary or seasonal agricultural workers. | H-4 |
| H-2B | Temporary non-agricultural workers. | H-4 |
| H-3 | Trainees other than medical or academic. This classification also applies to practical training in the education of handicapped children. |
H-4 |
| I | Representatives of foreign press, radio, film, or other foreign information media. |
I |
| L-1A | Intracompany transferees in managerial or executive positions. |
L-2 |
| L-1B | Intracompany transferees in positions utilizing specialized knowledge. |
L-2 |
| O-1 | Persons with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics and motion picture or TV production. |
O-3 |
| O-2 | Persons accompanying solely to assist an O-1 nonimmigrant. |
O-3 |
| P-1A | Internationally recognized athletes. | P-4 |
| P-1B | Internationally recognized entertainers or members of internationally recognized entertainment groups. |
P-4 |
| P-2 | Individual performer or part of a group entering to perform under a reciprocal exchange program |
P-4 |
| P-3 | Artists or entertainers, either an individual or group, to perform, teach, or coach under a program that is culturally unique. |
P-4 |
| Q-1 | Persons participating in an international cultural exchange program for the purpose of providing practical training, employment, and to share the history, culture, and traditions of the alien's home country. |
N/A |
| R-1 | Religious workers. | R-2 |
| TN | North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) temporary professionals from Mexico and Canada. |
TD |
