Visas for Travel to the United States

Traveling into the United States these days can take many steps beyond simply flashing a passport at the point of entry. A visa is required before entering the United States; which kind of visa depends on your reason for the visit and intention on length of stay. Permission must be granted at the point of entry in addition to the visa and you must follow all immigration laws once inside the U.S. What is a Visa? A visa is a travel document placed or stamped inside of the passport. This visa allows you to travel to a port of entry such as an airport or land border but does not guarantee you entry to the U.S. It simply indicates that someone at the U.S. Embassy has determined you are eligible to seek entry for the purpose stated in the visa type. Different Types of Visas There are many different types of visas that all relate to the purpose of travel. They include two main categories: non-immigrant and immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visa: This type of visa is for a temporary visit by citizens of other countries. It allows travel to any U.S. point of entry and requests permission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for entry. Once permission is granted, you receive a document to add to your passport. This type of visa covers a variety of reasons for travel to the U.S. including tourism, business, medical treatment and even certain types of work that is on a temporary basis. Immigrant visa: This type of visa is for immigrating permanently to the United States. There are many different types of immigrant visas and multiple steps to take to complete the process. Generally, to apply for an immigrant visa requires a U.S. relative, U.S. resident or prospective employer to sponsor the foreign citizen and to file a petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Who Determines Entry after a Visa is Obtained? Entry into the U.S. is not guaranteed with the visa. Rather it lets the required parties know that an officer at the U.S. Embassy approved your eligibility. The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection are responsible for granting admission of travelers for the specified status and period. Once in the U.S., DHS is also responsible for handling any immigration matters while the traveler is in the U.S. While in recent years admission to the United States has gotten more difficult, if your intentions are true and you follow the steps needed for obtaining a visa, the process will be well worth the opportunity of visiting the U.S. whether it is a temporary visit or permanent.

Author Resource:- Many U.S. companies send U.S. citizens overseas to work. Those overseas contractors often need to obtain a visa for entrance into that country. Just as many DynCrorp employees work overseas as government contractors, others come to the States to offer language training or other specialty skills.

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