Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about the U.S. immigration process.
A visa is a temporary travel document that allows you to travel to a U.S. port of entry to request permission to enter the country for a specific purpose (like tourism, study, or work). A Green Card (officially a Permanent Resident Card) allows you to live and work permanently in the United States.
The processing time for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, varies greatly by location. Generally, you can expect the process to take between 8 to 22 months from filing to the Oath Ceremony. You can check current processing times on the USCIS website.
A priority date is generally the date USCIS receives your petition. For family and employment-based categories with a limited number of visas per year, this date establishes your place in the queue. You must wait for your priority date to be 'current' on the Department of State's Visa Bulletin before you can apply for a Green Card.
No, you cannot. Working on a B-1/B-2 visitor visa is a violation of your immigration status and can have severe consequences, including being barred from re-entering the United States in the future. You must have a specific work-authorized visa (like an H-1B) to be employed in the U.S.
The U.S. government has an annual cap on the number of new H-1B visas it can issue. Because demand from U.S. employers far exceeds the supply, USCIS conducts a random lottery each year from the pool of eligible electronic registrations to select who can file a full H-1B petition.
Yes. The F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa, which means you must prove to the consular officer that you intend to return to your home country after your studies are complete. Staying beyond your authorized period can result in being out of status and can affect future visa applications.
The 90-day marriage requirement is strict and cannot be extended. If you do not marry the U.S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of your fiancé(e)'s arrival, they will fall out of status and will be required to depart the United States. They will not be able to adjust their status to a permanent resident through this process.
Both are for temporary workers, but the H-2A visa is specifically for temporary or seasonal *agricultural* work, while the H-2B visa is for temporary *non-agricultural* work (e.g., landscaping, hospitality, construction).
Extraordinary ability means you have a level of expertise indicating you are one of the small percentage who has risen to the very top of your field. This is proven through evidence like major internationally recognized awards (e.g., Nobel Prize, Oscar), published material about you in major media, or proof of a high salary.
The most critical aspect is proving 'non-immigrant intent.' This means you must convince the consular officer that you have strong ties to your home country (such as a stable job, family, property, or school enrollment) and that you will return home after your temporary visit to the United States. Failure to demonstrate this is the most common reason for a visitor visa denial.
Some J-1 exchange visitors are subject to a two-year home-country physical presence requirement. This means they must return to their home country for a cumulative total of two years at the end of their exchange program before they can apply for certain types of U.S. visas, including H-1B (work visa) or a Green Card. This requirement applies if your program was funded by your government or the U.S. government, or if your field of specialized knowledge is on your country's 'Skills List'. You can request a waiver in some circumstances.