Visa Classification: Do you know the Visa Alphabets?

A-1: ambassadors, public ministers, career diplomats, consular officers and immediate family.

A-2: other officials and employees accredited by a foreign government and immediate family.

A-3: attendants, servants, and personal employees of the above categories.

B-1: business visitors (non media).

B-2: visitors for pleasure (tourists).

C-1: a foreign traveler in immediate and continuous transit through the United States.

D-1: crewmen on board a vessel who land temporarily in the U.S.

D-2: crewmen on a fishing vessel with home port in the U.S. who intend to land temporarily in Guam.

E-1: treaty traders.

E-2: treaty investors.

F-1: students (in colleges, universities, seminaries, conservatories, academic high schools and language training programs).

F-2: immediate family members of aliens on an F-1.

G-1: designated principal resident representatives of a foreign government that is a member of an international organization.

G-2: other accredited representatives of such foreign governments.

G-3: representatives of foreign governments who would quality for G-1 and G-2 status except for the fact that their governments are not members of international organizations entitled to privileges and immunities under the International Organizations Immunities Act.

G-4: officers and employees of such international organizations.

G-5: attendants, servants and personal employees of any such representatives.

H-1B: aliens in specialty occupations or fashion models of distinguished merit; certain department of defense employees.

H-1C: nurses in underserved areas.

H-2A: temporary agricultural workers.

H-2B: temporary workers for non agricultural positions.

H-3: temporary trainees.

H-4: immediate family members of aliens on an H-1, H-2 or H-3.

I: Representatives of the foreign press and their family members.

J-1: Exchange visitors.

J-2: Immediate family members of aliens on a J-1.

K-1: Fiancé(e)s of U.S. coming to the U.S. get married. (one of the few visas where the holder does not have to claim an intention to remain in the U.S. temporarily); spouses and minor unmarried children of U.S. citizens who have an I-130 petition on their behalf.

L-1: intracompany transferees who work for a subsidiary, branch, or affiliate of a foreign company in a position that is managerial, executive, or who have specialized knowledge.

L-2: immediate family of aliens on an L-1.

M-1: vocational and non-academic students.

M-2: immediate family of aliens on an M-1.

N-8: parents of children who have been accorded special immigrant status.

N-9: children of parents who have been accorded special immigrant status or are on an N-8. NATO-1 through NATO-7: aliens coming to the U.S. under provisions of the NATO treaty.

O-1: aliens of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics.

O-2: support staff of aliens on an O-1.

O-3: immediate family of aliens on an O-1 or O-2.

P-1: athletes and group entertainers of international recognition and integral support staff.

P-2: entertainers, individually or as a group, on an exchange program.

P-3: artists and entertainers, individually or as a group, who perform or teach under a program that is culturally unique.

P-4: immediate family of aliens on a P-1, P-2, and P-3.

Q-1: international cultural exchange visitors.

Q-2: immediate family of aliens on an Q-2.

R-1: ministers and other religious workers.

R-2: immediate family of aliens on an R-1.

S-5: witnesses and informants in criminal investigations and prosecutions.

S-6: witnesses and informants in matters involving counter-terrorism.

S-7: immediate family of aliens on an S-5 or S-6.

TC: Canadians “professionals” pursuant to the Free Trade Agreement (pre NAFTA).

TN: Canadian or Mexican “professionals” pursuant to NAFTA.

TD: immediate family of aliens on a TN.

U: victims of violence (created by the “Victims of Trafficking And Violence Protection Act of 2000″)

V: spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents

WB: aliens here for business pursuant to the Visa Waiver Pilot Program.

WT: aliens here for pleasure pursuant to the Visa Waiver Pilot Program.