🇺🇸 United States visa and immigration options

H-1B specialty occupation visa

For specialty-occupation roles requiring a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a specific field. Subject to an annual numerical cap and registration lottery in most years; requires a sponsoring U.S. employer to file a petition.

Processing time

Standard processing varies by service center; premium processing guarantees action within 15 business days for an extra fee.

Typical costs

Employer-paid USCIS fees commonly total several thousand dollars per petition before attorney fees; the worker's own consular fee is around $205. This is a rough planning figure, not a quote — and the disputed $100,000 additional payment requirement makes…

Government fees

USCIS fees change and this area is under active litigation. Confirm current amounts and legal status on USCIS.gov before filing.

Work and study rights

Work is tied to the sponsoring employer and the specific specialty occupation role.

Family

Spouse and unmarried children under 21 may accompany on H-4 status; H-4 spouses can apply separately for work authorization in some circumstances.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'USCIS - H-1B Specialty Occupations', 'url': 'https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations'}

F-1 Student Visa

For full-time academic study at an SEVP-certified school. Requires a Form I-20 from your school, payment of the SEVIS I-901 fee, and proof of funds.

Processing time

Varies by consulate and time of year; apply as early as your visa category allows (generally up to 365 days before your program start date).

Typical costs

SEVIS and visa fees together are roughly $535, on top of tuition and living-cost requirements set by your specific school (shown on your I-20).

Government fees

Confirm current amounts on studyinthestates.dhs.gov and travel.state.gov.

Work and study rights

On-campus employment is generally allowed with limits; off-campus work (CPT/OPT, including STEM OPT extensions) requires separate authorization and eligibility.

Family

Spouse and unmarried children under 21 may accompany on F-2 status, but F-2 dependants generally cannot work.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Study in the States (DHS) - Homepage', 'url': 'https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/'}

E-2 Treaty Investor or EB-5 Immigrant Investor

The E-2 Treaty Investor visa is a temporary (renewable) route available only to nationals of countries with a qualifying trade treaty with the US, requiring a 'substantial' investment in a real, operating US business you'll direct. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is open to any nationality and leads directly to a Green Card, requiring USD $800,000 (in a…

Processing time

E-2: commonly weeks to a few months. EB-5: can take several years depending on visa category backlogs for your country of birth.

Typical costs

E-2: government fees are modest, but the investment itself must be 'substantial' relative to the business (commonly cited informal benchmarks are well into six figures, with no fixed statutory minimum). EB-5: USD $800,000-1,050,000 investment plus tens of…

Government fees

Confirm current amounts on travel.state.gov and uscis.gov.

Work and study rights

E-2 grants work authorization tied to directing the specific enterprise. EB-5, once the Green Card is issued, grants full unrestricted work rights.

Family

Spouse and unmarried children under 21 can generally accompany the main applicant on both routes; E-2 spouses can generally work.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'USCIS - EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program', 'url': 'https://www.uscis.gov/eb-5'}

Employment-based Green Card (EB-1 / EB-2 / EB-3)

Permanent residence through employment, across three main hierarchical preference categories: EB-1 (extraordinary ability, outstanding researchers, multinational executives), EB-2 (advanced degree or exceptional ability, including a National Interest Waiver self-petition option), and EB-3 (skilled workers and professionals). Most EB-2/EB-3 cases require…

Processing time

Highly variable — depends on the category, your country of birth, and current Visa Bulletin backlogs, which for some categories and countries (notably India and China) can run into years.

Typical costs

Government fees alone commonly total $2,000-3,500+ per applicant (I-140 plus I-485 or consular fees), before PERM/recruitment costs (employer-paid) and attorney fees.

Government fees

USCIS fees are updated periodically (a 2026 inflation adjustment took effect January 1, 2026). Confirm current amounts on USCIS.gov.

Work and study rights

Grants full, unrestricted work and residence rights once the Green Card is issued.

Family

Spouse and unmarried children under 21 can generally be included as derivative beneficiaries on the same petition.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'USCIS - Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants', 'url': 'https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/green-card-for-employment-based-immigrants'}

Family-based Green Card

Permanent residence sponsored by a U.S. citizen or permanent-resident relative. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouse, unmarried children under 21, parents) have no annual numerical limit; other family-preference categories (adult children, siblings) are capped and can involve multi-year waits depending on the category and country of birth.

Processing time

Immediate-relative cases are generally the fastest family route; preference categories can take years depending on the category and country of birth — check the Visa Bulletin.

Typical costs

Government fees commonly total $2,000-3,000+ per applicant across the I-130 and I-485 (or consular) stages, before medical exams, translations and any attorney fees.

Government fees

Confirm current amounts on USCIS.gov; fees differ for children under 14 filing alongside a parent.

Work and study rights

Grants full, unrestricted work and residence rights once the Green Card is issued; some applicants adjusting status in the U.S. can request interim work authorization.

Family

The core purpose of this route is reuniting specific family relationships as defined by U.S. immigration law; each relationship category has its own eligibility rules.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'USCIS - Green Card for Family Preference Immigrants', 'url': 'https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/green-card-for-family-preference-immigrants'}

U.S. citizenship by naturalization

Lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders) can generally apply for naturalization after 5 years of continuous residence and physical presence (30 months of the last 5 years), or after just 3 years (18 months of physical presence) if married to and living with a U.S. citizen. The U.S. does not require you to formally renounce your other nationality…

Processing time

Varies significantly by USCIS field office; commonly several months to over a year.

Typical costs

Roughly USD $760-790 in direct filing/biometric fees per applicant.

Government fees

Confirm current amounts on uscis.gov.

Work and study rights

Citizenship removes all remaining Green Card conditions and adds a U.S. passport and the right to vote.

Family

Each eligible family member applies individually; naturalization does not automatically confer citizenship on family members, though it can support their own future petitions.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'USCIS - Citizenship and Naturalization', 'url': 'https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship'}

Visit the USA (ESTA or B-1/B-2 visa)

Nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries (around 40 countries) can travel using an ESTA authorisation instead of a visa, for stays up to 90 days. Other nationalities need a B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visitor visa, which requires a consular interview.

Processing time

ESTA: usually within minutes to 72 hours. B-1/B-2: varies significantly by consulate; wait times for an interview slot can exceed several months at some posts.

Typical costs

USD $40.27 for ESTA-eligible travellers; USD $185+ for those needing the B-1/B-2 visa.

Government fees

whether you need a visa at all, an electronic travel authorisation, or nothing beyond a valid passport depends entirely on your specific nationality — this varies enormously by country and changes periodically. Always check the destination's official…

Work and study rights

Does not permit employment or study.

Family

Each traveller, including children, needs their own ESTA or visa.

Important: whether you need a visa at all, an electronic travel authorisation, or nothing beyond a valid passport depends entirely on your specific nationality — this varies enormously by country and changes periodically. Always check the destination's official visa-requirement checker for your exact passport before booking travel.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'U.S. Department of State - Visitor Visa', 'url': 'https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html'}