An immigrant visa is intended for an alien seeking to be admitted to the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR). There are many paths to lawful permanent residence, and many options along those paths. It is strongly recommended that any alien seeking to immigrate to the U.S. use the assistance of a skilled attorney before making any decisions regarding how to immigrate.

The most common ways to obtain LPR are:

• Immigration through a family member
• Immigration through employment
• Adjusting to lawful permanent resident status as an asylee or refugee*
• Immigration through the Diversity Lottery

More information on becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident.

Non-immigrants are foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States temporarily for a specific purpose, such as study, travel, business and diplomacy. While in the U.S., a non-immigrant's activities are restricted by their visa's stated purpose. For example, a non-immigrant admitted to the U.S. for study as an exchange visitor should not be employed. While non-immigrants may have more than one type of non-immigrant visa, they are admitted in only one status at a time. The U.S. Department of State maintains a list of those ineligible for a visa.

More information on temporary visas for non-immigrants.

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