🇺🇸United States Visa for Indian Citizens2026 Requirements, Fees & Documents

F-1 Student Visa

Full-time academic study at SEVP-approved institutions

Duration of Status (D/S) - valid for the duration of your academic program. Requires I-20 from school and SEVIS fee.

H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa

Working in specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree

Requires employer sponsorship. Annual cap of 65,000 (plus 20,000 for US master's). Initial period 3 years, extendable to 6.

L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa

Transferring to a US office in a managerial, executive, or specialised knowledge role

Must have worked for the sponsoring company for at least 1 year in the past 3 years.

J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa

Au pairs, camp counsellors, interns, teachers, research scholars, professors

Duration of Status. Requires DS-2019 from a designated exchange program sponsor.

EB-5 Investor Visa

Immigrant visa through investment of at least USD 1.05M (or USD 800K in rural/high-unemployment areas) creating 10 US jobs

Leads to lawful permanent residence (Green Card). Can apply through a USCIS-designated Regional Center.

M-1 Vocational Student Visa

Full-time study at vocational or other recognised nonacademic institutions (other than language training)

Requires Form I-20 from an SEVP-approved school plus the SEVIS fee. Admitted for Duration of Status covering the vocational program, generally up to 1 year. Distinct from the academic F-1 visa.

K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa

Foreign-citizen fiancé(e) of a US citizen, to enter and marry the sponsor within 90 days

US citizen sponsor first files Form I-129F with USCIS. Visa is single-entry, valid up to 6 months; marriage must occur within 90 days of entry, after which the spouse may apply to adjust status to permanent resident.

O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa

Individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics, or extraordinary achievement in film/TV

Petition-based (US employer or agent files Form I-129). Initial stay up to 3 years, extendable in 1-year increments. No annual cap. Can be a stepping stone to EB-1A permanent residence.

P-1 Athlete and Entertainer Visa

Internationally recognised athletes and members of internationally recognised entertainment groups

Petition-based (Form I-129). P-1 individual athletes may be admitted up to 5 years (extendable to a total of 10); entertainment groups and P-2/P-3 performers are generally admitted up to 1 year.

E-2 Treaty Investor Visa

Nationals of treaty countries investing a substantial amount of capital in a US business they direct

Only for nationals of qualifying treaty-investment countries. No fixed minimum investment (must be 'substantial' and proportional to the enterprise). Renewable indefinitely but does not directly lead to a green card. Also tracked under residency-by-investment programs.

E-3 Australian Professional Specialty Visa

Australian nationals coming to perform services in a specialty occupation

Only for Australian citizens. Requires a US job offer in a specialty occupation and a certified Labor Condition Application. Granted in up to 2-year increments, renewable indefinitely. Annual cap of 10,500.

TN USMCA Professional Visa

Canadian and Mexican professionals in qualifying occupations under the USMCA (formerly NAFTA)

Available only to Canadian and Mexican citizens in USMCA-listed professions with a US job offer. Canadians may apply directly at a port of entry (no visa foil required); Mexicans obtain a TN visa at a consulate. Admitted up to 3 years, indefinitely renewable.

H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Visa

Temporary or seasonal agricultural work for employers facing a shortage of domestic workers

Employer must obtain a temporary labor certification and file Form I-129. Generally limited to nationals of designated eligible countries. Initial stay tied to the certified period (typically up to 1 year); maximum 3 years before a required departure.

H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Worker Visa

Temporary or seasonal non-agricultural work (e.g. hospitality, landscaping, seafood processing)

Employer must obtain a temporary labor certification and file Form I-129. Subject to a statutory annual cap (66,000). Generally limited to nationals of designated eligible countries. Maximum 3 years.

R-1 Religious Worker Visa

Ministers and other religious workers employed by a bona fide non-profit religious organisation in the US

Requires a US petitioner (Form I-129) that is a bona fide non-profit religious organisation. Initial stay up to 30 months, extendable to a total of 5 years.

Family-Based Immigrant Visa (IR/CR/F)

Spouses, children, parents and other qualifying relatives of US citizens and lawful permanent residents to immigrate permanently

Immigrant (green card) category. A US citizen or LPR sponsor files Form I-130. Immediate relatives (IR1/CR1 spouse, IR2 child, IR5 parent) have no annual cap; family-preference categories (F1-F4) are numerically limited with multi-year waits. Grants lawful permanent residence on entry.