Nonimmigrant and Immigrant Visa Categories: Data Brief

October 1, 2019 – June 18, 2026 R45938

Nonimmigrant and Immigrant Visa Categories: Data Brief

Updated June 18, 2026 (R45938)

Introduction

Congress has an interest in the visa categories by which foreign nationals may enter or be present in the United States and how they are being used. U.S. immigration policy is governed largely by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which was first codified in 1952 and has been amended significantly several times since.1 The United States has long distinguished temporary immigration from permanent immigration. Temporary immigration occurs through the admission of visitors for specific purposes and limited periods of time, and encompasses two dozen nonimmigrant categories (which are commonly referred to by the letter and numeral that denote their subparagraph in the INA).2 Permanent immigration occurs through family- and employer-sponsored immigrant categories, the diversity immigrant visa, refugee and asylee admissions, and other pathways.

This report provides the following information:

  • a list of nonimmigrant (i.e., temporary)3 visa categories and lawful permanent resident (LPR)4 categories;
  • a description of each category;
  • the allowed duration of stay in the United States for each nonimmigrant visa category;
  • the annual numeric limit (or cap), if applicable, for each nonimmigrant and LPR category; and
  • the number of visas issued in FY2024 under each nonimmigrant category or the number of individuals obtaining LPR status in FY2024 under each immigrant category.

This information is provided in two tables: Table 1 contains information for nonimmigrant visa categories, and Table 2 contains information for LPR categories.

Table 1. Nonimmigrant Visas, FY2024

Visa Category

Description

Initial Duration
of Staya

Annual Numeric Limitb

FY2024 Visa Issuances

A-1

Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat, or consul, and immediate family

Duration of assignment

None

9,469

A-2

Other foreign government official or employee, and immediate family

Duration of assignment

None

96,693

A-3

Attendant, servant, or personal employee of A-1/A-2, and immediate family

Up to three years

None

884

B-1

Visitor for business only

Six months to one year

None

31,544

B-2

Visitor for pleasure only

Six months to one year

None

12,072

B-1/B-2

Visitor for business and pleasure

Six months to one year

None

6,498,006

B-1/B-2/ BCC

Border crossing cards for Mexicans

Up to 30 days (or longer if coupled with B-1 or B-2)

None

1,871,765

B-1/B-2/ BCV

Mexican Lincoln Border Crossing Visa

Up to 30 days (or longer if coupled with B-1 or B-2)

None

39,987

C-1

Person in transit

Up to 29 days

None

11,451

C-1/D

Combination transit/crew member

Up to 29 days

None

324,098

C-2

Person in transit to United Nations Headquarters

Up to 29 days

None

364

C-3

Foreign government official and immediate family, attendant, servant, or personal employee in transit

Up to 29 days

None

3,746

C-4

Transit for lightering crewmember

Up to 180 days

None

1

C-4/D-3

Combination transit and lightering

Up to 180 days

None

4

CW-1

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) transitional worker

Up to one year

For FY2024: 10,000

2,517

CW-2

Spouse or child of CW-1

Up to one year

None

651

D

Crew member

Up to 29 days

None

6,342

E-1

Treaty trader, spouse or child, or employee

Up to two years

None

5,639

E-2

Treaty investor, spouse or child, or employee

Up to two years

None

55,324

E-2C

CNMI treaty investor, spouse, or child

Up to two years

None

28

E-3

Australian specialty occupation professional

Up to two years

10,500

3,933

E-3D

Spouse or child of E-3

Up to two years

None

3,574

E-3R

Returning E-3

Up to two years

None

3,100

F-1

Foreign student (academic or language training program)

Duration of study (limited to 12 months for secondary school students)

None

400,737

F-2

Spouse or child of F-1

Duration of study

None

24,055

G-1

Principal resident representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, staff, and immediate family

Duration of assignment

None

4,786

G-2

Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, staff, and immediate family

Duration of assignment

None

16,553

G-3

Representative of nonrecognized or nonmember foreign government to international organization, staff, and immediate family

Duration of assignment

None

422

G-4

International organization officer or employee, and immediate family

Duration of assignment

None

22,365

G-5

Attendant, servant, or personal employee of G-1 through G-4, and immediate family

Up to three years

None

236

H-1B

Temporary worker—professional specialty occupation

Specialty occupation: up to three years; Department of Defense (DOD) research & development: up to five years

Specialty occupation or fashion model: 65,000, plus 20,000 for those with U.S. advanced degrees;

DOD research & development: 100 at any time

219,659

H-1B-1

Free trade agreement professional from Chile or Singapore

Up to one year

1,400 for Chile; 5,400 for Singapore

Chile: 2,131

Singapore: 939

H-2A

Temporary worker—agricultural workers

Up to one year

None

315,328

H-2Bc

Temporary worker—nonagricultural workers

Up to one year (up to three years in certain cases)

66,000

139,541

H-3

Temporary worker—trainee

Alien trainee: up to two years

Special education exchange visitor program: up to 18 months

Alien trainee: none

Special education exchange visitor program: 50

924

H-4

Spouse or child of H-1B, H-1B-1, H-2A, H-2B, or H-3

Same as H-1, H-2, or H-3 spouse/parent

None

139,874

I

Representative of foreign information media, spouse or child

Duration of employment

None

12,924

J-1

Cultural exchange visitor

Duration of program

None

322,820

J-2

Spouse or child of J-1

Duration of program

None

32,512

K-1

Fiancé(e) of U.S. citizen

Valid for four months; must marry within 90 days of entry to adjust to LPR status

None

47,579

K-2

Child of K-1

Same as parent

None

7,306

K-3

Spouse of U.S. citizen awaiting lawful permanent resident visa

Up to two years

None

3

K-4

Child of K-3

Up to two years or until 21st birthday

None

0

L-1

Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation)

Up to three years; up to one year when beneficiary is coming to open or be employed in a new office

None

71,799

L-2

Spouse or child of L-1

Same as spouse/parent

None

73,317

M-1

Vocational student

Duration of study

None

6,322

M-2

Spouse or child of M-1

Same as spouse/parent

None

169

NATO-1

Principal permanent representative of member nations to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), high ranking NATO officials, and immediate family members

Tour of duty

None

28

NATO-2

Other representatives of member states to NATO (including any of its subsidiary bodies) and immediate family members; dependents of member of a force entering in accordance with provisions of NATO agreements, members of such force

Tour of duty

None

8,630

NATO-3

Official clerical staff accompanying a representative of a member state to NATO, and immediate family

Tour of duty

None

3

NATO-4

Officials of NATO (other than those classifiable as NATO-1), and immediate family

Tour of duty

None

333

NATO-5

Experts employed in missions on behalf of NATO (other than NATO-4 officials), and their dependents

Tour of duty

None

70

NATO-6

Civilian employees of a force entering in accordance with the provisions of NATO agreements or attached to NATO headquarters, and their dependents

Tour of duty

None

1,914

NATO-7

Attendant, servant, or personal employee of NATO-1 through NATO-6, and immediate family

Up to three years

None

1

N-8

Parent of certain special immigrants (pertaining to international organizations)

Up to three years, as long as special immigrant remains a child

None

10

N-9

Child of N-8 or of certain special immigrants (pertaining to international organizations)

Up to three years, or until no longer a child, whichever is shorter

None

0

O-1

Person with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics

Up to three years

None

19,457

O-2

Person accompanying and assisting in the artistic or athletic performance by O-1

Up to three years

None

13,922

O-3

Spouse or child of O-1 or O-2

Up to three years

None

6,035

P-1

Internationally recognized athlete or member of an internationally recognized entertainment group and essential support

Up to five years for individual, up to one year for group or team

None

24,494

P-2

Artist or entertainer in a reciprocal exchange program and essential support

Up to one year

None

79

P-3

Artist or entertainer in a culturally unique program and essential support

Up to one year

None

10,213

P-4

Spouse or child of P-1, P-2, or P-3

Same as spouse/parent

None

1,886

Q-1

International cultural exchange program participant

Up to 15 months

None

1,781

R-1

Religious worker

Up to 30 months

None

5,186

R-2

Spouse or child of R-1

Up to 30 months

None

2,709

S-5

Witness or informant in criminal matter

Up to three years

200

0

S-6

Witness or informant in terrorism matter

Up to three years

50

0

S-7

Spouse or child of S-5 and S-6

Up to three years

None

0

T-1

Victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons

Up to four years; may adjust to LPR status if conditions are met

5,000

0

T-2

Spouse of T-1

Same as T-1

None

72

T-3

Child of T-1

Same as T-1

None

291

T-4

Parent of T-1 under age 21

Same as T-1

None

56

T-5

Unmarried sibling under age 18 of T-1 under age 21

Same as T-1

None

36

T-6

Adult or minor child of T-2, T-3, T-4, or T-5

Same as T-1

None

24

TN

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) professional

Up to three years

None

15,672

TD

Spouse or child of TN

Up to three years

None

12,199

U-1

Victim or informant of criminal activity

Up to four years; may adjust to LPR status if conditions are met.

10,000

155

U-2

Spouse of U-1

Same as U-1

None

148

U-3

Child of U-1

Same as U-1

None

999

U-4

Parent of U-1 under age 21

Same as U-1

None

23

U-5

Unmarried sibling under age 18 of U-1 under age 21

Same as U-1

None

17

Total

10,969,936

Source: Visa Category, Description, Duration of Stay, and Annual Numeric Limit: §§101(a)(15), 212, and 214 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. §§1101(a)(15), 1182, and 1184); and §214 of 8 C.F.R. FY2024 Visa Issuances: U.S. Department of State, Report of the Visa Office 2024, Table XV (B).

a. Some visa categories allow for an extension of stay. For more information, see Appendix in CRS Report R45040, Immigration: Nonimmigrant (Temporary) Admissions to the United States.

b. Renewals are typically not counted against the cap; some categories also allow for exemptions from the cap.

c. In recent years, Congress has enacted provisions authorizing DHS to make additional H-2B visas available (above the cap) subject to specified conditions. For more information, see CRS Report R44306, The H-2B Visa and the Statutory Cap.

Table 2. LPR Categories, FY2024

LPR Category

Description

Annual Numeric Limit

FY2024 LPR Recipientsa

Employment-Based Preference Immigrants

EB-1

Priority workers

40,040

46,990

EB-2

Professionals with advanced degrees or aliens of exceptional ability

40,040

46,580

EB-3

Skilled workers, professionals, and needed unskilled workers

40,040b
(including up to 10,000 for unskilled "other workers")

48,550

EB-4

Special immigrants (including religious workers, employees of the U.S. government abroad, and juvenile court dependents)

9,940c

(including up to 5,000 religious workers and up to 3,500 employees of the U.S. government abroad)

14,460

EB-5

Investors/employment creation

9,940

14,540

Family-Based Immigrants

Immediate Relatives

IR-1

Spouses of U.S. citizens

No annual limit

343,000

IR-2

Children of U.S. citizens (includes orphans and adoptees)

No annual limit

76,680

IR-3

Parents of U.S. citizens

No annual limit

252,570

Family-Sponsored Preference Immigrants

F-1

Unmarried sons/daughters of U.S. citizens and their children

23,400

22,140

F-2

Spouses, children, and unmarried sons/daughters of LPRs

114,200

87,430

F-3

Married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens and their spouses and children

23,400

22,000

F-4

Brothers/sisters of U.S. citizens (age 21 or older) and their spouses and children

65,000

56,620

Diversity Immigrants

Individuals from countries that send relatively few immigrants to the United States

55,000d

49,890

Refugees

Aliens admitted to the United States as refugees based on persecution claims who have been physically present in the United States for at least one year

No annual limit

178,200

Asylees

Aliens granted asylum based on persecution claims who have been physically present in the United States for at least one year

No annual limit

41,650

Other

Includes certain Iraqis and Afghans employed by the U.S. government, victims of crime, cancellation of removal, victims of human trafficking, children born abroad to alien residents, and parolees.

Various limitse

62,820

Total

1,364,090

Source: LPR Category, Description, and Annual Numeric Limit: INA §§203(a), 203(b), and 204 (8 U.S.C. §§1153(a) 1153(b), and 1154). FY2024 Recipients: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics FY2024, Table 6.

a. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 by DHS and may not sum to total due to rounding. In general, instances in which the number of LPR recipients exceeds the statutory annual numeric limit are largely due to timing differences between when LPR status is officially granted, and when immigrants arrive in the United States and are counted by DHS as green card recipients. Such instances also result from the roll-downs of unused visa numbers from higher-priority categories. For more information, see Table 1 in CRS Report R42866, Permanent Legal Immigration to the United States: Policy Overview. The INA contains provisions that permit unused immigrant visa numbers to "fall across" and be used for employment-based immigrants in the following fiscal year. For more information, see "Exceptions to Numerical Limits and the Per-Country Ceiling" in CRS Report R47164, U.S. Employment-Based Immigration Policy.

b. The INA limits EB-3 immigrant visas to 40,040 each year. Since FY2002, that ceiling has been reduced by up to 5,000 each year to accommodate adjustments made under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA, Title II of P.L. 105-100, as amended by P.L. 105-139, Section 1(e)). For FY2024, this reduction was 157.

c. The GRATEFUL Act (P.L. 118-31, §5104) provides for up to 3,500 visas to be made available in FY2024 and up to 3,000 visas in each year thereafter within the EB-4 category to employees of the U.S. government abroad, This provision reduces the number of diversity immigrant visas by the number of such EB-4 visas so that the total number of immigrant visas issued does not exceed current statutory limits.

d. The INA provides for 55,000 diversity immigrant visas each year. Since FY1999, that ceiling has been reduced by up to 5,000 each year to accommodate adjustments made under NACARA. For FY2024, this reduction was 157.

e. For more information on these categories, see CRS Report R42866, Permanent Legal Immigration to the United States: Policy Overview.


Footnotes

1.

The INA is Title 8 of the U.S. Code. For an overview of U.S. immigration policy, see CRS Report R45020, Primer on U.S. Immigration Policy.

2.

These categories are found in INA §101(a)(15), 8 U.S.C. §1101(a)(15).

3.

Nonimmigrants are foreign nationals lawfully admitted to the United States for a specific purpose and period of time, including tourists, diplomats, students, temporary workers, and exchange visitors, among others. For more information, see CRS Report R45040, Immigration: Nonimmigrant (Temporary) Admissions to the United States.
4.

LPRs are foreign nationals lawfully admitted to the United States to live permanently. For more information, see CRS Report R42866, Permanent Legal Immigration to the United States: Policy Overview.