An A Visa is a category of non-immigrant
visa
Visa most commonly refers to:
*Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Visa Plus, an interbank network
*Travel visa, a document that allows ...
s allowing travel to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
issued to ambassadors, diplomats, government officials, and their support staff.
Types
A-1
The A-1 visa is granted to many people such as ambassadors,
ministers
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
,
diplomats
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internatio ...
, consular officers, and their immediate family members.
While government officials normally do not qualify for an A-1 visa if they are traveling for non-official, non-governmental purposes,
heads of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...
and
heads of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...
always qualify and must apply for an A visa regardless of their purpose of travel.
Visitors on an A-1 visa
cannot be tried under US law for a crime, and may travel to and from the country an unlimited number of times. There is no maximum length of stay for individuals admitted on an A-1 visa, and there is no requirement to maintain a foreign residence.
[
]
A-2
The A-2 visa is granted to certain government officials, employees, their immediate families, and their technical and support staff.[ This includes military personnel traveling for reasons not related to ]NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
. Those typically admitted under an A-2 visa include:
* Individuals traveling to work at a consulate
A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth c ...
or embassy
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...
in the US
* Individuals traveling to the US on the written request of their home country
* Members of foreign militaries stationed at US military installations
* Representatives from the African Union or European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
[
]
A-3
The A-3 visa is granted to attendants, servants, and employees of those in the US under A-1 or A-2 visas.[ A-3 recipients fall into two categories: those paid by the principal applicant's home government, and domestic employees paid by the principal applicant themselves. The maximum duration of stay is three years, and individuals are exempt from US taxes.][
]
Notes
References
External links
8 CFR § 214.2(a)
Link to Title 8, Code of Federal Regulations.
Visa wait times
Visa wait times at consulates around the world
United States visas by type
United States immigration law
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