Nonimmmigrant and Immigrant Visa--What's the Difference?

U.S. law provides for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Immigrant visas (i.e., permanent resident status or green cards) allow for indefinite residence in the United States. Most immigrant visas are issued on the basis of family sponsorship or through employment (including investment).

In contrast, nonimmigrant visas allow entry only for a limited period an only to carry out specified activities. There are 24 major nonimmigrant visa categories, and 87 specific types of nonimmigrant visas issued. Each NIV category is identified by a particular letter, starting with “A” and currently using up the English alphabet through the letter “V.” The NIV application process is designed to be quicker and less cumbersome than that for immigrant visas.

移民签证和非移民签证有何区别？

美国法律对移民签证和非移民签证都做了规定。移民签证（例如，永久居民身份或者绿卡）允许在美国无限期居留。大部分移民签证的颁发是根据亲属移民或者通过工作（包括投资）。

与之相反，非移民签证仅允许在特定的期间内进入并且只能进行指定的活动。共有24个主要的非移民签证类别，同时有87个特定类型的非移民签证的签发。每一个非移民签证种类都标识特定的字母，它是以“A”开始，目前使用的是英文字母“V”。相比移民签证，非移民签证申请程序的设计更为快捷和简单。