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  • Immigration Classifications and Visa Categories

    Welcome to our "Visa Portal," your gateway to information on immigration classifications and visas.  

    The Immigration and Nationality Act as amended over the years, provides the basic framework for regulating the flow of visitors, workers and immigrants to the United States. The last major overhaul of the immigration system was the Immigration Act of 1990. This Act provides most of the still-current immigrant and nonimmigrant classification and numerical ceilings (subsequent legislation has added new classifications and/or amended existing ones -- but the basic framework remains largely the same as in 1990).

    This page is intended for public information purposes only. It is not intended to provide links to all the information and forms needed to apply for and take advantage of one of these classifications/visas. However, it is instructive to record in one place the variety of classifications and visas that make up the U.S. immigration system today. Please note: The State Department is the entity of the U.S. Government that is chiefly responsible for determining eligibility and issuing visas for entry to the US. Visas are not issued through the Department of Homeland Security

    This is one of four pages of visas and related information. This page contains general information on visas. There are pages on nonimmigrant visas, immigrant visas and other immigration channels. To send us feedback abut this page, please use the Feedback feature on the USCIS Website (choose the purpose of "Comment on the Website").

    Quick links to relevant State Department information on visas:

    Quick links to relevant immigration information on visas, documents and status-related questions:

    Alphabetical List of Nonimmigrant Classifications and Visas

    Last Modified 03/16/2004