US Visa Types Explained 2026: B1/B2, F1, J1, H1B, K1 and More

US visas come in two families. Nonimmigrant visas are for a temporary stay: a visit, study, an exchange or a job for a set time. Immigrant visas are for people who will live in the United States for good, for example through family or a green card lottery win. This guide covers the nonimmigrant side, which is what most travellers need.

Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries can visit for up to 90 days with ESTA instead of a visa. Everyone else, including citizens of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, India, Russia and Türkiye, applies for a visa at a US embassy: the DS 160 form, a fee, and an interview. The visa lets you travel to a US port of entry; the border officer decides on entry and on how long you may stay.

Several visa types need approval in the United States before you can apply at the embassy. Work visas such as H1B and L1 need a petition from the employer to USCIS, and the K1 needs a petition from the US citizen fiance. Students need a form from their school first.

Fees were read from the State Department fee pages in November 2026. The fee is not refunded if the visa is refused. A USD 250 visa integrity fee exists in US law; check the embassy page to see whether it is collected when you apply.

Most travellers need the B1/B2. It is one visa for both business (B1) and tourism (B2). You can attend meetings and conferences, negotiate contracts, visit family, see the country or get medical treatment. You cannot take a job, be paid by a US company or enrol in a full study programme.

The officer must believe that you will go home after the trip. That is why ties to your country of residence, such as a job, a family and a stable income, matter so much. Azerbaijanis can read our Baku interview guide; people who live in Azerbaijan on a residence permit can also apply in Baku.

The F1 is for academic study: a degree, a language school or a high school. The school accepts you first and sends Form I 20. The M1 is the same idea for vocational schools. The J1 is for exchange programmes run by an approved sponsor, which sends Form DS 2019.

Before the interview you pay the SEVIS fee online on the official FMJ fee site: USD 350 for F and M students, USD 220 for most J exchange visitors and USD 35 for some J programmes such as au pair, camp counsellor and summer work and travel. This is separate from the USD 185 visa fee.

Since 2025 the State Department reviews the online presence of F, M and J applicants and asks them to set social media profiles to public. List every social media name you used in the last 5 years on the DS 160.

Some J1 visitors must live in their home country for 2 years after the programme before they can get certain US visas. Check your DS 2019 and visa for this rule.

You cannot apply for a US work visa on your own. A US employer files a petition with USCIS, and only after approval do you apply at the embassy. The H1B is for jobs that need at least a bachelor degree. Most new H1B jobs go through a yearly registration in March; since the FY 2027 season, DHS weights the selection toward higher paid and more skilled roles.

In September 2025 a presidential proclamation added a USD 100,000 payment for certain new H1B petitions for workers outside the United States. A US court set aside the USCIS guidance for it in June 2026 and the government has appealed, so employers should check the USCIS H1B page for the status on the day they file.

Other work routes include L1 for company transfers, O1 for extraordinary ability, H2A and H2B for seasonal work, and R1 for religious workers. Each has its own petition and rules.

The K1 lets the fiance of a US citizen travel to the United States to marry. The US citizen first files a petition with USCIS. After approval, the fiance applies at the embassy, pays USD 265 and has a medical exam. The couple must marry within 90 days of entry; after that, the spouse applies to stay as a permanent resident.

The E2 is for investors from countries that have a treaty with the United States. Azerbaijan is on the State Department treaty list for E2 since 2001, but not for E1 treaty trader visas. The investment must be substantial and you must run the business yourself.

• Short trip for meetings, tourism or family: B1/B2.
• A degree or a long language course: F1. A short recreational course of a few hours a week can fit a B2.
• A sponsored programme with a DS 2019: J1.
• A US job offer: the employer starts a petition, usually H1B, L1 or O1.
• Engaged to a US citizen: K1. Already married: an immigrant visa for spouses.
• Only changing planes in the United States: a C1 transit visa, unless you can use ESTA.
• Not sure: the State Department visa wizard on travel.state.gov asks a few questions and points to the category.