PILLAR · NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS
Non-Immigrant Visas
Specialty work visas other than H-1B: L-1 intracompany transferee, O-1 extraordinary ability, TN (USMCA), E-3 (Australia), H-2B seasonal, plus B-1/B-2 visitor.
Non-immigrant work and treaty visas
U.S. non-immigrant visa categories outside H-1B cover specialized employment, treaty-trader, and intracompany-transfer paths that bypass the H-1B annual cap. Each category has distinct eligibility criteria, evidence standards, and USCIS adjudication windows. Per the current USCIS processing-times tool, I-129 ranges run 1–6 months across most non-immigrant work classifications, with premium processing (Form I-907, $2,805) available for 15-calendar-day adjudication on H-1B, L-1, O-1, and TN.
The non-immigrant visa decision depends on country of birth, role specialty, and employer type. Treaty-based options (TN for Canada/Mexico, E-3 for Australia, H-1B1 for Chile/Singapore) avoid the H-1B lottery entirely for eligible nationals. O-1 (extraordinary ability) and L-1 (intracompany transfer) carry no annual cap. Source authority: USCIS work-visa portal and DOS employment visas.
Non-immigrant visa sub-pages
- L-1 visa · L-1A managers/executives + L-1B specialized knowledge intracompany transfer
- O-1 visa · extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, athletics
- TN visa · NAFTA/USMCA professional visa for Canadian and Mexican citizens
- E-3 visa · Australia-specific specialty occupation visa
- H-2B visa · seasonal/temporary non-agricultural workers
- O-1 visa requirements · 8 evidentiary criteria, 3-criteria threshold
- L-1A intracompany manager/executive · 1-year qualifying employment, 7-year max
- L-1B specialized knowledge · 1-year qualifying employment, 5-year max
- B-1/B-2 visitor visa · business and tourism short-stay