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Understanding US visa categories: H-1B, L-1, O-1, EB-2, EB-5, F-1, J-1, B, K
The US immigration system is a patchwork of categories, each with its own eligibility rules, evidence standards, and timelines. Before you spend money on filing fees or commit to a path, you need to understand the landscape: which visas are employer-sponsored, which you can self-petition, which lead to a green card, and which are strictly temporary. This guide lays out the main categories, H-1B, L-1, O-1, EB-2, EB-5, F-1, J-1, B, and K, side by side, in plain English.
What you’ll learn
- How nonimmigrant (temporary) and immigrant (green card) categories differ, and why it matters
- Which visas require an employer sponsor and which you can file yourself
- The core eligibility test for H-1B, L-1, O-1, EB-2 NIW, EB-5, F-1, J-1, B and K
- Typical government filing fees and realistic processing times for each
- How 'dual intent' works and which visas allow it
- The usual progression paths (for example F-1 → OPT → H-1B → green card)
- A comparison framework to narrow the field down to your shortlist
Each category is explained the same way: who it is designed for, the core requirements, the typical cost and processing time, and the common reasons people choose it or rule it out. The aim is orientation, not a recommendation. By the end you will be able to read any visa discussion online and know exactly where it fits, and which one or two routes are worth investigating for your own situation.
Educational content only, these guides are not legal advice.Read the full disclaimer →
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The H-1B visa explained: lottery, cap, employer sponsorship
Most people learn the H-1B is a lottery only after their employer misses the March registration window. The full annual cycle is laid out here: the cap, the 20,000 master's exemption, prevailing wage, and what your sponsor is actually responsible for.
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The O-1 visa for individuals of extraordinary ability
The O-1 has no cap and no lottery, but it turns your career into an evidence problem judged against eight criteria. Officers want proof against each criterion and a record that holds together; this shows what that proof looks like.
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EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) self-petition
The NIW is one of the few green cards you can file yourself, no employer and no PERM, if you clear the three-pronged Dhanasar test. Each prong gets its own treatment, with the evidence that actually persuades USCIS to grant the waiver.