A Nonimmigrant Visas - Foreign Government or Diplomatic Visas
Diplomatic visas are used by diplomats and other government officials for travel to the United States. With the exception of a Head of State or Government who qualifies for an A visa regardless of the purpose of his or her visit to the United States, the type of visa required by a diplomat or other government official depends upon their purpose of travel to the United States.
The specific types of Diplomatic visas are:
- A-1 – For Ambassadors, public ministers, career, diplomatic or consular officers, and members of their immediate family.
- A-2 – For other foreign government officials or employees, and members of their immediate family.
- A-3 – For attendants, servants, or personal employees of holders of A-1 or A-2 visas and members of their immediate family.
To qualify for an A-1 or A-2 visa, one must be traveling to the United States on behalf of their national government to engage solely in official activities for that government. The fact that there may be government interest or control in a given organization is not in itself the defining factor in determining if a nonimmigrant qualifies for an A visa; the particular duties or services that will be performed, must be governmental in character or nature. Government officials traveling to the United States to perform non-governmental functions of a commercial nature or traveling, as tourists, require the appropriate visa, and do not qualify for diplomatic visas.
Foreign officials who are traveling to the United States on official business must obtain an A visa prior to their entry. They cannot travel on tourist’s visas, or visa free under the Visa Waiver Program.
Qualified A visa applicants traveling to the United States for assignments of less than 90 days will be issued visas annotated "TDY” (temporary duty).
These types of Visa processing can be extremely difficult and confusing. If you would like the assistance of an experienced immigration lawyer, please contact us or call our office at 1-415-601-0210 to schedule a consultation today.
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Content on this site is intended for generalized information reasons. It may become out of date at any time due to changes in the law. It is not intended to offer case-specific legal advice nor should it be deemed valid or accurate for that reason. If in fact you have an exact immigration related legal issue, we recommend you consult with an experienced immigration attorney or immigration lawyer. There exists disclaimers throughout our website stating that we are not an official U.S. Government website.
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