米国ビザとは?

多くの国は不法労働者となる疑いのある人や自国の安全をおびやかす恐れのある人の入国を防ぐため、そして入国時の審査を簡素化するため、事前に在外公館でチェックを行い、入国許可証を発行します。この許可証がビザ(査証)です。

ただし、入国の可否の最終決定権は入国審査官に与えられています。そのため、有効なビザを持っていても入国審査官の判断により入国が拒否されることがあります。

米国のビザは大きく分けて非移民ビザと移民ビザに分かれます。非移民ビザは海外駐在や留学など一時的な滞在のためもので、帰国することが前提になります。一方移民ビザとは永住権(グリーンカード)とも呼ばれ、アメリカに定住する意思のもと、取得すると永久的にアメリカに居住することが許されます。(ただし更新の必要はあります。)

移民ビザの取得方法には雇用・投資・結婚・家族呼び寄せ・応募抽選などがあります。申請は日本から行います。米国内において非移民ビザから移民ビザへのステータス変更も可能です。

また、移民ビザ取得後に一定の条件を満たせば、アメリカ市民になることができます。

非移民ビザには、A~Vビザ、NAFTAビザ、NATOビザがあり、さらにH-1B、H-2、H-3、H-4、と分類されているビザもあります。この中で一般的な企業が主に必要とするビザは、Bビザ、Eビザ、Fビザ、H-1Bビザ、Jビザ、Lビザです。


ビザの種類

Non-residents
  Temporary visitors for pleasure
      B2: Temporary visitors for pleasure
      (WT: Visa Waiver Program – temporary visitors for pleasure)
      (GT: Guam Visa Waiver Program – temporary visitors for pleasure to Guam)
  Temporary visitors for business
      B1: Temporary visitors for business
      (WB: Visa Waiver Program – temporary visitors for business)
      (GB: Guam Visa Waiver Program – temporary visitors for business to Guam)
  Transit aliens
      C1: Aliens in continuous and immediate transit through the United States
      C2: Aliens in transit to the United Nations
      C3: Foreign government officials, their spouses, children, and attendants in transit
  Commuter students
      F3: Canadian or Mexican national academic commuter students
      M3: Canadian or Mexican national vocational commuter students
Short-term Residents
  Temporary workers and families
    Temporary workers and trainees
      H1B: Temporary workers with “specialty occupation”
      H1B1: Chile and Singapore Free Trade Agreement aliens
      H1C: Registered nurses participating in the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas
      H2A: Seasonal agricultural workers
      H2B: Seasonal nonagricultural workers
      H2R: Returning H2B workers
      H3: Trainees
      H4: Spouses and children of H1, H2, or H3
      O1: Workers with extraordinary ability or achievement
      O2: Workers accompanying and assisting in performance of O1 workers
      O3: Spouses and children of O1 and O2
      P1: Internationally recognized athletes or entertainers
      P2: Artists or entertainers in reciprocal exchange programs
      P3: Artists or entertainers in culturally unique programs
      P4: Spouses and children of P1, P2, or P3
      Q1: Workers in international cultural exchange programs
      R1: Workers in religious occupations
      R2: Spouses and children of R1
      TN: North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) professional workers
      TD: Spouses and children of TN
    Intracompany transferees
      L1: Intracompany transferees
      L2: Spouses and children of L1
    Treaty traders and investors
      E1: Treaty traders and their spouses and children
      E2: Treaty investors and their spouses and children
      E3: Australian Free Trade Agreement principals, spouses and children
    Representatives of foreign information media
      I1: Representatives of foreign information media and spouses and children
  Students
      F1: Academic students
      F2: Spouses and children of F1
      M1: Vocational students
      M2: Spouses and children of M1
  Exchange visitors
      J1: Exchange visitors
      J2: Spouses and children of J1
  Diplomats and other representatives
      A1: Ambassadors, public ministers, career diplomatic or consular officers and their families
      A2: Other foreign government officials or employees and their families
      A3: Attendants, servants, or personal employees of A1 and A2 and their families
      G1: Principals of recognized foreign governments
      G2: Other representatives of recognized foreign governments
      G3: Representatives of nonrecognized or nonmember foreign governments
      G4: International organization officers or employees
      N1 to N7: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials, spouses, and children
  Other categories
      Q2: Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program aliens
      Q3: Spouses and children of Q2
  Expected Long-term Residents
    Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act
      K1: Fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens
      K2: Children of K1
      K3: Spouses of U.S. citizens, immigrant visa pending
      K4: Children of K3, immigrant visa pending
      V1 to V3: Spouses and children of permanent residents, immigrant visa pending
  Other categories
      N8: Parents of international organization special immigrants
      N9: Children of N8 or international organization special immigrants