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The visa policy of the United States deals with the requirements which a foreign national wishing to enter the United States must meet to obtain a visa, which is a permit to travel to, enter and remain in the country. Visitors to the United States must obtain a visa from one of the United States diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or Visa Waiver Program countries. The same rules apply to Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands while slightly different rules apply to Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. The United States gives a visitor visa exemption to: * citizens of one of the 3 COFA states, * citizens of Canada, including simplified status under the TN status, * citizens of one of the 38 countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program, or * citizens of The Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands under certain conditions. ==Overview== United States visas were issued to 8.9 million foreign nationals visiting the United States and to 482,000 immigrants in 2012.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Visa Statistics )〕 A foreign national wishing to enter the U.S. must obtain a visa unless he or she is * a citizen of one of the thirty-eight Visa Waiver Program countries * a citizen of Canada, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau * a British Overseas Territories Citizen from Bermuda or the Cayman Islands * a citizen of the Bahamas or a British Overseas Territories Citizen from the Turks and Caicos Islands (if traveling directly to the U.S. from their respective countries with a valid passport and police certificate issued within six months of time of travel certifying they do not have a serious criminal record) * a U.S. permanent resident * eligible for visa-free travel under other laws. There are separate requirements for Mexican citizens.〔(Border Countries: Canada, Mexico and Bermuda )〕 While there are about 185 different types of visas, there are two main categories of U.S. visas: * Nonimmigrant visa - for temporary visits such as for tourism, business, work or studying. * Immigrant visa - for people to immigrate to the United States. At the port of entry, the immigrant visa holder is processed for a permanent resident card (I-551, a.k.a. green card). Upon endorsement (CBP admission stamp) it serves as temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year. In order to immigrate, one should either have an immigrant visa or have a dual intent visa, which is one that is compatible with making a concurrent application for permanent resident status, or having an intention to apply for permanent residence. Entering the U.S. on an employment visa may be described as a three-step process in most cases.〔 First, the employer files an application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requesting a particular type of category visa for a specific individual.〔 If the employer's application is approved, it only authorizes the individual to apply for a visa; the approved application is not actually a visa.〔 The individual then applies for a visa and is usually interviewed at a U.S. embassy or consulate in the native country.〔 If the embassy or consulate gives the visa, the individual is then allowed to travel to the U.S.〔 At the border crossing, airport, or other point of entry into the U.S., the individual speaks with an officer from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ask to admission to the U.S.〔 If approved, the individual may then enter the U.S.〔 Contrary to a popular misconception, a U.S. visa does not authorize the alien's entry to the United States, nor does it authorize the alien's stay in the U.S. in a particular status. A U.S. visa only serves as a preliminary permission given to the alien to travel to the United States and to seek admission to the United States at a designated port of entry.〔(What is a Visa? ) U.S. State Department〕 The final admission to the United States in a particular status and for a particular period of time is made at the port of entry by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. For aliens entering the U.S. in a nonimmigrant visa status these details are recorded by the CBP officer on the alien's Form I-94 (Form I-94W for citizens of the Visa Waiver Program countries entering the U.S. for short visits), which serves as the official document authorizing the alien's stay in the United States in a particular non-immigrant visa status and for a particular period of time.〔(FAQs on the Arrival-Departure Record (I-94 Form) & Crewman Landing Permit (I-95 Form). ) U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed May 1, 2008〕 Another type of U.S. visa is lottery visa. 50,000 additional visa numbers are available each year under the section of visa lottery. In the last few years more than 9 million people have participated in the visa lottery 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Visa policy of the United States」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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