Foreign nationals who have a job offer from a U.S. employer or possess extraordinary skills in their field. The most common categories are:

• H-1B — Specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree (tech, finance, engineering, healthcare, etc.). The employer must sponsor you and file a petition. H-1B visas are subject to an annual cap. Since the FY 2027 cap season, USCIS selects registrations with a wage-weighted process instead of a purely random lottery (USCIS).
• L-1 — Managers, executives, or specialized employees being transferred from a foreign company to a U.S. office of the same company.
• O-1 — Individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement in their field (arts, science, business, athletics, film/TV).
• Employment-Based Green Card (EB-1 through EB-5) — Permanent residency through employment, ranging from priority workers and advanced degree professionals to investors.

People who have fled — or fear returning to — their home country because of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

You can apply for asylum regardless of your immigration status if you are already in the U.S. In most cases, you must apply within one year of arriving. Exceptions and changing border-related rules can apply; seek qualified legal advice promptly. Since 2025, federal law (H.R. 1) requires a $100 fee to file an asylum application and an annual fee while it is pending; some people are exempt. Check the current fees on uscis.gov/i-589.

• Affirmative asylum — You apply proactively at a USCIS Asylum Office if you are not in removal proceedings.
• Defensive asylum — You raise asylum as a defense in immigration court if you are already in removal proceedings.
• Refugee status — Similar protections, but applied for from outside the U.S. through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

Immigrants who have been victims of certain qualifying crimes and have cooperated — or are willing to cooperate — with law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of that crime.

Qualifying crimes include domestic violence, sexual assault, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, trafficking, felonious assault, and many others.

The U-visa provides up to 4 years of temporary legal status and work authorization, and after 3 years of continuous presence you may be eligible to apply for a green card.

Immigrants who are victims of battery or extreme cruelty committed by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident who is their spouse, parent, or child. VAWA applies to all genders — men and LGBTQ+ individuals can also apply.

VAWA allows victims to self-petition for a green card without the abuser's knowledge or involvement. This is critical because abusers often use the immigration process as a form of control.

Nationals of countries that the U.S. government has designated because of ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions that make it unsafe to return.

TPS provides protection from deportation and work authorization for the duration of the designation. It does not lead directly to a green card. Many TPS designations have been ended or changed recently, so check your country's status.

TPS designations and deadlines change. Check USCIS’s current TPS page before acting.

People who came to the U.S. as children (before age 16) and meet specific requirements related to education, continuous residence, and background.

DACA is not a visa and not legal immigration status — it is a policy that defers deportation and provides renewable 2-year work authorization (Employment Authorization Documents, or EADs).