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Visas and relocation: United States

Temporary visas, study and work, family and employment immigration, the Green Card and the Diversity Visa.

Official portal

U.S. Department of State

Green Card: categories, documents and forms
01

Temporary visit B-1/B-2

B-1 is for permitted business purposes and B-2 for tourism, medical treatment and visits. These visas give no general right to work or to live permanently in the United States.

Who it is for

  • A temporary, permitted purpose of travel
  • Sufficient funds for the trip
  • The intention to leave the United States and convincing ties abroad
5 documents 4 steps
Documents and application steps
02

Study and exchange F-1, M-1, J-1

F-1 is used for academic study, M-1 for vocational programmes and J-1 for approved exchanges. The process starts with the school or the sponsor.

Who it is for

  • Admission to an SEVP-certified institution, or an approved J programme
  • Form I-20 or DS-2019
  • SEVIS, funding and the intention to comply with the conditions of the status
5 documents 4 steps
Documents and application steps
03

Temporary work

The H, L, O, P, R and other categories depend on the occupation and the type of relationship. For many routes the employer or agent must first have a USCIS petition approved.

Who it is for

  • A suitable visa category
  • A job offer, transfer or record of achievement as the category requires
  • An approved USCIS petition where required
5 documents 4 steps
Documents and application steps
04

Family-based Green Card

US citizens and permanent residents may petition for the relatives the law provides for. Some categories have a visa number available at once; others queue under the Visa Bulletin.

Who it is for

  • A qualifying family relationship
  • A suitable status held by the petitioner
  • Financial sponsorship and no grounds of inadmissibility, or an available waiver
5 documents 4 steps
Documents and application steps
05

Employment-based Green Card

The five EB groups cover priority workers, professionals, other workers, special immigrants and investors. Many cases require labor certification and an I-140.

Who it is for

  • Meeting EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4 or EB-5
  • An employer and labor certification where these are required
  • A current priority date under the Visa Bulletin
5 documents 4 steps
Documents and application steps
06

Diversity Visa

A free annual registration for natives of eligible countries who meet the education or work-experience requirement. As of 2 August 2026 the State Department states that Diversity Visa issuance is suspended with no exceptions; applications and interviews may continue.

Who it is for

  • Your country of birth is eligible under that year's instructions
  • Secondary education at the required level, or qualifying work experience
  • Only one free entry per person during the registration period
5 documents 4 steps
Documents and application steps

For your citizenship

What citizens of Russia and Kazakhstan need

The baseline document list is the same for everyone, but the visa regime, legalisation and translations depend on your citizenship. Below are the differences, checked against official sources.

Russia

checked 04.08.2026

A visa is required: the visa-waiver programme is not available

Russia and Kazakhstan are not in the Visa Waiver Program, so a visa of the relevant category is required. Since 15 July 2026 non-immigrant interviews are normally scheduled in the country of citizenship or residence, or at a designated post.

US State Department · visas

Prepare at home in advance

Kazakhstan

checked 04.08.2026

A visa is required: the visa-waiver programme is not available

Russia and Kazakhstan are not in the Visa Waiver Program, so a visa of the relevant category is required. Since 15 July 2026 non-immigrant interviews are normally scheduled in the country of citizenship or residence, or at a designated post.

US State Department · visas

Prepare at home in advance

  • Police clearance certificate from Kazakhstan

    Issued through eGov.kz or a public service centre. Filing abroad usually requires an apostille and a translation by a sworn translator of the destination country.

    eGov.kz · criminal record information

  • Apostille on official documents

    Civil registry certificates, official statements and diplomas are accepted abroad only with an apostille affixed in the issuing country. It goes on the original or a notarised copy, depending on the authority's rules.

    Apostille in Kazakhstan · eGov.kz

Mark what you are missing

Save the list to your account: mark each item as ready, missing or expired, and you will see how many documents are still to collect.

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