For foreign workers participating in commercial or professional business activities in the US (i.e. consulting, conference attendance, negotiating a contract, or short-term training). Maximum stay: 6 months, with 6-month renewal. Cannot earn an income on this visa. No cap. No deadline. Learn more

Available to visitors interested in recreational or personal travel. Reasons for a personal visit may include tourism, visiting family and friends, medical treatment, social or service activities, and amateur participants in sporting or entertainment events. Visitors may stay in the US for 6 months, with an opportunity to extend their visit for another 6 months (1 year total). Learn more

​ ​- Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student’s major area of study. Eligible students can apply to receive up to 12 months of OPT employment authorization before completing their academic studies (pre-completion) and/or after completing their academic studies (post-completion). However, all periods of pre-completion OPT will be deducted from the available period of post-completion OPT. Curricular Practical Training (CPT): Students are not required to immediately return home upon completion of their program on an F1 visa. Instead, F-1 visa holders can remain in the US for up to 60 days after completing their academic program or OPT training. Any students wishing to remain in the States after their program must change their visa status, re-enroll in a higher program, or have the option to transfer to a new school and receive new visa documents.

A K-1 visa is issued to the fiancé or fiancée of a United States citizen to enter the United States with the intent to marry. The K-1 visa requires that the foreigner marry his or her U.S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of entry, or else he or she must depart the United States. After marriage, the US citizen spouse can petition to Adjust Status to that of a Permanent Resident (apply for a Green Card)

I-485 - Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status Once a foreign spouse has received an approved I-130 (or if the spouse is already in the US), the foreign national can apply to Adjust Status to that of a Legal Permanent Resident (Green Card application). For purposes of a marriage-based Green Card, only a foreign spouse who is physically present in the United States can file an I-485 to apply for a Green Card. The processing time for I-485 applications filed by spouses of U.S. citizens is currently about 9-12 months. The foreign national will also apply for work authorization (EAD card) and Advance Parole to have permission to leave the United States while the Adjustment of Status application is pending without abandoning the application. I-130 - Petition for Alien Relative Use this form if you are a citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the United States who wants to petition for your spouse to immigrate to the United States with a Green Card. For married couples that are both present in the United States, you will file the I-130 at the same time as the I-485 to Adjust Status to that of a Legal Permanent Resident (Green Card application). Spouses who reside outside the United States may apply for a visa with the U.S. consulate in their home country through the I-130. Form I-485 - Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status Typically, relatives who reside outside the United States may apply for a visa with the U.S. Department of State. For more information, please see the form instructions.

If you meet certain requirements, you may become a U.S. citizen either at birth or after birth. To become a citizen at birth, you must: Have been born in the United States or certain territories or outlying possessions of the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; OR Had a parent or parents who were citizens at the time of your birth (if you were born abroad) and meet other requirements To become a citizen after birth, you must: Apply for “derived” or “acquired” citizenship through parents Apply for naturalization You May Qualify for Naturalization if: You have been a permanent resident for 3 years or more and meet all eligibility requirements to file as a spouse of a U.S. citizen, please visit our Naturalization for Spouses of U.S. Citizens page for more information. You have qualifying service in the U.S. armed forces and meet all other eligibility requirements. Visit the Military section of our website. Your child may qualify for naturalization if you are a U.S. citizen, the child was born outside the U.S., the child is currently residing outside the U.S., and all other eligibility requirements are met.

Under the German Nationality Act “Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz”, the moment a German citizen acquires citizenship of another country, he or she loses German citizenship automatically because German law does not allow dual citizenship in this context. This means that if a US resident wishes to obtain US citizenship while retaining his or her German citizenship, the applicant must first petition the German government to allow the applicant to maintain his or her German citizenship. This requirement is unique to German citizens and provides an additional, preliminary step before the applicant may apply for US citizenship. Learn more

Italian Citizenship is based upon the principle of “jus sanguinis” ("blood right"), which means that the child born from an Italian father or mother is an Italian citizen regardless of the place of birth. In order to be recognized as an Italian citizen, applicants must prove that their Italian ancestor who was born in Italy did not acquire citizenship from another country before his or her child was born abroad in another country. We help Italian descendants obtain their Italian citizenship by applying at a US consulate, or partnering with an Italian lawyer to process the application through the courts in Italy. Learn More