Anyone wishing to relocate to the USA for a short period of time should apply for a temporary US visa, for example, a B1 business visa, B2 travel visa, L1 visa, H1B visa, E1 visa or E2 visa.

The US business visa or B1 visa, allows a foreign national to enter the country on short-term business activities, such as attending conferences, but actually carrying out work is not permitted. A B1 visa usually allows a candidate to enter the USA for up to six months, but the total validity period of this visa is anywhere from one to 10years, in most cases.

The B2 travel visa, allows a foreigner to travel around the USA, temporarily, for tourism purposes and to visit friends and family.

The L1 or H1B visa is issued to people who wish to live and work in the country for a longer period of time.

For anyone wishing to establish a business in the country, an E1 or E2 visa must be applied for. These two visas have five-year validity and holders of E1 and E2 visas have the opportunity to pursue a US Green Card.

Anyone intending to relocate in the USA permanently should go down the employment-based routes for US Green Cards by first applying for EB-1 and EB-2 visas.

The EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5 visas permit qualified individuals to apply for permanent residency in the country through employment opportunities.

An individual may also apply for a Green Card through specific categories of family relationship, such as a sibling, spouse, parent or fiancé.

The annual US “Green Card Lottery” is aimed at giving candidates from under-represented countries the opportunity of obtaining a Green Card and of living and working in the country.