Yes, you can certainly apply for US immigrant and non-immigrant visas if you have acquired a passport through citizen by investment program. You must apply for any US visa at any nearest US consulate. Be sure to check the eligibility for visas before you apply. Refer to entry ban and covid travel bans on certain country nationals.
More than 10 countries operate CBI passport programs. These countries are St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Turkey, Malta, Montenegro, Vanuatu, Bulgaria, Jordan, Egypt.
Here is a quick summary of what you should know..
- Malta has the visa free entry to US through the VWP waiver program.
- No Caribbean nation that run CBI has visa waiver entry to US.
- Only 5 CBI nations have E-2 visa treaty entered with United States.
- Vanuatu citizens require a US visa.
These are the most popular US visa categories
- B-1 – Business visa
- B-2 – Tourism, vacation
- K – Fiance and spouse of US citizen
- L – Intra company transferee
- E – Employment based visas
- I – Treaty trader / investor
US Visa Categories
We have compiled full list of US visa categories.
Non-Immigrant Visas
| Purpose of Travel | Visa Category | Required: Before applying for visa* |
| Athlete, amateur or professional (competing for prize money only) | B-1 | (NA) |
| Au pair (exchange visitor) | J | SEVIS |
| Australian professional specialty | E-3 | DOL |
| Border Crossing Card: Mexico | BCC | (NA) |
| Business visitor | B-1 | (NA) |
| CNMI-only transitional worker | CW-1 | (USCIS) |
| Crewmember | D | (NA) |
| Diplomat or foreign government official | A | (NA) |
| Domestic employee or nanny – must be accompanying a foreign national employer | B-1 | (NA) |
| Employee of a designated international organization or NATO | G1-G5, NATO | (NA) |
| Exchange visitor | J | SEVIS |
| Foreign military personnel stationed in the United States | A-2 NATO1-6 | (NA) |
| Foreign national with extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or Athletics | O | USCIS |
| Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Professional: Chile, Singapore | H-1B1 – Chile H-1B1 – Singapore | DOL |
| International cultural exchange visitor | Q | USCIS |
| Intra-company transferee | L | USCIS |
| Medical treatment, visitor for | B-2 | (NA) |
| Media, journalist | I | (NA) |
| NAFTA professional worker: Mexico, Canada | TN/TD | (NA) |
| Performing athlete, artist, entertainer | P | USCIS |
| Physician | J , H-1B | SEVIS |
| Professor, scholar, teacher (exchange visitor) | J | SEVIS |
| Religious worker | R | USCIS |
| Specialty occupations in fields requiring highly specialized knowledge | H-1B | DOL then USCIS |
| Student: academic, vocational | F, M | SEVIS |
| Temporary agricultural worker | H-2A | DOL then USCIS |
| Temporary worker performing other services or labor of a temporary or seasonal nature. | H-2B | DOL then USCIS |
| Tourism, vacation, pleasure visitor | B-2 | (NA) |
| Training in a program not primarily for employment | H-3 | USCIS |
| Treaty trader/treaty investor | E | (NA) |
| Transiting the United States | C | (NA) |
| Victim of Criminal Activity | U | USCIS |
| Victim of Human Trafficking | T | USCIS |
| Nonimmigrant (V) Visa for Spouse and Children of a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) | V | (NA) |
| Renewals in the U.S. – A, G, and NATO Visas | (NA) |
*What the abbreviations above mean – Before applying for a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, the following is required:
- DOL = The U.S. employer must obtain foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor, prior to filing a petition with USCIS.
- USCIS = U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
- SEVIS = Program approval entered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
- (NA) = Not Applicable – Additional approval by another U.S. government agency is not required prior to applying for a visa
Immigrant Visas
| Immediate Relative & Family Sponsored | Visa Category |
| Spouse of a U.S. Citizen | IR1, CR1 |
| Spouse of a U.S. Citizen awaiting approval of an I-130 immigrant petition | K-3 * |
| Fiancé(e) to marry U.S. Citizen & live in U.S. | K-1 * |
| Intercountry Adoption of Orphan Children by U.S. Citizens | IR3, IH3, IR4, IH4 |
| Certain Family Members of U.S. Citizens | IR2, CR2, IR5, F1, F3, F4 |
| Certain Family Members of Lawful Permanent Residents | F2A, F2B |
| Employer Sponsored – Employment | |
Employment-Based Immigrants, including (preference group):
|
E1 E3, EW3 C5, T5, R5, I5 S (many**) |
| Religious Workers | SD, SR |
| Iraqi and Afghan Translators/Interpreters | SI |
| Iraqis Who Worked for/on Behalf of the U.S. Government | SQ |
| Afghans Who Worked for/on Behalf of the U.S. Government | SQ |
| Other Immigrants | |
| Diversity Immigrant Visa | DV |
| Returning Resident | SB |
For more information about visa categories, please refer to the state department website
