A Visa (A-1, A-2, A-3): Diplomats and Foreign Government Officials

What A visas are

A visas are nonimmigrant (temporary) visas for people coming to the United States to perform diplomatic and official business of a governmental nature for a foreign government, together with their immediate family and their personal employees. The State Department's classification table (22 CFR 41.12) lists three A visa symbols under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA): A1, A2 and A3.^[1,5]

Official A visa symbols, from 22 CFR 41.12 (eCFR current as of Oct. 1, 2026)
Symbol	Class	Section of law
A1	Ambassador, Public Minister, Career Diplomat or Consular Officer, or Immediate Family	INA 101(a)(15)(A)(i)
A2	Other Foreign Government Official or Employee, or Immediate Family	INA 101(a)(15)(A)(ii)
A3	Attendant, Servant, or Personal Employee of A1 or A2, or Immediate Family	INA 101(a)(15)(A)(iii)

Checked Oct 18, 2026^[5]

Who qualifies

High confidence A principal applicant is classifiable A-1 or A-2 if they have been accredited by a foreign government that the United States recognizes de jure (in law), intend to engage solely in official activities for that government while in the United States, and have been accepted by the President, the Secretary of State, or a consular officer acting for the Secretary. Being a government official, or holding a diplomatic or official passport, does not by itself qualify you: classification depends on the purpose of your trip and the official duties you will perform. The exception is a head of state or head of government, and their immediate family, who are A-1 whatever the purpose of travel.^[1,4]

A-1: ambassadors, public ministers, and career diplomatic or consular officers accepted by the President or the Secretary of State. This includes officers accredited to an embassy or consulate in the United States (titles such as Ambassador, Minister, Counselor, Secretary, Consul General, Consul or Vice Consul); officials traveling to perform official duties who hold a position corresponding to a U.S. Cabinet member, are the presiding officer of a national legislative body, or are a member of the highest judicial tribunal; and career couriers traveling on official business for their government.^[1,4,8]
A-2: other accredited officials and employees of a foreign government, accepted by the Secretary of State on a basis of reciprocity. This usually covers administrative, technical and service staff at an embassy, consular employees and service staff at a consulate, and officials sent by their government solely to perform duties that the State Department considers official in nature, including at an international meeting in the United States that is not convened by a designated international organization; most official temporary duty (TDY) trips of less than 90 days are A-2. For a stay of 90 days or more, A-2 is normally limited to people coming to work at an embassy, consulate or miscellaneous foreign government office in the United States, with limited exceptions. Personnel of the armed services of countries outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), traveling in connection with their military status for education or training at a U.S. military school or installation, are also classifiable A-2. For both A-1 officers and A-2 employees assigned to an embassy or consulate, State Department guidance says the person should be at least 20 years old on entry, work full time for the foreign government (at least 35 hours a week) and live in the metropolitan area of the post.^[1,8]
A-3: attendants, servants and personal employees of an A-1 or A-2 official, and their immediate family. Attendants are paid from the foreign government's public funds and accompany or follow to join the official; servants and personal employees work in a domestic or personal capacity, are paid from the official's private funds, and come solely for that job. The employer must already be in A status in the United States, or hold an A visa and travel with or ahead of the employee. A person employed by someone who has U.S. permanent resident status cannot get an A-3 visa.^[1,3]

Which refusal grounds apply

Only three of the refusal grounds in INA 212(a) apply to A-1 and A-2 applicants: 212(a)(3)(A), (3)(B) and (3)(C). An applicant who shows they qualify for A-1 or A-2 therefore cannot be refused as an intending immigrant, or on grounds of health, criminal activities or prior visa violations. If a bar outside INA 212(a), such as a presidential proclamation, appears to apply, the consular officer refers the case to the State Department for an advisory opinion. An A-1 or A-2 visa may not be issued, however, to someone the State Department has determined to be persona non grata. A-3 applicants are subject to all the refusal grounds that apply to nonimmigrants in general, including INA 214(b): they must show they are not an intending immigrant, have a residence abroad they do not intend to abandon, and intend to leave the United States when the approved work ends. State Department guidance adds that, because these employees may stay longer than most visitors, the residence-abroad review should not focus too heavily on the usual ties.^[1,3]

Taiwan: TECRO staff do not use A visas

Representatives of Taiwan receive E-1, B or C visas instead

State Department guidance says representatives of Taiwan, including employees of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) and its Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (TECOs), may not receive A or G visas, and that U.S. visas may never be placed in diplomatic or official passports issued by Taiwan. Individuals assigned to TECRO as designated employees, and their immediate family members, are issued E-1 visas if eligible and are admitted for duration of status (D/S). TECRO employees or secondees on a temporary trip supporting TECRO's trade-related operations in the United States for defense-related training, liaising or foreign military sales are also E-1; other trade-related temporary trips are referred to the State Department for a case-by-case determination. Otherwise, representatives of Taiwan on short-term business for Taiwan authorities are classifiable B-1/B-2, and those transiting the United States B-1/B-2 or C-1; they may also be eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).^[1]

The State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual says there are no visa application (MRV) fees or reciprocity fees for TECRO E-1 applicants. The spouse or unmarried son or daughter of a TECRO designated employee may apply to USCIS for employment authorization (category (c)(2)); a son or daughter older than 21 qualifies only if under 23 and studying full time at a post-secondary school. The USCIS fee for that Form I-765 is $0 (Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26). Family members of long-term temporary-duty TECRO staff who are not designated employees are not eligible for employment authorization.^[1,9]

Family

For A visas, immediate family means: a spouse who resides regularly in the principal's household and is not a member of some other household; unmarried sons and daughters, by blood or adoption, who reside regularly in the household, are not members of some other household, and are under 21, or under 23 and in full-time attendance at a post-secondary educational institution; and other individuals who reside regularly in the household, are not members of some other household, are recognized as the principal's dependents by the sending government (shown, for example, by a diplomatic or official passport, or travel or other allowances) and are individually authorized by the State Department. A member of the immediate family of an A-1 or A-2 principal is classifiable A-1 or A-2 as well. State Department guidance limits that third group to relatives by blood, marriage or adoption of the principal or the principal's spouse (and, in limited cases, a same-sex domestic partner of an A-1 or A-2 principal and that partner's relatives), and says being listed in the diplomatic note is not enough to show that the government recognizes the person.^[1,3,4]

Dependents of an A-1 or A-2 principal assigned to official duty in the United States may work only under a formal bilateral employment agreement or an informal de facto reciprocal arrangement. Which applies depends on the foreign state that employs the principal, not on anyone's nationality, although under a de facto arrangement the principal must also be a national of that state. The dependent submits Form I-566 to the State Department through the office or mission that employs the principal; if the State Department's endorsement is favorable, the dependent applies to USCIS for employment authorization, presenting the endorsed I-566. Permission is granted in increments of up to three years, and a denial cannot be appealed. A dependent who works must pay all federal, state and local income and employment taxes and Social Security contributions, and does not have immunity from civil or administrative jurisdiction for matters arising out of the job. A de facto arrangement has further conditions, including that the principal's assignment is expected to last more than six months.^[2]

Immediate family of an A-3 employee can also be classified A-3, but State Department guidance says these cases are rare and closely reviewed. Because family members of an A-3 employee cannot work in the United States, including in the official's home, the consular officer must be satisfied that the employee's wages can support them and that they will leave the United States when the employee's job or status ends. Except when the employer is on a temporary assignment of less than 90 days, the family members must also be pre-notified to the State Department's Office of the Chief of Protocol.^[1,2,5]

A-3 domestic employees: contract and interview

Before an A-3 visa can be issued, you and your employer must sign an employment contract, in a language you understand (with an accurate English translation attached if it is not in English), that contains every term the State Department requires. Among them: an hourly rate of at least the greater of the federal, state or local minimum wage; usual weekly hours, which must be at least 35, and at least one full day off each week; the employer's agreement not to take or control your passport, visa, contract or other documents or property; and the employer paying your travel to the United States at the start and back home at the end of the job, for any reason, without deducting it from your salary. You must be interviewed, outside the presence of your employer or any recruitment agent, and the officer confirms that you have received, read and understood the State Department's "Know Your Rights" information pamphlet.^[1]

Most A-3 applicants must also be pre-notified by the foreign mission to the State Department's Office of the Chief of Protocol and listed in the Office of Foreign Missions Information System (TOMIS) before a visa can be issued; this does not apply when the employer is on a temporary assignment of less than 90 days. State Department guidance also tells consular officers to presume an A-3 applicant is not eligible if the employer is not the principal officer or deputy principal officer, or does not hold the diplomatic rank of minister or higher, because of concerns about the employer's ability to pay. The employer or the employee can rebut this by showing that the employer has enough funds to pay the minimum wage in the contract.^[1]

Fees

State Department visa fees from 22 CFR 22.1 (eCFR current as of Oct. 1, 2026), with State Department guidance in the Foreign Affairs Manual (9 FAM 402.3); USCIS form fees from Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26.
Item	Fee
Visa application fee, A-1, A-2 and A-3	No fee
Visa issuance (reciprocity) fee	22 CFR 22.1 exempts official representatives of a foreign government and applicants for diplomatic-type visas, and their immediate families. State Department guidance says reciprocity fees are charged for A visas based on reciprocity, except in limited cases
Form I-566 (interagency record of request for A dependent employment authorization, or change or adjustment to or from A status)	$0
Form I-765 work permit, initial or renewal, for a dependent of an A-1 or A-2 official (category (c)(1))	$0
Form I-539, if filing into or out of A status	$0
Form I-508, waiver of rights, privileges, exemptions and immunities	$0

High confidenceChecked Oct 18, 2026^[1,7,9]

Renewing your visa and applying for a green card

If you are in the United States in A-1 or A-2 status, you and your immediate family may apply to have your visas renewed by the State Department in Washington, D.C., if you are maintaining status and properly classifiable in that category, intend to reenter in that status after a temporary absence abroad, and were lawfully admitted in that status or changed to it through an application to USCIS. A-3 employees cannot renew their visas in the United States and must apply at a U.S. consular office abroad. An A-3 whose visa has expired but who remains in status and keeps working for the same employer does not need a new visa while staying in the United States, but must keep to the period of stay granted on their I-94 record at admission. To stay longer to keep working for the same employer, an A-3 applies from inside the United States to extend the stay on the I-94 record; that needs no interview, but the employee must give the State Department an updated contract that meets its requirements.^[1]
High confidence To apply for a green card from inside the United States (adjustment of status, Form I-485) while you hold A status, or a position that would entitle you to it, you must first sign and submit the written waiver required by INA 247(b), waiving certain diplomatic rights, privileges, exemptions and immunities associated with your occupational status. The waiver is Form I-508, and its USCIS fee is $0 (Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26). As for any applicant, you must also be eligible to receive an immigrant visa, and one must be immediately available, when you file. After you become a permanent resident, State Department guidance says you generally cannot be issued an A visa (a narrow exception allows an A-2 for urgent official temporary travel), and you cannot serve as a diplomatic agent or consular officer in the United States; a permanent resident can still work as administrative, technical or support staff at a mission without an A-2 visa.^[1,9,10,11]

Ask WELIVEINUSA Visa

Answers come from our sourced database and your own timeline, sorted into fact, public data, inference and unknown. No AI model is used in this version, so questions outside what we cover get an honest "not covered".

Questions people ask

I have an official trip to the United States for my government. Can I use a tourist visa or the Visa Waiver Program?

Not if your trip qualifies for an A visa. A diplomat or other foreign government official traveling to engage solely in official duties for their national government must obtain an A-1 or A-2 visa before entering, and cannot travel on a visitor visa or under the Visa Waiver Program. If you are entitled to A classification, you are classified A even if you are also eligible for another nonimmigrant classification. An exception may be made for an immediate family member who is also independently classifiable as a principal in G-1 to G-4 or NATO-1 to NATO-6 classification. Some official trips call for a different classification: officials assigned to their country's mission to a designated international organization, or to a temporary meeting of one, should obtain a G-1, G-2 or G-3 visa; military personnel and civilians of a NATO member country traveling for official duties are usually classifiable NATO; an official passing through the United States in immediate and continuous transit on official business is classifiable C-3 if their government grants U.S. officials similar privileges; and representatives of Taiwan, who cannot receive A visas, are classifiable B-1/B-2 (B-1/B-2 or C-1 in transit) and may be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, while TECRO designated employees receive E-1 visas if eligible (see the Taiwan section).^[1,4,12]

I work for a city or provincial government, or for a state-owned company. Do I qualify for an A visa?

A-1 and A-2 cover only officials traveling on behalf of their national government: a local government official coming exclusively on behalf of a state, province, borough or other local political entity does not qualify. Government interest or control in an organization is not enough by itself; the duties must be of an inherently governmental nature, and an official traveling for an organization essentially engaged in commercial or competitive activities, such as banking, mining or transportation, would usually not qualify for A-2. Depending on the purpose of the trip, a B-1, L-1 or E visa may fit instead. An immigration attorney can apply these rules to your facts.^[1]

Is there a limit on how long I can serve at a foreign mission in the United States?

Under a State Department policy in effect since August 2, 2021, people assigned to a bilateral foreign mission (including as their country's representative to a designated international organization) as a diplomatic agent, consular officer, consular employee, or administrative, technical or service staff, other than Chiefs of Mission, Chargés d'Affaires and Deputy Chiefs of Mission, are expected to hold those positions for no more than five years in total, not per assignment. You are also not eligible for bilateral accreditation if you were assigned to a foreign mission in the United States, including an international organization, during the 36 months before your application for a diplomatic visa: there should be a three-year break outside the United States between assignments. Once you reach the five-year total, you may no longer be eligible to be accepted for any mission in the United States, whether for the same government or another. Locally engaged staff hired by an embassy or consulate and sponsored by it for A-2 visas have been expected to keep to a five-year total, not per assignment, since August 23, 2016.^[1]

Content last reviewed: Oct 18, 2026 · General information, not legal advice.

Sources

1.9 FAM 402.3 - Foreign government officials (incl. 402.3-5(I) AIT and TECRO)U.S. Department of State (Foreign Affairs Manual) · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Sep 27, 2026
2.8 CFR 214.2(a) - Foreign government officialseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
3.22 CFR 41.21eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
4.22 CFR 41.22eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
5.22 CFR 41.12eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
6.8 CFR 274a.12 - Classes of aliens authorized to accept employmenteCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
7.22 CFR 22.1 - Schedule of fees for consular services (Department of State)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
8.8 U.S.C. 1101 (INA 101) - Definitions, incl. 101(a)(15)(E), (H), (L), 101(a)(44), 101(a)(45)U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel · Statute · Checked Sep 27, 2026
9.Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) - USCISUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 12, 2026
10.8 CFR 245.1eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
11.8 CFR 106.2 - USCIS feeseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
12.22 CFR 41.23eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026

A-1 / A-2 / A-3Diplomats and foreign government officials

At a glance