Pass-Atlas
Vereinigte Staaten

Pass-Atlas

Vereinigte Staaten travel, immigration and PR

The United States splits ESTA visa-waiver travel, non-immigrant B / H / L / F status and immigrant green cards. Overstaying a visit can poison later immigrant filings.

ReisenEinwanderung

Openness rank

#162

Entry openness

46

Visumfrei

4

Briefing updated

2026-09

Länderprofil

Hauptstadt

Washington, D.C.

Bevölkerung

340.1 million

Fläche

9,629,091 km²

Währung

United States dollar USD

Sprache

English

Zeitzone

UTC-10:00–UTC-05:00

Im Ausland geboren

52.4 million · 2024

Migrantenanteil

15.2%

Ethnische Gruppen · 2020

  • White61.6%
  • Black or African American12.4%
  • two or more races10.2%
  • other8.4%
  • Asian6%
  • Indigenous and Alaska native1.1%

Im Ausland Geborene: UN-Migrantenbestand über die Weltbank (meist 2024). Ethnische Gruppen folgen den veröffentlichten Kategorien des Landes. Die meisten Staaten erheben keine Hautfarbe. Nur Richtwerte.

Visa und EinwanderungswegeVisa-freie ListeUnterlagen und PassfotosVisa siteImmigration site

Für wen dieser Ratgeber ist

For tourism and business, H-1B or L-1 work, F-1 study, and anyone in a backlog who needs to know that non-immigrant status is not a green card.

Einreise und Aufenthalt

Visa Waiver passports obtain ESTA before departure, usually up to 90 days, with no extension and almost no switch to work status. Chinese, Indian and other passports need B-1/B-2 after an interview. The matrix is an access class, not a promise of admission.

Arbeiten und Wohnen

Temporary work is often H-1B (capped, lottery), L-1 transfer or O-1. Study is F-1 plus OPT. Founders without an employer need another fit. Dual intent varies: H/L are more tolerant; B/F/ESTA are not.

Niederlassung und Staatsangehörigkeit

Green cards come from family, EB employment, EB-5 investment or asylum. Employment categories have backlogs by place of birth. Naturalisation is usually five years as a resident (three for some spouses), plus presence, English and civics. Visit time does not count.

Time to PR：Depends on category and backlog, not a single clock

Einreise beliebter Pässe

FAQ

Can you change from ESTA to H-1B inside the US?

Visa-waiver admission generally cannot change status. In practice you leave and re-enter in the new status after USCIS approval.

Does a selected H-1B equal a green card?

No. H-1B is non-immigrant work status. A green card needs PERM / I-140 / I-485 or a family path, often with a wait.

Does a Chinese passport need a visa?

On this site’s matrix the result is “Visum erforderlich”. confirm length of stay with the destination. The port and mission are authoritative.

Verwandte Ratgeber

Handbooks summarise public sources so you can cross-check the visa matrix and policy playbooks. They are not legal advice. Quotas, stay lengths and visa-free lists move — confirm with the destination government and its missions before you travel or file.