Temporary Visitor Visa

For short visits to the visited country. Many countries differentiate between different reasons for these visits, such as:

Private visa, for private visits by invitation from residents of the visited country.

Tourist visa, for a limited period of leisure travel, no business activities allowed.

Medical visa, for undertaking diagnostics or a course of treatment in the visited country’s hospitals or other medical facilities.

Business visa, for engaging in commerce in the country. These visas generally preclude permanent employment, for which a work visa would be required.

Working holiday visa, for individuals traveling between nations offering a working holiday program, allowing young people to undertake temporary work while traveling.

Temporary worker visa, for approved employment in the host country. These are generally more difficult to obtain but valid for longer periods of time than a business visa. Examples of these are the United States’ H-1B and L-1 visas. Depending on a particular country, the status of temporary worker may or may not evolve into the status of permanent resident or to naturalization.

Visas can also be single-entry, which means the visa is cancelled as soon as the holder leaves the country; double-entry, or multiple-entry, which permits double or multiple entries into the country with the same visa. Countries may also issue re-entry permits that allow temporarily leaving the country without invalidating the visa. Even a business visa will normally not allow the holder to work in the host country without an additional work permit.

Once issued, a visa will typically have to be used within a certain period of time.