Visa and residency
First of all, my friend, know that there are different types of visas to enter the United States. You also have to distinguish between two things: “entry visa,” commonly known as “visa,” and “residence,” or legal status within the country. You may enter, for example, with a visitor visa, and then your residence or legal status in the United States becomes a visitor. But then you may change your legal status from "visitor" to "student", for example.
Also, remember to distinguish between the validity period of the visa and the length of stay inside the country. You may get a five-year visitor visa, for example, which is common, but that does not mean that you have the right to stay in the United States for that long!
The duration of the entry visa is only the period during which you can enter America using this visa. If you come to the doorstep of the country, an official will meet you and print your "residency" period on your passport, which is usually no more than six months in the case of a visitor.
Each specific legal situation also gives you specific rights. The visitor does not have the same rights as the student, just as the student does not enjoy the rights of a permanent resident (who holds a green car - which is not green in any way, by the way!).
What are the different types of visas and immigration gates?
B1-B2 tourist/visitor visa
Did you get a visitor visa? Congratulations (this is much better !!), but ...
This explanation is important because many people think that obtaining a visitor or tourist visa is tantamount to immigration. In fact, entering a country is not the same as staying in it. The visitor, as I mentioned, his legal status inside the country becomes a “visitor,” meaning that he has the right to stay in the country for a specific period, and he has no right to work or study at the university, for example.
We cannot deny that American immigration is still generous. Most of those who enter on a B1-B2 visitor visa get six full months during which they are entitled to stay inside the country, even if they claim that they intend to stay for several weeks only and then return to their dear country! And half of the year is not a short period, but it passes quickly!
If you are going through this door, know that it is the hardest and the longest. Remember that if you "break the residency", that is, you stay longer than you are allowed to enter, which is usually 3 to 6 months, then you become an "illegal immigrant."
An illegal immigrant cannot obtain legal residency except through limited and narrow doors, the most common of which is married to a US citizen. The problem with this illegal situation is that if you leave the United States, you will not have the right to return to it again for more than ten full years, which leads many to remain in this situation for many years because they do not want to return permanently to their countries, despite the restrictions within which they live. As illegal immigrants.
Estimates of the number of illegal immigrants in the United States range between 10 and 20 million! It is a mythical number, and this may be because the illegal immigrant, in general, is not subjected to harassment within America as long as he does not commit crimes or riot, which leads these millions to prefer staying as an illegal immigrant over returning to their countries (perhaps because life as an “illegal immigrant” In a civilized country it is better than life in a country that is completely based on “illegitimate” governments!).
How can one obtain a visit visa?
You will ask me, and how can I obtain a visit visa? There is one simple rule. A visitor visa is granted to anyone who proves that he intends to return to his homeland and has no intention of permanently staying in America.
However, proof of this does not have clear specific rules. Usually, the visitor visa applicant tries to present papers proving that he has properties, a respectable job, or a family that he cannot leave. However, reality does not always follow these rules.
Whether or not to obtain a visa appears to be largely due to the personal discretion of the visa officer interviewing you. And they may have unspoken rules. US embassy officials in “emigrants/fugitives” countries know very well that a large number of those applying for visitor visas are planning to stay in the United States and not return.
The strange thing is that sometimes those who have money, jobs, and all reasons for return are rejected! So do not ask anyone how to obtain the visa, nobody will give you a sure answer in my opinion!