Bermuda (British Overseas Territory) vs United States of America
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Bermuda (British Overseas Territory) and United States of America government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Government of Bermuda - Department of Immigration
Government of Bermuda - verified
- USCIS — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - verified
- Government of Bermuda - Types of work permits
Department of Immigration, Government of Bermuda - verified
- USCIS — H-1B Specialty Occupations
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - verified
Bermuda (British Overseas Territory)
Bermuda Visa Atlas coverage is based on Government of Bermuda Department of Immigration pages for entry visas, work permits, residence permissions, landing permits, immigration fees and economic investment residence certificates. The current packet covers MRV-based entry-visa rules, standard work permits, short-term and periodic work permits, global entrepreneur and new-business work permits, residence permits, economic investment/residential certificates and landing permits for work-permit holders with pending renewals.
- Official portal
- Government of Bermuda
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Bermudian dollar
United States of America
The US issues nonimmigrant visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1, F-1, J-1) and immigrant visas (employment-based EB-1 through EB-5, family-based, diversity). Policy touchpoints span USCIS, DOS consulates, DOL (for PERM/LCA), and executive-branch proclamations that can shift overnight.
- Official portal
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Languages
- English (de facto)
- Currency
- United States dollar
How Bermuda (British Overseas Territory) and United States of America differ
| Dimension | Bermuda (British Overseas Territory) | United States of America |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 14 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 3 | 5 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 0 | 6 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | — | Arrival on H-1B (3 years) → PERM + I-140 (1-2 years) → I-485 / Green Card (current for most categories, 7-15+ years for India EB-2) → citizenship at PR+5 years. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Standard Work Permit | H-1B Specialty Occupation |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | US$62,000/year |
| Skilled visa processing time | — | USCIS — Case Processing Times does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route. |
| Skilled visa government fees | — | A single initial H-1B petition costs around $3,600 in USCIS filing fees for a standard employer, excluding premium processing and the separate consular visa fee. |
| Official languages | English | English (de facto) |
| Currency | Bermudian dollar | United States dollar |
| Primary regulator | Immigration | State bars |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 1 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Bermuda (British Overseas Territory)
Standard Work Permit
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
United States of America
H-1B Specialty Occupation
- Salary minimum
- US$62,000/year
- Government fees
- A single initial H-1B petition costs around $3,600 in USCIS filing fees for a standard employer, excluding premium processing and the separate consular visa fee.
- Processing time
- USCIS — Case Processing Times does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Routes unique to Bermuda (British Overseas Territory)
Routes unique to United States of America
Visa routes side by side
Bermuda (British Overseas Territory) (7)
Bermuda Entry Visa / MRV Requirement
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Visitor stay or work-permit-linked entry as admitted; MRV and passport validity must usually extend 45 days beyond the relevant stay or permit expiry.
Standard Work Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Common standard work-permit fee bands are published for one to five years.
Short Term and Periodic Work Permits
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Short Term Work Permit up to six months; Periodic Work Permit supports repeat visits with no more than 30 days each visit.
Global Entrepreneur, New Business, Fintech and Family Office Work Permits
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Business work-permit fee bands are published for one to five years; early automatic-approval windows depend on permit type.
Residence Permit
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Annual permission and longer residence-permission fee bands are published; exact validity depends on the permission granted.
Economic Investment Certificate and Residential Certificate
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Residential Certificate treatment follows the approved certificate; confirm current policy and renewal or expiry treatment before investing.
Landing Permit for Work Permit Holders
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Temporary travel-and-landing support while a timely new Standard Work Permit application is pending.
United States of America (14)
H-1B Specialty Occupation
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Initial 3 years; extendable to 6 years (longer with approved I-140).
L-1A Intracompany Transferee (Executive or Manager)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Initial 3 years (1 year for new-office L-1A); extendable to 7 years total.
L-1B Intracompany Transferee (Specialised Knowledge)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Initial 3 years (1 year for new-office L-1B); extendable to 5 years total.
O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 3 years initially; 1-year extensions available indefinitely.
EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (Immigrant)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence (green card).
EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
EB-3 Skilled, Professional, and Other Workers
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Conditional 2-year residence leading to unconditional permanent residence.
E-2 Treaty Investor
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Initial up to 2 years at port of entry (5-year visa stamp for many nationalities); renewable indefinitely.
F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Duration of study (D/S); OPT up to 12 months; STEM OPT extension up to 24 additional months.
J-1 Exchange Visitor
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Program-dependent: from weeks (intern) to up to 5 years (research scholar).
TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 3 years; renewable indefinitely while activity continues.
K-1 Fiancé(e) of US Citizen
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Single-entry 6 months; must marry within 90 days of entry.
Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence (conditional 2-year CR1 converts to 10-year card via I-751).
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Bermuda (British Overseas Territory) or United States of America?+
Bermuda (British Overseas Territory)’s Standard Work Permit is the dominant skilled route; United States of America’s H-1B Specialty Occupation requires US$62,000/year. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Bermuda (British Overseas Territory) or United States of America have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
United States of America has more: 5 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 3 for Bermuda (British Overseas Territory). No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Bermuda (British Overseas Territory) vs United States of America immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/bermuda/vs/us. Last verified 29 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons