Republic of Maldives 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 Republic of Maldives 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
- Maldives Immigration
Maldives Immigration - verified
- USCIS — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - verified
- Work Visa Service - Maldives Immigration
Maldives Immigration - verified
- USCIS — H-1B Specialty Occupations
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - verified
Republic of Maldives
Maldives Immigration runs visa services through the official Immigration website, IMUGA and the Xpat Online System. The route set is strongly digital: work visas are moving to e-Visa status linked to work permits, business visas start in the Business Portal before immigration verification, and family-linked marriage, resident and dependent visas are filed through IMUGA. Short meeting visitors may use a 14-day on-arrival Meeting Visa if they meet the official prerequisites.
- Official portal
- Maldives Immigration
- Languages
- Dhivehi
- Currency
- Maldivian rufiyaa
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 Republic of Maldives and United States of America differ
| Dimension | Republic of Maldives | United States of America |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 14 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 2 | 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 | Work Visa | 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 | Dhivehi | English (de facto) |
| Currency | Maldivian rufiyaa | United States dollar |
| Primary regulator | MBC | 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.
Republic of Maldives
Work Visa
- 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 Republic of Maldives
Routes unique to United States of America
Visa routes side by side
Republic of Maldives (7)
Work Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · The Work e-Visa validity corresponds to the approved Work Permit; renewed Work Visas are issued with a maximum validity of 1 year.
Business Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Granted for 30 to 90 days at a time, not exceeding 180 days total per calendar year.
Meeting Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 14 days on arrival; non-extendable.
Marriage Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Issued for 1 year for new applications; extensions can be issued for up to 5 years.
Resident Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · The official page lists initial Marriage Visa validity of 1 year and renewals up to 5 years.
Dependent Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Duration depends on the approved dependent visa grant. Confirm the active period in IMUGA.
Sponsorship Declaration
Sponsor · Non-settlement · The sponsored person must arrive in the Maldives within 30 days of approval.
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, Republic of Maldives or United States of America?+
Republic of Maldives’s Work Visa 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 Republic of Maldives 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 2 for Republic of Maldives. 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, "Republic of Maldives vs United States of America immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/maldives/vs/us. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons