B1 Visa

The B-1 business visa is a nonimmigrant visa category which allows foreign nationals to enter the U.S. temporarily to engage in permissible business activities.

Permissible business activities include but are not limited to:

• Attending meetings with potential clients or business associates
• Market research and business exploration
• Negotiating a contract
• Attending professional, business, scientific and/or educational conferences or conventions
• Settling business or real estate deals
• Providing after-sales technical support or oversight (without engaging in employment or labor)
• Site visits or inspections on behalf of a foreign entity
• Professional athletes can come to compete for prize money or tryouts

Travel to the U.S. is not permitted for the following activities:

• To work or perform labor
• To Study
• For Paid performances or any professional performance with a paid audience
• Arriving as a crewmember on a ship/aircraft
• Working in the foreign press
• Intending to stay in the U.S. permanently or to seek permanent residence.

Note: The B-1 nonimmigrant may be issued visas and may enter for the purpose of supervising or training of others engaged in certain circumstances, but not for the purpose of actually performing work themselves.

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The benefits of the B-1 visa include:

1. Being able to come to the U.S. to participate in a variety of legitimate business activities, including attending conferences, brokering deals and meeting with clients.
2. The application process is relatively straightforward without requiring prior approval form U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services.
3. The visa generally allows for multiple entries and can be valid for up 10 years (each trip is limited to 180 days).
4. The ability to extend your stay in the U.S. if your legitimate business activities require more attention and time in the U.S.

The limitations of the B-1 include, but are not limited, to:

1. Not being allowed to be employed or provide any labor, even if payment is being made abroad
2. Not being allowed to engage in any academic study.
3. Business activities should be limited to enhancing or furthering your business or employer’s company abroad (no activity)
4. The B-1 visa does not support dual intent, meaning you must maintain a residence in your home country to which you intend on returning.

You may be admitted into the U.S. for up to 6 months, and in some cases, may be admitted for up to 1 year, depending on the purpose of your trip.

Note: Once you are in the U.S. and apply for an extension of stay with USCIS, they will look into the nature of the business you wish to conduct and accordingly issue the grant for an extension of stay.

You may be granted an extension of temporary stay in increments of not more than six months to engage in permissible activities.

Applicants of a religious denomination coming temporarily and solely to do missionary work on behalf of a religious denomination may be granted extensions of not more than one year each, provided that such work does not involve the selling of articles or the solicitation or acceptance of donations.

You must file the Form I-539, Extension of Stay/Change of Status with USCIS with the appropriate fees and documentation.

Note: The decision to grant or deny a request for extension of stay solely rests with the USCIS.

The following documents and information should be provided when filing for an extension of stay in B-1 status:

1. Copy of passport, B-1 visa and I-94 Record
2. Explanation of proposed, permissible activities in the U.S., covering the duration of the requested time (not to exceed 6 months)
3. Evidence that you have or have access to the financial resources to pay your expenses during your stay in the U.S., including lodging, food and travel expenses.
4. If available, evidence that you have reserved or booked transportation for travel to leave the U.S.

If you wish to extend your stay in B-1 status, it is recommended that you apply between 15 to 45 days before the date of expiry of the I-94. However, your application is considered timely as long as it is received before the I-94 expiration date.

No, you may not study on a B-1 visa except in recreational or avocation study. Enrollment in any course of academic study is prohibited.

Recreational study may include informal cooking classes, some types of short-term language classes, photography or woodworking workshops, etc. These classes do not result in obtaining any type of certification and will not contribute to obtaining any future degree.

As a foreign national if you wish to enroll in a course of study, you must either obtain an F-1 or M-1 nonimmigrant visa from a consular officer abroad and seek readmission to the U.S., or apply for and obtain a change of status to F-1 or M-1 status. You cannot enroll in the course of study until USCIS has approved your change of status request to F-1 or M-1.

The types of documents you can bring with you when applying for a B-1 Visa include:

If you have been refused a B-1 business visa you may reapply in most circumstances. Generally, when reapplying, you should try to overcome the reasons for the previous denial, and it is recommended that you wait for a reasonable period of time before reapplying.

You can re-apply at any US Consulate/Embassy within your country of residence or citizenship.

Yes, you may re-apply for a new visa if your visa has been revoked or canceled. Ensure that you are able to overcome or explain the circumstances that may have led to the visa being revoked.

You may be eligible to apply for ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) while in the U.S. in B-1 status.

Under the Visa Waiver Program, foreign nationals hailing from the countries designated by the U.S. government are eligible to travel to the U.S. without a visa. The categories of foreign nationals who can travel to the U.S. without a visa are:

1. Foreign nationals in possession of a valid passport from one of the countries included in the Visa Waiver Program
2. Foreign nationals in possession of a round trip ticket
3. Foreign nationals whose stay in the U.S. will not exceed 90 days
4. Foreign nationals visiting the U.S. for the purpose of tourism, business or transit
5. Foreign nationals eligible for a visa (travelers who have previously been denied a visa, have criminal records, who are or have been drug abusers or traffickers, who have or have had a serious mental or contagious illness, or who believe that they may be ineligible for a visa, must contact their nearest embassy or consulate prior to travel)

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the sole authorized body having the authority to permit or deny admission at the U.S. Port of Entry. The period for which a foreign national is authorized to remain in the U.S. is determined by the CBP, and not by the Department of State Consular Officer.

You must remember that your visa is valid only until its expiration date unless previously canceled. Therefore, if you have a valid U.S. visitor visa in an expired passport, you may use it along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the U.S. Attempting to obtain a visa by the willful misrepresentation of a material fact, or fraud, may result in the permanent refusal of a visa or denial of entry into the U.S.