B2 Visa

The B-2 tourist visa is a nonimmigrant visa category which allows foreign nationals to enter into the U.S. to engage in permissible tourist activities.

Permissible B-2 visa activities include:

• Vacation or holidays
• Visiting friends and/or relatives in the U.S.
• Transiting to another foreign destination via the U.S.
• Seeking medical treatment or consultation
• Participating in social events hosted by organizations or associations
• Participating in entertainment or sporting events as an amateur (no remuneration for participation; may receive prize money)
• Enrolling in recreational courses of study.

Note: The U.S. Consulate generally issues a “B-1/B-2”, enabling the holder to enter the U.S. as a B-1 Business Visitor or B-2 Tourist Visitor.

Travel to the U.S. on a B-2 visa 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.

To qualify for a B-2 tourist visa, you must demonstrate that:

1. The purpose of your trip is to enter the U.S. for pleasure, or medical treatment
2. You plan to remain in the U.S. for a specific, limited period
3. You have a residence outside the U.S. as well as other binding ties, which will insure your return abroad at the end of the visit

OR

Check My Eligibility

The benefits of the B-2 visa include:

1. Being able to come to the U.S. to participate in a variety of legitimate tourist or similar activities, visiting with family or friends and/or seeking medical treatment.
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 would like more time to complete your activities in the U.S.

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. The Customs & Border Protection officer at the port of entry does have the authority to limit your stay to shorter than 6 months in their discretion.

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

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-2 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-2 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.

Yes, you may apply for change of status from a B-2 tourist visa to another nonimmigrant category, including B-1 status if you wish to pursue business activities, provided you can prove that you had no preconceived intent to change status.

Note: If you intend to change status to F-1, M-1 or J-1, you must state your intent while applying for the B-2 visa.

In order to partake in activities that are normally performed in B-1 status, it is recommended that you apply for a change of status to B-1 so you can participate in permissible B-1 activities.

Note: Interestingly, if you entered the U.S. on a B-1 visa as a Business Visitor, you can participate in “tourist” activities without changing status to B-2.

No, you may not study or work on US tourist visa except in recreational or avocational 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.

If you have a multiple entry visa, there are no restrictions on the number of times you may travel in and out of the U.S. on a valid B-2 visa.

Remember, however, the B-2 visa is intended to allow you to visit the U.S. for short durations. Too many trips to the U.S. or too many long trips to the U.S. may invite the scrutiny of a Customs & Border Protection officer at the port entry as they may believe you are spending too much time in the U.S. or may even be participating in impermissible activities like working.

Yes, you may bring members of your or your spouses’ immediate family or your relatives to visit along with you. You may also bring a domestic or personal servant on nonimmigrant status, provided you can show that:

1. He or she is not abandoning his or her residence in the home country
2. He or she has worked for you for at least one year, or has had an ongoing employment relationship with you, and has at least one year of experience as a domestic servant

Note: Each person traveling must qualify for B-2 visa and obtain his/her own visa.

No, your dependents may not study on B-2 tourist visa. They must apply for the appropriate student visa.

To apply for the B-2 visa, the documents required are:

1. Nonrefundable visa application fee

2. Completed electronic nonimmigrant visa application Form DS-160 with photo (37x37mm and taken within the last six months) for each person applying

3. A passport valid for travel

4. Proof of financial assets

You may apply for the B-2 visa at the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate in your home country or country of residence.

The B-2 tourist visa does not guarantee you an entry to the U.S. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the port of entry 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. If in the event the officer finds you ineligible, you may be denied entry into the U.S.

It is not possible to transfer the visa from one passport to another, without making a new visa application. However, if you have a valid U.S. visitor visa in an expired passport, you carry the old passport along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the U.S.

If the passport in which your visa has been endorsed has expired, the visa in the old passport can still be used, provided you carry a valid passport of the same nationality along with the expired passport.

Note: When canceling your old passport, if the passport authority has clipped the corners of the passport and in doing so, has damaged the visa in any way, that visa is no longer valid and cannot be used for travel to the U.S.

It is recommended that you obtain a new passport if your passport will expire soon. A CBP officer may restrict your I-94 and authorized stay in the U.S. to the validity date of the passport.

Note: If you are traveling visa free and your passport is valid for less than 90 days, you will be admitted only until the date the passport expires.

If you are entering the U.S. with a B-2 tourist visa, you are not required to hold a return ticket; you may enter the U.S. on a one-way ticket. However, if you do not have a round trip ticket you may have more difficulty in proving the temporary nature of your stay.

Check the accuracy of all the data on your B-2 visa, including name, date of birth, passport number, gender, and photo. Inform the Consular Section personnel of any errors immediately.