Legitimate Reasons for a U.S. Business or Tourist Visa

The B Visa is for visitors to the United States for business or pleasure. The B visa is also known as the tourist visa. The vast majority of foreigners enter the United States on a B visa. Most of these visas are for touring, visiting family members, or to conduct business on behalf of an overseas employer. The duration of stay is usually short and most are provided a six month period of stay upon entry into the United States. B Visa holders cannot be employed in the United States and undertake an academic study program with few exemptions.

The U.S. State department has five requirements for the issuance of a B Visa to a foreign national.

1. The applicant must enter the United States for a limited duration and intends to depart at the end of the stay
2. The applicant must maintain a foreign residence which they have no intention of abandoning
3. The applicant must have enough financial resources to support their trip to the United States and the ability to depart the United States after completing the travel.
4. The applicant must provide evidence that they will be traveling on a B visa on legitimate related activities.

Some of the legitimate activities for a B-1 Business Visitor include:

1. Coming to the U.S. to solicit sales, negotiate contracts, or take orders from established customers for work that will be performed OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
2. Purchasing goods, components, or raw materials for a foreign employer for use OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
3. Providing limited service in the United States as an employee of a foreign company for a contract that was undertaken OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
4. Coming to the U.S. for consultation or meetings with U.S. business associates
5. Attending professional or business conference, conventions or seminars
6. Coming to the U.S. for market or product research
7. Coming to the U.S. as a foreign investor to take steps to set up their investment
8. Coming to the U.S. in conjunction with litigation or court order

Some of the legitimate activities for a B-2 Visitor for Pleasure include:

1. Coming to the U.S. to engage in tourism
2. An amateur entertainer or athlete engaging in amateur activity
3. Dependent accompanying a principal alien in the following categories:
1. Alien member of the U.S. Armed Forces
2. Crewmember of a shipping vessel or international airline entering the U.S. in the D Visa,
3. U.S. Citizen or resident alien coming temporarily to the United States,
4. Nonimmigrant principal alien, when the dependent is not entitled to derivative status
4. Coming to marry in the United States with intent to return abroad after the marriage
5. An alien coming to meet his or her fiancé’s family, to become engaged, to make wedding arrangements, or to renew a relationship with a prospective spouse.
6. An alien seeking to enter the United States to apply for naturalization as a former member of the armed forces
7. An alien attending a school that is avocational or recreational in character
8. A prospective F-1 or M-1 student seeking to enter the United States more than 90 days prior to the expected registration date
9. A prospective F-1 student coming to the United States for the purpose of selecting a school

 

Tags: b visa, b-2 visa, tourist visa, u.s. b visa, u.s. b-2 visa, u.s. tourist visa, visa for business transaction in the u.s., visa for tourist in u.s., visa for visitors in the united states

Category: US Immigration