A B-1/B-2 visa is the standard U.S. visitor visa for foreign nationals traveling temporarily for business (B-1) or tourism, family visits, or medical treatment (B-2). To get one, you complete Form DS-160 online, pay the $185 application fee, attend a biometrics appointment, and sit for an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate where you must convince the officer you have a home abroad you intend to return to.1U.S. Department of State. Visitor Visa If approved, each entry lets you stay up to six months.
What the B-1/B-2 Covers and What It Doesn’t
The B-1 covers commercial and professional activities: attending conferences, consulting with business associates, negotiating contracts, pursuing litigation, or conducting independent research.2U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 402.2 – Tourists and Business Visitors The B-2 covers personal travel: sightseeing, visiting relatives, medical treatment, and social events.
Federal law treats both categories as temporary. You must have a home in another country that you don’t plan to abandon.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1101 – Definitions You cannot take a job or receive payment from a U.S. source, and you cannot enroll full-time in a school or university, which requires a separate student visa.4eCFR. 22 CFR 41.31 – Temporary Visitors for Business or Pleasure Consular officers and border officials screen for these limits actively.
Check Whether You Even Need a Visa
Citizens of 42 countries can travel to the United States for business or tourism stays of up to 90 days without a visa, under the Visa Waiver Program.5U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Visa Waiver Program Instead of a visa, you apply online for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for $40.27, generally valid for two years or until your passport expires.6U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Official ESTA Application Website Participating countries include most of Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
ESTA has a hard 90-day cap per visit with no extensions and no change of status in the U.S. A B-1/B-2 visa allows admission for up to six months, with the option to apply for an extension.7USCIS. B-1 Temporary Business Visitor If you might need more than 90 days, apply for the visa even if your country participates in the waiver program.
Filing the DS-160
Every B-1/B-2 applicant completes Form DS-160, the online nonimmigrant visa application, through the Consular Electronic Application Center.8U.S. Department of State. Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application DS-160 Plan on roughly 90 minutes. Have your passport, travel itinerary, and a U.S. contact ready before you start.
You’ll enter your passport number and dates, your intended travel dates, the address where you’ll stay, and details of prior U.S. visits. A digital photo is part of the submission: 2 inches by 2 inches, white or off-white background, head centered. When you submit, the system produces a confirmation page with a barcode you must bring to the interview.
Answer carefully. The consular officer will see your DS-160 responses on screen during the interview, and any inconsistency between what you wrote and what you say can sink the application. Material misrepresentation on a visa application can make you permanently inadmissible to the United States.9U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 302.9 – Ineligibility Based on Misrepresentation – INA 212(a)(6)
Paying the Fee and Booking Appointments
The application fee is $185, nonrefundable regardless of the outcome.10U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services Payment is usually made online or through a designated bank, and your receipt carries a transaction number needed for scheduling.
Most locations require two appointments: one at a Visa Application Center for fingerprints and biometrics, and one at the embassy or consulate for the interview. Wait times for interview slots vary enormously by post, from days at some locations to more than a year at others. The State Department publishes current wait times worldwide, so check yours early.11U.S. Department of State. Global Visa Wait Times
The Interview: Proving You’ll Go Home
Bring your printed DS-160 confirmation page, appointment confirmation, passport, fee receipt, and supporting documents. Most embassies prohibit electronic devices and large bags.
Under federal law, every visa applicant is presumed to be an intending immigrant until proven otherwise.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1184 – Admission of Nonimmigrants The burden falls on you to show strong ties to your home country: reasons that will pull you back after a temporary visit. Useful evidence usually includes:
- A letter from your employer confirming your position and approved leave, or proof you own a business.
- Bank statements showing regular income and savings, property deeds, or investment accounts. Credit cards don’t count as financial assets.
- Evidence of a spouse, children, or dependents remaining in your home country.
- Documents tied to the specific trip: hotel bookings, a conference invitation, a letter from a U.S. hospital for medical treatment, or details about the family member you’re visiting.
Officers aren’t grading you on volume of paperwork. They want a clear, consistent story: a specific reason to visit, enough money to cover it, and real reasons to return afterward. Nervousness is expected. Contradicting your DS-160 answers is not.
After the Decision
Officers usually give a verbal decision at the window. If you’re approved, the consulate keeps your passport to affix the visa, and you’ll typically get it back within three to five business days by pickup or courier. Note that a visa doesn’t guarantee entry — it lets you travel to a U.S. port of entry and request admission.1U.S. Department of State. Visitor Visa
If you’re refused, you’ll get a written explanation citing the legal basis. The most common ground is Section 214(b): the officer wasn’t convinced you’d leave at the end of your trip.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1184 – Admission of Nonimmigrants A 214(b) refusal isn’t permanent; you can reapply at any time, ideally with stronger evidence of ties. Some cases are refused under Section 221(g), which means the post needs more documents or administrative processing, which can add three to six months.
Entering the U.S. and How Long You Can Stay
At the airport, a Customs and Border Protection officer makes the final call on admission and length of stay.13U.S. Customs and Border Protection. For International Visitors Expect questions about the purpose of your trip, where you’re staying, how long you plan to be here, and how you’re funding the visit.
If admitted, you’ll get a passport stamp or a Form I-94 arrival record showing your authorized stay. The initial period for B-1/B-2 visitors runs from one to six months depending on your stated purpose.7USCIS. B-1 Temporary Business Visitor That I-94 date, not your visa’s expiration date, controls when you must leave. People confuse the two constantly. Your visa might be valid for ten years, but each entry gives you a specific departure deadline that’s usually six months or less.
Extending Your Stay
Need more time? File Form I-539 with USCIS to request up to six additional months. Total time on a single trip generally cannot exceed one year.7USCIS. B-1 Temporary Business Visitor File before your authorized stay expires. USCIS recommends filing at least 45 days before your I-94 date.14USCIS. I-539 Application to Extend or Change Nonimmigrant Status
Late filing works only if extraordinary circumstances beyond your control caused the delay. While an I-539 is pending, you can generally stay in the country, but you cannot leave and re-enter. Visa Waiver Program entrants cannot extend at all, one of the biggest practical differences between ESTA and the B-1/B-2.
What Happens If You Overstay
Overstaying escalates fast. Accrue more than 180 days of unlawful presence past your I-94 date but less than one year, then leave voluntarily, and you’re barred from returning for three years. One year or more of unlawful presence triggers a ten-year bar.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens The bars trigger on departure, not on the overstay alone.
Even a short overstay can void your existing visa, forcing you to apply for a new one. Any period of unlawful presence also makes future applications harder, because officers will question whether you’ll comply next time.16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility If you see an overstay coming, file for the extension before the I-94 runs out. The paperwork is much cheaper than the consequences.