The U.S. tourist visa category is the B-2, a nonimmigrant visa for people visiting the United States temporarily for pleasure, family visits, or medical treatment. It is almost always issued together with the B-1 business visitor visa as a combined B-1/B-2 stamp, which lets a single visa cover both a vacation and a work-adjacent trip like a conference. The application fee is $185, an in-person interview is usually required, and the hardest part of qualifying is convincing a consular officer that you intend to go home.1U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services
What the B-2 Visa Covers
The B-2 is the tourism half of the B visa family. Federal law defines the underlying category as a foreign national who has a residence abroad with no intention of abandoning it and who is visiting the United States temporarily for business or pleasure.2Legal Information Institute. 8 USC 1101(a)(15)(B)
On a B-2 you can vacation, sightsee, visit relatives or friends, and participate in social events.3U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 402.2 – Tourists and Business Visitors and Mexican Border Crossing Cards You can also enter for medical treatment, though the consular officer will want extra documentation: a diagnosis from your home physician, a letter from the U.S. medical facility confirming they will treat you and estimating costs, and proof you can pay for the transportation, treatment, and living expenses involved.4U.S. Department of State. Visitor Visa
Short recreational classes are allowed. A weeklong cooking course or a photography workshop is fine, as long as the study earns no academic credit and is not the primary reason for the trip.5U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Nonimmigrants: Who Can Study? Full-time academic study is not permitted on a B-2 and requires an F-1 or M-1 student visa.
How the B-1 Differs, and Why Most Visas Are Combined
The B-1 is the business side of the same statutory category. It covers activities like consulting with associates, attending conferences or conventions, negotiating contracts, and settling an estate.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. B-1 Temporary Business Visitor The line is between conducting business and performing work. Attending an industry conference and meeting potential partners is allowed. Sitting in a U.S. office writing code or processing orders is not.7U.S. Department of State. Fact Sheet: U.S. Business Visas (B-1) and Allowable Uses A B-1 holder also cannot draw a salary from a U.S. source, though a U.S. company can reimburse reasonable travel expenses like airfare, lodging, and meals.
Because the two categories overlap in practice, consular officers frequently issue a single B-1/B-2 visa covering both. That gives you flexibility on a single trip. You might attend a trade show for two days and then spend a week sightseeing, all under one stamp. The restrictions of both categories still apply: no employment, no salary from a U.S. source, no degree-granting study.
Whether You Actually Need One
Not every tourist needs a B visa. Citizens of the 42 countries in the Visa Waiver Program can travel for business or tourism without one, provided they obtain an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before boarding.8U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Visa Waiver Program The ESTA application is online, costs $40.27, and is usually approved within minutes.9U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Official ESTA Application Website
The trade-off is length and flexibility. An ESTA-based visit is capped at 90 days with no extensions. A B visa can be valid for up to 10 years depending on your nationality, allows admissions of up to six months or more per visit, and can be extended.10U.S. Department of State. Visa Waiver Program If your trip might run past 90 days, or you want the option to extend, apply for a B visa even if your country participates in the waiver program.
Proving You Intend to Go Home
This is where most tourist visa applications succeed or fail. Under federal law, every applicant is presumed to be an immigrant until they prove otherwise.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1184 – Admission of Nonimmigrants The officer does not need to show you plan to overstay. You need to show you do not.
The State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual instructs consular officers to confirm three things: that you have a foreign residence you do not intend to abandon, that you plan to stay for a specific limited period, and that you are coming solely for legitimate business or pleasure.3U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 402.2 – Tourists and Business Visitors and Mexican Border Crossing Cards Evidence that tends to work includes property ownership, a stable job or business abroad, dependent family, and enrollment in school or university.
You also need to show you can afford the trip. Bank statements, an employer-sponsored travel letter, or a written invitation from a U.S. host who will cover your costs all serve this purpose.12U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Do Foreign Visitors Need a Certain Amount of Money to Enter the United States? There is no dollar minimum, only enough to cover transportation, lodging, food, and other expenses for the duration of the stay.
Applying: DS-160, Fee, and Interview
Every B visa applicant starts with the DS-160, the Department of State’s online nonimmigrant visa application.13U.S. Department of State. Consular Electronic Application Center – Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160) It collects biographical information, travel history, employment details, and security questions, and takes roughly 90 minutes. When you submit, you receive a confirmation page with a barcode. Save it. You need it to schedule your interview and to bring to the appointment.
After the DS-160, you pay the nonrefundable Machine Readable Visa fee of $185.1U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services Some nationalities also owe a separate reciprocity fee if the visa is approved, which varies by country and can be looked up on the State Department’s reciprocity tables.14U.S. Department of State. Fees and Reciprocity Tables
With your confirmation barcode, fee receipt, and passport number, you schedule an appointment at your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Wait times vary widely by post and season. The interview itself is usually short, often under five minutes. The officer is evaluating whether you have a genuine temporary purpose and strong ties to home. Come prepared to state clearly why you are traveling, how long you plan to stay, and what brings you back afterward. Bring documents, but keep them organized. Consular officers process hundreds of applicants per day and prefer concise answers over thick stacks of paper.
Interview Waivers for Renewals
If you are renewing a B-1/B-2, you may qualify for an interview waiver. As of October 2025, the State Department allows waiver eligibility for applicants renewing within 12 months of their prior visa’s expiration, whose prior visa was issued for full validity, and who were at least 18 when the prior visa was issued.15U.S. Department of State. Interview Waiver Update September 18, 2025 You must apply in your country of nationality or usual residence, have no unresolved prior refusals, and have no apparent ineligibility. Even when all criteria are met, officers retain discretion to require an interview.
How Long the Visa Lets You Stay
The stamp in your passport is not permission to stay for a set period. It is permission to travel to a U.S. port of entry and request admission. The actual length of your authorized stay is set by the Customs and Border Protection officer who admits you.
That officer creates an electronic I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, which you can access on CBP’s I-94 website.16U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Arrival/Departure Forms: I-94 and I-94W The date on the I-94, not the printed expiration on the visa stamp, is your deadline to leave. Federal regulations allow B-1 and B-2 visitors to be admitted for up to one year, and B-2 visitors receive a minimum admission of six months even if they request less.17eCFR. 8 CFR 214.2 – Special Requirements for Admission, Extension, and Maintenance of Status Check your I-94 as soon as you arrive. Fixing a wrong date within a few days is far easier than trying to correct it months later.
Extending Your Stay
If circumstances change, you can apply for an extension by filing Form I-539 with USCIS. Extensions are granted in increments of up to six months.17eCFR. 8 CFR 214.2 – Special Requirements for Admission, Extension, and Maintenance of Status USCIS recommends filing at least 45 days before your I-94 expires, and no more than six months before.18U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status A timely I-539 also pauses any unlawful presence that would otherwise accrue while the application is pending, as long as you filed before the I-94 expired and have not worked without authorization.19Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens
What You Cannot Do on a B Visa
Remote work catches many visitors off guard. If you enter on a B visa and keep doing your regular job remotely, even for a foreign employer paid entirely into a foreign account, you are violating your status. The State Department defines permissible B-1 activity as something other than “the performance of skilled or unskilled labor.”7U.S. Department of State. Fact Sheet: U.S. Business Visas (B-1) and Allowable Uses Meetings, exploring opportunities, and negotiating deals qualify. Answering client emails and writing deliverables from a coffee shop does not. A status violation can follow you for years, because future visa applications and entries reference your immigration history.
Overstay Consequences
The moment your authorized stay expires while you remain in the country, the visa stamp you used to enter is automatically voided. You cannot use it to re-enter even if the printed expiration has not passed.20Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1202 – Application for Visas After an overstay, any future nonimmigrant visa must generally be obtained from a consulate in your country of nationality.
If you accumulate more than 180 days of unlawful presence and then leave, you become inadmissible for three years from the date of departure. At one year or more, the bar extends to ten years.19Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens Minors under 18 do not accrue unlawful presence, and a timely, pending extension pauses the clock.
If You Are Refused Under 214(b)
The most common tourist visa refusal is under Section 214(b): the officer was not convinced you overcame the presumption of immigrant intent.21U.S. Department of State. Visa Denials It is not a permanent ban. There is no formal appeal, but you can reapply at any time by submitting a new DS-160, paying the fee again, and scheduling a new interview.
The practical question is whether reapplying quickly will change anything. If nothing about your circumstances has changed, a second interview a few weeks later will likely produce the same result. Focus on what was missing. If ties to home were the problem, come back with stronger evidence: a new employment contract, property documents, a specific itinerary with return flights booked. If finances were weak, bring more thorough bank statements or a formal sponsor letter. Consular officers see thousands of applicants and tend to weigh documentation more than personal impressions, so stronger paperwork on a second attempt genuinely moves the needle.