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A B visa is one of a category of non-immigrant visas issued by the United States government to foreign nationals seeking entry for a temporary period. The two types of B visa are the B-1 visa, issued to those seeking entry for business purposes, and the B-2 visa, issued to those seeking entry for tourism or other non-business purposes. In practice, the two visa categories are usually combined and issued as a "B-1/B-2 visa" valid for a temporary visit for either business or pleasure, or a combination of the two. Nationals of certain countries do not usually need to obtain a visa for these purposes.

Acceptable and prohibited uses of a B-1 or B-2 visa

Acceptable uses of a B-1 visa

Under the category of temporary visitor for business, a B-1 visa may be used to enter the U.S. to engage in any of the following activities.

• Hold business meetings
• Perform certain business functions as a member of the board of directors of a U.S. corporation
• Purchase supplies or materials
• Interview and hire staff
• Negotiate contracts, sign contracts, or take orders for products manufactured outside the United States
• Attend a convention, meeting, trade show, or business event for scientific, educational, professional, or business purposes
• Settle an estate
• Perform independent research
• Receive practical medical experience and medical instruction under the supervision and direction of faculty physicians at a U.S. medical school's hospital as part of a third-year or fourth-year internship as long as the visitor is a studying at a foreign medical school and the visitor is not compensated by the hospital without remuneration from the hospital
• Observe U.S. medical practices and consult with medical colleagues on techniques, as long as the visitor is a medical doctor, the visitor receives no compensation from a U.S. source, and the visitor does not provide patient care while in the U.S.
• Take photographs, as long as the visitor is a professional photographer and the visitor receives no compensation from a U.S. source
• Record music, as long as the visitor is a musician, the recording will be distributed and sold only outside the U.S., and the visitor will give no public performances
• Create art, as long as the visitor is a creative artist, the visitor is not under contract with a U.S. employer, and the visitor does not intend to regularly sell such artwork in the U.S.
• Perform certain professional services
• Perform as a professional entertainer as part of a cultural exchange program performed before a nonpaying audience and funded by the visitor's country
• Perform as a professional entertainer as part of a competition for which there is no compensation other than travel expenses or, in certain limited instances, a prize
• Perform work as crew on a private yacht that sails out of a foreign home port and cruises in U.S. waters
• Perform services on behalf of a foreign-based employer as a jockey, sulky driver, horse trainer, or horse groomer
• Compete in a particular athletic competition with the only compensation being prize money as long as the prize money is not the recipient's primary source of income
• Try out for a professional sports team as long as the visitor is not compensated other than reimbursement of travel expenses
• Participate in an athletic tournament or athletic sporting event as a professional athlete, as long as the visitor's only compensation is prize money, the visitor's principal place of business or activity is outside the U.S., the visitor's primary source of income is outside the U.S., and the visitor is either part of an international sports league or the sporting activities involved have an international dimension
• Survey potential sites for a business
• Perform as a lecturer or speaker
• Work for a foreign exhibitor in connection with exhibits at international fairs or international exhibits, as long as the visitor's employment responsibilities are primarily outside the U.S.
• Install, service, or repair commercial or industrial equipment or machinery that was sold by a non-U.S. company to a U.S. buyer when specifically required by the purchase contract; construction work is not allowed
• Perform a minor amount of volunteer services, excluding construction, for a religious organization or a nonprofit charitable organization, as long as volunteering is not the primary purpose of entering the U.S.
• Participate in a training program that is not designed primarily to provide employment
• Observe how a business operates or how professional activities are conducted
• Seek investments in the U.S., without actually performing productive labor or actively participating in the management of a business
• Participate in Peace Corps training as a volunteer or under contract
• Participate in the United Nations Institute for Training and Research internship program, as long a foreign government does not employ the visitor
• Drill for oil on the Outer Continental Shelf
• As a minister of religion, engage in an evangelical tour, as long as the visitor does not intend to take an appointment with any one church and the visitor will be supported by offerings contributed at each evangelical meeting
• As a minister of religion, temporarily exchange pulpits with U.S. ministers of religion, as long as the visitor will continue to be reimbursed by a foreign church and will not be compensated by the U.S. church
• Perform missionary work, religious instruction, religious aid to the elderly or needy, or religious proselytizing as a member of a religious denomination, as long as the work does not involve the selling of articles, the solicitation of donation, the acceptance of donations, administrative work, or is a substitute for ordinary labor for hire, and the visitor will not be compensated from U.S. sources other than an allowance or other reimbursement for travel expenses incidental to the temporary stay
• Participating in an organized project conducted by a recognized religious or nonprofit charitable organization that benefits U.S. local communities, as long as the visitor is a member of, and has a commitment to, the particular organization, the visitor receives no compensation from a U.S. source other than reimbursement of travel expenses
• Work as a personal employee or a domestic employee of an employer who seeks admission into, or who is already in, the United States in B, E, F, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, Q, or R non-immigrant status, if and only if the employee has been employed outside the U.S. in a similar capacity prior to the date the employer enters the U.S., the employee has a residence outside the U.S. that the employee has no intention of abandoning, the employer compensates the employee based on the prevailing wage, and the employer provides the employee free room and board.
• Work as a personal employee or a domestic employee of a U.S. citizen employer, if and only if the employer ordinarily resides outside the U.S.; the employer is traveling to the U.S. temporarily; the employer is subject to frequent international transfers of at least two years; the employer will reside in the U.S. for no more than four year as a condition of employment; the employer has regularly employed a domestic employee in the same capacity while outside the U.S.; the employee has a minimum of one year of experience in the same capacity; the employer provides the employee with the prevailing wage, room, board, and round-trip transportation; and the employee has a residence outside the U.S. that the employee has no intention of abandoning.

Acceptable uses of a B-2 visa

Under the category of temporary visitor for pleasure, a B-2 visa can be used to enter the U.S. to engage in any of the following activities.

• Travel within the U.S.
• Visit family or friends
• Participate in a convention, a conference, or a convocation of a fraternal, social, or service nature
• Obtain medical treatment, as long as the visitor has the means to pay for it
• Enroll in a short, recreational course of study, as long as it is not credited toward a degree
• Participate in an event, talent show, or a contest as an amateur, as long the visitor is not typically compensated for such participation and the visitor does not actually receive payment, other than reimbursement of travel expenses
• Enter as a dependent of an alien member of any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces temporarily assigned for duty in the U.S.
• Accompany a person with either a D-1 visa or a D-2 visa with the sole purpose of accompanying the person
• Enter with the intent of becoming engaged, meeting the family of a fiancé, making arrangements for a wedding, or renewing a relationship with a fiancé
• Enter with the intent of marrying a U.S. citizen and then return to a residence outside the U.S. after the marriage
• Accompany a spouse or child who is a U.S. citizen on a temporary visit to the U.S.
• Enter as a cohabiting (unmarried) partner of a non-immigrant visa holder if the partner is not otherwise eligible for derivative status under the partner's visa classification.

Prohibited uses

A person who enters the U.S. with a B-1 visa or a B-2 visa is prohibited from engaging in any of the following activities.

• Employment, whether paid or unpaid (some exceptions apply)
• Receive education that credits to a degree
• Arrive in the U.S. as a part of a crew of a ship or an aircraft
• Work as a journalist or other information media
• Perform before a paying audience
• Live permanently or long-term in the U.S.
• Manage a business located in the U.S.
• Start a new branch, subsidiary, or affiliate of a foreign employer
• Enter the U.S. with the purpose of performing emergency response services

Requirement to overcome presumption of intending immigrant

Under section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a foreigner must prove to the satisfaction of the consular officer his or her intent to return to his home country after visiting the United States. The act specifically states:

Every alien (other than a nonimmigrant described in subparagraph (L) or (V) of section 101(a)(15), and other than a nonimmigrant described in any provision of section 101(a)(15)(H)(i) except subclause (b1) of such section) shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for a visa, and the immigration officers, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15).

In practice, this means that consular officers have wide discretion to deny a visa application. Once refused, there is no judicial or other means to challenge a visa decision. The foreigner, however, is free to apply for a visa again, particularly if circumstances have changed that might show to the consular officer that the applicant overcomes the presumption of being an intending immigrant.

Cost

All applicants for a B-1 and/or B-2 visa must pay an application fee, US$185 as of 2024. If the application is approved, nationals of a few countries must also pay an issuance fee, based on reciprocity, varying by nationality, desired visa validity, number of entries and visa subtype (B-1, B-2 or combined B-1/B-2).

As of 2024, only nationals of the following countries must pay the issuance fee.

Country	Issuance fee (USD)	Entries	Validity	Notes
Cameroon	35	multiple	6 months
	215	multiple	1 year
Central African Republic	40	multiple	1 year
Comoros	0	1	2 months
	282	multiple	1 year
Djibouti	155	multiple	1 year
Gambia	15	multiple	5 years
Malawi	0	1	3 months
	35	multiple	6 months
	115	multiple	1 year
Myanmar	0	1	3 months	For B-2 or B-1/B-2.
	415	multiple	1 year	For B-1 only.
Nauru	0	multiple	5 years	For B-1 only.
	7	1	3 months	For B-2 only.
Papua New Guinea	0	1	6 months
	165	multiple	1 year
Turkmenistan	0	multiple	3 months
	90	multiple	6 months
	330	multiple	1 year

History

Before 1994, there was no application fee, and only the issuance fee was charged, varying by nationality based on reciprocity. In 1994, the application fee was introduced for all applicants, in addition to the reciprocal issuance fee, to pay for the more costly machine-readable visas, which replaced the older stamped visas around that time. The application fee was initially US$20, and has increased several times since then.

Validity period and duration of stay

As with other non-immigrant U.S. visas, a B-1/B-2 visa has a validity period (from 1 month to 10 years), allows for one, two, three or multiple entries into the U.S., and elicits a period of stay (maximum 6 months) recorded by the Customs and Border Protection officer at the port of entry on the individual's form I-94. The validity period determines how long the visa may be used to enter the U.S., while the period of stay determines how long the person may stay in the U.S. after each entry.

Validity periods per country are listed in the U.S. Department of State visa reciprocity tables and vary from 1 month for Tuvalu (for B-1), 1 year for Vietnam, 2 years for Ethiopia, 3 years for Russia, and 5 years for Nigeria, to 10 years for China, India, Philippines, and most countries in the Americas and Europe. For some countries, longer validity periods are available for higher issuance fees or for B-1 or B-2 only.

Periods of stay for B-1 visas may be granted initially for a duration long enough to allow the visitor to conduct their business, up to a maximum of 6 months, and can be extended for another 6 months; stays with B-1 visas are usually granted for three months or less, while stays with B-2 visas are generally granted for six months. Extensions are possible, provided the individual has not violated the conditions of admission.

A Border Crossing Card (BCC), also called a laser visa, has a 10-year validity and functions as both a BCC and a B-1/B-2 visitor's visa. The BCC is only issued to nationals of Mexico who apply for a visa inside Mexico.

Validity of B visas by nationality, as of 2024:

Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS)

On March 15, 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that starting from 29 November 2016, all holders of Chinese passports who also hold 10-year B visas are required to enroll in the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) before travelling to the United States via air, land or sea. The EVUS is designed for visa holders to update any changes to their basic biographic and employment information at the time of their visa applications. Similar to the ESTA, each EVUS registration is valid for a period of 2 years or until the holder's passport expiration date, whichever comes first. As of 2023, this system can be used free of charge and no time frame exists for when the US$8 cost recovery fee will be imposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Holders of EVUS can travel to the United States for unlimited times providing that their EVUS registration and visa remain valid.

The requirement applies to any holder of a Chinese passport and B visa with a 10-year validity. It also applies to holders of non-citizen travel documents issued by other countries, such as a refugee travel document and certificate of identity, whose nationality is Chinese. It does not apply, however, to holders of Hong Kong SAR passports, Macau SAR passports, B visas with a validity shorter than 10 years, or of other types of visas. The CBP and DHS are seeking to expand the EVUS to other nationalities in the future.

EVUS was officially launched on October 31, 2016, for early enrollments. Upon launch, CBP announced that the enrollment fee will be suspended until further notice.

Use for other countries

Certain countries generally accept a U.S. tourist visa that is valid for further travel as a substitute visa for national visas.

Country	Period	Notes
Albania	90 days
Antigua and Barbuda	30 days
Argentina	3 months	Certain nationalities can obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if holding a B2 visa.
Belize	30 days	Multiple-entry visa only
Bosnia and Herzegovina	30 days
Canada	up to 6 months	Nationals of certain countries arriving by air with Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) only
Chile	90 days	Nationals of China only
Colombia	90 days	Certain nationalities only
Costa Rica	30 days	Only for a multiple-entry visa that is valid for at least six months
Dominican Republic	90 days
El Salvador	90 days	Certain nationalities only
Georgia	90 days	Valid for 90 days within any 180-day period
Guatemala	90 days	Certain nationalities only
Honduras	90 days	Certain nationalities only
Jamaica	30 days	Certain nationalities only
Mexico	180 days
Montenegro	30 days
Nicaragua	90 days	Certain nationalities only
North Macedonia	15 days
Oman		Certain nationalities may obtain an electronic Omani visa
Panama	30 or 180 days	Must hold a visa valid for at least 2 additional entries
Peru	180 days	Applicable to nationals of China and nationals of India only
Philippines	7 or 14 days	7 days for nationals of China; 14 days for nationals of India
Qatar	30 days	Nationals who must typically enter with a visa may obtain an electronic travel authorization
São Tomé and Príncipe	15 days
Serbia	90 days
South Korea	30 days
Taiwan		Certain nationalities may obtain an online travel authority
Turkey		Certain nationalities may obtain an electronic visa
United Arab Emirates	14 days	Visa on arrival for nationals of India only

Statistics

Visitor visas issued

The highest number of B-1/B-2 visas were issued to nationals of the following countries in fiscal years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2023.

Country	B-1/B-2 visas issued
	2023	2017	2016	2015
Mexico	1,794,962	1,088,880	1,106,723	1,234,885
Brazil	1,009,231	520,589	450,166	870,008
India	735,401	599,983	563,202	553,385
Colombia	441,223	333,433	374,398	345,233
Argentina	273,206	353,555	295,326	240,115
China	267,027	1,452,834	1,989,925	2,227,670
Ecuador	263,180	168,103	150,163	150,458
Israel	174,427	163,495	168,136	137,439
Philippines	134,907	115,712	99,967	83,139
Dominican Republic	115,762	194,557	136,057	85,140
Vietnam	110,141	100,423	86,180	80,936
Turkey	103,225	74,312	85,560	78,118
Nigeria	97,041	155,940	162,996	136,409
Egypt	92,998	54,216	58,062	46,433
Pakistan	92,618	48,537	65,844	62,714
Peru	90,808	82,485	79,927	97,936
Costa Rica	76,003	75,529	71,710	58,139
Honduras	73,624	54,753	48,177	35,004
Indonesia	67,801	52,233	48,787	48,239
Guatemala	73,216	41,055	52,326	48,735
Jamaica	61,088	65,119	94,458	83,483
Saudi Arabia	58,436	52,476	78,042	85,303
Russia	54,114	164,944	151,692	122,147
South Africa	52,112	46,427	45,240	48,432
Venezuela	50,827	47,087	144,283	223,854
Total	5,902,426	6,276,851	7,988,520	8,403,683

In fiscal year 2014, most reasons to refuse a visa were cited as "failure to establish entitlement to nonimmigrant status", "incompatible application" (most overcome), "unlawful presence", "misrepresentation", "criminal convictions", "smugglers" and "controlled substance violators". Smaller number of applications were rejected for "physical or mental disorder", "prostitution", "espionage", "terrorist activities", "falsely claiming citizenship" and other grounds for refusal including "presidential proclamation", "money laundering", "communicable disease" and "commission of acts of torture or extrajudicial killings".

Adjusted visa refusal rate

The adjusted visa refusal rates for B visas, by fiscal year, were as follows.

Country	2008	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
Afghanistan	51.00%	46.70%	61.03%	73.80%	72.14%	71.39%	68.42%
Albania	38.70%	39.80%	36.82%	35.95%	40.45%	41.92%	41.45%
Algeria	20.30%	23.10%	25.92%	36.00%	43.96%	39.26%	44.22%
Angola	17.10%	21.40%	26.77%	48.52%	36.01%	51.76%	58.26%
Antigua and Barbuda	21.70%	20.80%	20.17%	22.11%	20.50%	19.07%	15.25%
Argentina	3.10%	1.40%	2.14%	2.14%	1.79%	1.73%	2.07%
Armenia	53.30%	43.80%	47.17%	45.88%	51.87%	53.83%	51.65%
Azerbaijan	14.00%	13.50%	12.93%	14.83%	27.63%	28.45%	25.43%
Bahrain	6.60%	4.70%	3.81%	6.26%	9.53%	6.96%	13.55%
Bangladesh	48.20%	50.80%	59.96%	62.82%	60.88%	40.05%	39.78%
Barbados	10.10%	9.80%	9.54%	11.24%	8.72%	7.07%	6.76%
Belarus	21.10%	14.00%	12.53%	14.87%	21.69%	23.26%	21.93%
Belize	25.40%	16.40%	30.47%	35.21%	30.91%	34.55%	28.63%
Benin	39.10%	31.40%	35.74%	38.01%	42.10%	47.74%	48.48%
Bhutan	48.30%	43.60%	54.55%	69.78%	52.43%	59.63%	57.13%
Bolivia	23.60%	13.60%	13.56%	14.36%	18.08%	22.19%	24.17%
Bosnia-Herzegovina	21.30%	16.10%	20.38%	19.70%	16.37%	23.50%	25.27%
Botswana	15.60%	16.90%	16.67%	18.97%	17.94%	18.67%	17.54%
Brazil	5.50%	3.20%	5.36%	16.70%	12.34%	12.73%	18.48%
Bulgaria	13.30%	15.20%	17.26%	16.86%	14.97%	11.32%	9.75%
Burkina Faso	44.40%	37.40%	50.37%	65.35%	75.74%	71.16%	62.32%
Burundi	58.80%	50.00%	58.35%	61.33%	75.55%	74.39%	73.16%
Cambodia	44.30%	39.90%	48.41%	35.62%	41.05%	54.22%	33.65%
Cameroon	46.70%	28.20%	29.89%	36.84%	47.29%	32.63%	57.97%
Cape Verde	42.70%	28.70%	36.05%	45.89%	50.70%	52.27%	52.66%
Central African Republic	39.60%	46.60%	32.43%	35.12%	44.24%	36.03%	37.45%
Chad	41.40%	32.40%	33.87%	42.53%	51.65%	60.80%	70.16%
China	18.20%	9.00%	10.03%	12.35%	14.57%	17.00%	18.22%
Colombia	25.60%	12.30%	15.52%	17.79%	21.93%	35.11%	41.93%
Comoros	14.00%	17.00%	54.44%	53.73%	48.45%	69.46%	53.02%
Congo	33.20%	35.40%	40.77%	46.55%	48.47%	52.23%	60.49%
Costa Rica	21.20%	11.40%	9.83%	8.39%	6.49%	9.91%	18.66%
Croatia	5.10%	6.10%	5.29%	6.78%	5.10%	5.92%	4.02%
Cuba	45.20%	66.20%	76.03%	81.85%	77.17%	50.97%	53.40%
Cyprus	1.70%	3.50%	3.53%	2.03%	1.69%	2.38%	2.78%
Democratic Republic of the Congo	36.20%	39.10%	45.62%	45.63%	49.94%	50.56%	53.80%
Djibouti	42.50%	50.10%	52.00%	47.09%	74.80%	82.96%	85.35%
Dominica	29.50%	29.00%	33.33%	31.63%	28.74%	37.13%	26.83%
Dominican Republic	45.60%	35.90%	33.78%	31.88%	35.78%	49.54%	53.21%
East Timor	16.70%	25.00%	12.68%	26.67%	7.02%	8.16%	4.23%
Ecuador	40.00%	20.80%	31.34%	29.18%	27.95%	31.38%	34.05%
Egypt	35.30%	34.00%	33.57%	28.61%	34.24%	32.15%	31.83%
El Salvador	45.70%	36.30%	45.72%	57.12%	52.97%	51.49%	58.18%
Equatorial Guinea	11.10%	17.80%	19.30%	17.75%	18.21%	21.29%	27.79%
Eritrea	51.10%	41.70%	55.67%	50.49%	71.69%	69.54%	65.39%
Eswatini	13.00%	10.00%	12.95%	8.03%	12.59%	8.49%	5.73%
Ethiopia	46.70%	44.90%	48.32%	38.13%	50.30%	41.74%	45.46%
Fiji	38.00%	14.00%	14.92%	20.23%	26.59%	41.74%	38.96%
Gabon	23.00%	13.50%	15.74%	21.29%	26.10%	40.00%	45.41%
Gambia	55.70%	69.30%	75.64%	69.87%	70.27%	64.22%	72.30%
Georgia	46.60%	48.20%	50.58%	62.82%	61.09%	62.35%	63.85%
Ghana	50.10%	59.80%	63.28%	65.70%	56.18%	49.35%	55.60%
Grenada	29.90%	29.50%	32.00%	35.71%	26.94%	26.44%	19.49%
Guatemala	33.80%	35.90%	45.37%	48.68%	47.14%	53.62%	58.64%
Guinea	63.80%	47.80%	59.81%	63.53%	64.59%	66.16%	73.29%
Guinea-Bissau	63.40%	56.50%	65.18%	71.88%	71.61%	76.09%	65.33%
Guyana	56.60%	40.20%	37.28%	25.76%	37.92%	70.62%	62.96%
Haiti	54.40%	58.20%	60.45%	64.52%	71.44%	67.59%	60.81%
Honduras	33.60%	36.80%	39.73%	42.76%	40.35%	60.32%	61.71%
Hong Kong	3.30%	3.10%	4.36%	4.61%	3.45%	4.25%	3.23%
India	24.70%	19.80%	23.78%	26.02%	23.29%	26.07%	27.75%
Indonesia	37.00%	8.30%	8.71%	11.19%	10.99%	12.81%	12.46%
Iran	42.50%	41.80%	38.55%	45.02%	58.66%	87.66%	86.58%
Iraq	46.30%	41.40%	52.82%	51.71%	60.71%	56.95%	49.94%
Israel	3.00%	8.20%	3.85%	4.09%	4.88%	5.10%	5.33%
Ivory Coast	40.90%	29.80%	28.59%	37.38%	33.72%	33.81%	35.73%
Jamaica	35.50%	32.30%	37.62%	35.64%	46.78%	54.46%	56.59%
Jordan	43.20%	26.90%	37.59%	40.34%	40.06%	42.62%	45.26%
Kazakhstan	11.70%	9.90%	12.70%	27.55%	32.81%	39.38%	42.58%
Kenya	35.60%	27.30%	27.34%	26.60%	33.17%	41.59%	49.86%
Kiribati	26.20%	15.40%	16.05%	5.81%	5.13%	25.33%	11.69%
Kosovo	47.90%	38.10%	44.03%	41.48%	37.92%	35.97%	36.76%
Kuwait	6.50%	5.70%	5.73%	4.56%	8.32%	2.71%	3.27%
Kyrgyzstan	32.10%	43.20%	55.75%	51.68%	55.58%	58.9%	67.75%
Laos	73.40%	61.10%	66.68%	62.37%	63.66%	64.06%	65.60%
Lebanon	27.90%	16.10%	27.10%	25.41%	31.75%	25.22%	23.85%
Lesotho	32.10%	16.70%	13.95%	21.20%	35.97%	21.94%	28.24%
Liberia	70.70%	49.40%	62.45%	70.23%	64.98%	64.36%	73.93%
Libya	27.10%	33.90%	43.02%	40.58%	45.50%	73.73%	89.05%
Madagascar	11.90%	11.60%	11.01%	12.12%	11.00%	11.77%	7.69%
Malawi	28.90%	12.30%	10.23%	14.52%	26.49%	28.20%	37.05%
Malaysia	5.60%	4.60%	3.34%	3.65%	3.93%	4.94%	4.91%
Maldives	4.70%	6.70%	15.49%	47.56%	27.74%	9.88%	33.65%
Mali	48.10%	54.00%	52.77%	57.58%	59.43%	50.60%	55.89%
Mauritania	51.00%	52.20%	61.45%	71.45%	67.30%	61.58%	67.79%
Mauritius	11.60%	2.20%	5.71%	5.53%	8.29%	6.49%	6.59%
Mexico	11.40%	15.60%	20.17%	23.49%	22.50%	24.93%	26.66%
Moldova	36.70%	40.10%	41.83%	36.35%	49.12%	61.10%	58.03%
Mongolia	53.60%	27.90%	34.76%	43.63%	53.62%	56.51%	54.60%
Montenegro	25.60%	28.00%	31.26%	28.69%	26.41%	35.35%	39.10%
Morocco	24.00%	21.90%	20.60%	26.77%	36.99%	42.88%	28.48%
Mozambique	13.80%	4.00%	4.03%	10.29%	26.18%	10.22%	14.24%
Myanmar	41.90%	15.50%	16.32%	13.02%	17.88%	23.12%	30.91%
Namibia	6.80%	7.60%	7.43%	5.56%	6.31%	8.40%	6.60%
Nauru	66.70%	42.90%	5.26%	13.33%	20.97%	21.43%	20.83%
Nepal	51.20%	38.20%	42.19%	49.54%	46.42%	51.53%	50.70%
Nicaragua	41.80%	35.80%	41.19%	44.54%	43.28%	46.75%	63.52%
Niger	55.70%	36.40%	31.10%	31.14%	30.65%	43.33%	42.76%
Nigeria	36.00%	33.20%	32.56%	41.44%	44.95%	57.47%	67.20%
Non-nationality based issuances	n/a	n/a	n/a	28.92%	35.61%	40.27%	43.16%
North Korea	16.30%	55.60%	47.67%	15.00%	54.55%	100.00%	100%
North Macedonia	33.50%	29.80%	36.08%	33.84%	28.69%	31.29%	36.19%
Oman	2.20%	2.10%	2.00%	1.93%	3.46%	4.87%	5.13%
Pakistan	46.30%	38.00%	40.40%	46.43%	49.40%	47.89%	48.26%
Palestine	55.60%	36.70%	42.68%	40.64%	50.98%	53.87%	52.92%
Panama	19.20%	10.00%	11.36%	12.05%	11.61%	11.71%	18.93%
Papua New Guinea	3.40%	7.40%	5.14%	10.56%	9.34%	6.84%	1.74%
Paraguay	14.40%	6.10%	6.15%	7.47%	6.83%	8.02%	12.41%
Peru	37.70%	13.80%	14.46%	28.61%	25.97%	28.53%	25.39%
Philippines	31.00%	24.60%	27.96%	27.29%	25.54%	27.07%	24.40%
Poland	13.80%	6.40%	6.37%	5.37%	5.92%	3.99%	2.76%
Qatar	4.90%	2.10%	2.97%	3.50%	7.48%	8.34%	10.33%
Romania	25.00%	9.80%	11.16%	11.43%	11.76%	10.44%	9.11%
Russia	7.50%	7.80%	10.24%	9.29%	11.61%	14.89%	15.19%
Rwanda	50.30%	51.10%	49.17%	43.79%	52.17%	44.51%	53.76%
Saint Kitts and Nevis	25.00%	27.50%	26.60%	28.31%	26.66%	24.98%	21.87%
Saint Lucia	26.60%	27.60%	26.90%	27.16%	22.34%	21.90%	16.75%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	26.40%	24.10%	27.15%	27.46%	20.38%	19.17%	14.55%
Samoa	32.40%	27.20%	29.99%	28.44%	40.32%	26.26%	27.02%
São Tomé and Príncipe	28.60%	10.70%	5.71%	24.14%	14.81%	26.09%	34.78%
Saudi Arabia	6.60%	3.30%	3.24%	4.04%	5.26%	7.47%	6.82%
Senegal	55.20%	57.50%	54.37%	52.46%	56.85%	59.18%	55.88%
Serbia	11.70%	16.00%	16.54%	18.77%	22.33%	25.93%	30.33%
Seychelles	18.00%	6.80%	7.26%	9.66%	13.14%	11.64%	10.60%
Sierra Leone	50.10%	51.90%	53.02%	61.25%	47.30%	60.56%	57.99%
Solomon Islands	6.50%	5.40%	7.26%	4.28%	16.79%	3.57%	2.20%
Somalia	54.00%	52.00%	64.60%	63.89%	75.50%	90.16%	80.77%
South Africa	4.60%	2.60%	5.08%	6.83%	6.44%	7.31%	6.92%
South Sudan	n/a	43.80%	41.77%	43.89%	47.52%	41.29%	52.32%
Sri Lanka	31.40%	19.50%	22.07%	21.69%	26.19%	33.61%	35.12%
Sudan	38.60%	42.40%	40.45%	36.59%	51.37%	59.83%	57.44%
Suriname	9.60%	13.60%	7.78%	10.86%	11.44%	8.57%	7.44%
Syria	33.10%	60.00%	63.43%	59.77%	59.11%	77.31%	74.83%
Tajikistan	32.40%	49.00%	44.44%	55.24%	51.84%	53.39%	60.97%
Tanzania	26.20%	21.30%	12.02%	23.05%	18.36%	19.87%	23.90%
Thailand	19.80%	10.20%	12.35%	17.82%	20.15%	22.17%	23.41%
Togo	51.70%	35.60%	43.42%	54.39%	59.88%	59.61%	59.78%
Tonga	48.70%	25.40%	28.09%	31.58%	32.85%	51.33%	45.85%
Trinidad and Tobago	23.80%	21.20%	25.16%	22.70%	22.46%	19.28%	13.05%
Tunisia	23.90%	17.50%	19.69%	15.92%	19.53%	27.67%	24.17%
Turkey	11.20%	7.10%	13.88%	13.62%	17.86%	17.49%	19.19%
Turkmenistan	45.40%	18.60%	25.41%	32.95%	40.60%	52.93%	56.26%
Tuvalu	17.60%	27.30%	21.05%	20.00%	15.38%	34.78%	25.81%
Uganda	34.40%	37.20%	30.63%	41.53%	42.38%	42.29%	51.65%
Ukraine	30.90%	27.70%	34.03%	40.83%	34.54%	40.97%	45.06%
United Arab Emirates	10.40%	4.80%	7.10%	4.02%	5.80%	3.75%	5.56%
Uruguay	9.50%	1.80%	2.70%	3.14%	3.19%	4.11%	5.91%
Uzbekistan	61.10%	52.10%	49.59%	57.09%	50.29%	61.76%	68.06%
Vanuatu	16.70%	20.00%	10.53%	16.67%	13.51%	38.30%	41.05%
Vatican City	16.70%	7.70%	25.00%	0.00%	36.36%	0.00%	8.33%
Venezuela	25.40%	15.20%	15.57%	40.25%	42.87%	74.28%	59.53%
Vietnam	38.80%	14.30%	23.43%	29.49%	24.06%	26.20%	23.70%
Western Sahara	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	100.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Yemen	54.70%	44.20%	54.01%	48.85%	60.76%	82.50%	78.45%
Zambia	53.30%	22.20%	20.98%	22.26%	21.72%	22.45%	40.64%
Zimbabwe	30.30%	13.20%	21.03%	22.88%	26.32%	26.60%	26.92%

Visitor admissions

The individuals admitted for tourism and/or business purposes during fiscal year 2017 were nationals from the following countries.

Country	Admissions
Afghanistan	1,910
Albania	14,151
Algeria	13,291
Andorra	1,417
Angola	6,900
Antigua and Barbuda	14,992
Argentina	1,085,461
Armenia	11,614
Australia	1,463,908
Austria	219,187
Azerbaijan	6,912
Bahamas	293,192
Bahrain	7,168
Bangladesh	29,646
Barbados	66,984
Belarus	18,926
Belgium	302,585
Belize	28,496
Benin	2,301
Bhutan	612
Bolivia	71,519
Bosnia and Herzegovina	8,246
Botswana	2,108
Brazil	2,011,385
Brunei	1,126
Bulgaria	31,126
Burkina Faso	4,716
Burundi	1,597
Cambodia	3,890
Cameroon	12,014
Canada	11,616,347
Cape Verde	4,833
Central African Republic	216
Chad	745
Chile	396,367
China	2,630,300
Colombia	926,855
Comoros	102
Congo	1,146
Costa Rica	307,979
Croatia	26,345
Cuba	67,284
Cyprus	10,642
Czech Republic	123,545
Democratic Republic of the Congo	6,701
Denmark	353,381
Djibouti	1,252
Dominica	5,692
Dominican Republic	435,775
East Timor	54
Ecuador	430,136
Egypt	80,367
El Salvador	199,375
Equatorial Guinea	982
Eritrea	3,373
Estonia	25,799
Eswatini	325
Ethiopia	20,951
Fiji	10,810
Finland	160,289
France	1,923,414
Gabon	2,013
Gambia	1,661
Georgia	3,710
Germany	2,228,358
Ghana	22,949
Greece	86,475
Grenada	11,498
Guatemala	285,254
Guinea	3,241
Guinea-Bissau	164
Guyana	71,314
Haiti	148,524
Honduras	215,261
Hungary	97,439
Iceland	66,319
India	1,264,598
Indonesia	100,932
Iran	14,530
Iraq	16,790
Ireland	532,793
Israel	435,873
Italy	1,282,989
Ivory Coast	6,703
Jamaica	314,301
Japan	3,697,844
Jordan	40,558
Kazakhstan	23,011
Kenya	27,588
Kiribati	237
Kosovo	3,752
Kuwait	39,519
Kyrgyzstan	1,443
Laos	1,654
Latvia	23,539
Lebanon	41,731
Lesotho	333
Liberia	3,555
Libya	780
Liechtenstein	2,008
Lithuania	26,135
Luxembourg	13,333
Madagascar	1,227
Malawi	2,232
Malaysia	82,881
Maldives	382
Mali	3,491
Malta	6,789
Marshall Islands	70
Mauritania	920
Mauritius	4,765
Mexico	18,101,904
Micronesia	70
Moldova	8,991
Monaco	991
Mongolia	11,377
Morocco	30,043
Mozambique	1,773
Myanmar	7,976
Namibia	2,043
Nauru	49
Nepal	28,394
Netherlands	796,945
New Zealand	351,924
Nicaragua	69,900
Niger	1,347
Nigeria	196,326
North Korea	16
North Macedonia	8,059
Norway	298,554
Oman	4,347
Pakistan	104,064
Palau	30
Panama	149,544
Papua New Guinea	682
Paraguay	29,059
Peru	310,924
Philippines	352,474
Poland	212,207
Portugal	190,022
Qatar	11,833
Romania	83,926
Russia	297,397
Rwanda	3,395
Saint Kitts and Nevis	12,288
Saint Lucia	16,338
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	10,313
Samoa	2,072
San Marino	699
São Tomé and Príncipe	34
Saudi Arabia	108,115
Senegal	8,785
Serbia and Montenegro	26,042
Seychelles	316
Sierra Leone	2,971
Singapore	135,949
Slovakia	53,437
Slovenia	26,727
Solomon Islands	196
Somalia	161
South Africa	129,412
South Korea	2,324,707
South Sudan	234
Spain	1,037,798
Sri Lanka	24,507
Sudan	3,460
Suriname	12,770
Sweden	568,668
Switzerland	433,375
Syria	8,869
Taiwan	456,106
Tajikistan	1,542
Tanzania	5,868
Thailand	93,760
Togo	2,402
Tonga	3,834
Trinidad and Tobago	186,223
Tunisia	10,907
Turkey	174,501
Turkmenistan	1,117
Tuvalu	39
Uganda	8,957
Ukraine	98,547
United Arab Emirates	28,435
United Kingdom	4,786,421
Uruguay	80,410
Uzbekistan	11,565
Vanuatu	110
Vatican City	0
Venezuela	540,168
Vietnam	101,686
Yemen	2,713
Zambia	4,245
Zimbabwe	7,939
Unknown	61,705
Total	70,056,257

Overstays

A number of visitors overstay the maximum period of allowed stay on their B-1/B-2 status after entering the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security publishes annual reports that list the number of violations by passengers who arrive by air and sea. The table below excludes statistics on persons who left the United States later than their allowed stay or legalized their status and shows only suspected overstays who remained in the country. More than 95% of visitors from Mexico arrive in the U.S. by land rather than by air and sea. Statistics for suspected overstays of the land visitors are yet to be released.

The number of suspected in-country B-1/B-2 overstays in fiscal year 2018 by nationality were the following.

See also

• Visa policy of the United States
• Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
• B visa in lieu of other visas

Notes

1. According to some international consultants, holders of Hong Kong SAR passports are required to register in EVUS due to Executive Order 13936 from July 2020, but this requirement has not been confirmed by CBP.
2. Including Border Crossing Cards
3. "Non-nationality based issuances" includes individuals presenting travel documents issued by a competent authority other than their country of nationality, including, for example, aliens traveling on a Laissez-Passer issued by the United Nations and refugees residing in another country.
4. Includes admissions under the Visa Waiver Program.
5. ^ Includes Australia, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, and Cocos Islands.
6. ^ Includes mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
7. ^ Includes Denmark, Faroe Islands, and Greenland.
8. ^ Includes France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and Wallis and Futuna.
9. Includes a limited number of Border Crossing Card admissions.
10. ^ Includes Morocco and Western Sahara.
11. ^ Includes the Netherlands, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten.
12. ^ Includes New Zealand, Cook Islands, Tokelau, and Niue.
13. ^ Includes the United Kingdom, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
14. Data withheld by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to limit disclosure.

References

1. "Visitor Visa". United States Department of State.
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3. ^ "9 FAM 402.2: (U) Tourists and Business Visitors and Mexican Border Crossing Cards - B Visas and BCCS". Foreign Affairs Manual. United States Department of State. December 28, 2017.
4. ^ "Business Travel to the United States". Bureau of Consular Affairs. United States Department of State. March 2014.
5. "Business Visa Center FAQs". Bureau of Consular Affairs. United States Department of State. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
6. "Working (Legally) on a Visitor's Visa or Visa Waiver Entry". Retrieved 15 October 2012.
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8. "B-1 Domestic Workers". Sharma Law Offices, LLC. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
9. "Domestic Employees Archived 2019-02-17 at the Wayback Machine". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
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11. "Visas: Temporary Visitors for Business or Pleasure". Federal Register. National Archives and Records Administration. January 24, 2020.
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13. "A 214(b) Denial: What it Means, What You Can Do". Gudeon & McFadenn Law Firm. August 14, 2018.
14. "Fees for Visa Services". United States Department of State. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
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16. 22 CFR 22.1, HeinOnline, 1 April 1994.
17. ^ Federal Register document number 94-11681, United States Government Publishing Office, 16 May 1994.
18. 63 FR 5098, United States Government Publishing Office, 30 January 1998.
19. 67 FR 34831, Federal Register, 16 May 2002.
20. 67 FR 62884, Federal Register, 9 October 2002.
21. 72 FR 72243, Federal Register, 20 December 2007.
22. 75 FR 28188, Federal Register, 20 May 2010.
23. 77 FR 18907, Federal Register, 29 March 2012.
24. 88 FR 18243, Federal Register, 28 March 2023.
25. 88 FR 34084, Federal Register, 26 May 2023.
26. "B-1 Temporary Business Visitor". USCIS. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
27. "B Visa Overview | Immigration.Com - Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, PC". Immigration.Com. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
28. "Extend Your Stay". USCIS. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
29. Tourism and visitors Archived 2016-08-04 at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico.
30. Temporary reciprocity schedule, United States Department of State.
31. "CBP Announces the Electronic Visa Update System". U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 2016-03-15.
32. "Is there a fee to apply with EVUS?". U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
33. United States – Executive Order Ends Preferential Treatment for Hong Kong, KPMG, July 21, 2020.
34. Assessing the Impacts of Executive Order 13936 on Hong Kong's Status, One Month Later, Steptoe, August 25, 2020.
35. Presidential Executive Order Ends Preferential Visa Policies for Hong Kong, Fragomen, July 16, 2020.
36. ^ "Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) Frequently Asked Questions". U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
37. CBP Launches the Electronic Visa Update System for Early Enrollments, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, October 31, 2016.
38. "Visa Regime for Foreign Citizens". Ministria per Evropën dhe Punët e Jashtme. January 11, 2018. "Foreigners that have a valid visa from the United States of America (USA) or United Kingdom (UK), with multiple entries, that has been used previously to enter that country, and/or those that have a valid Residence Permit in USA or UK."
39. "Visa on Arrival". Antigua and Barbuda Department of Immigration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration. Retrieved February 8, 2019. "Visas may be granted on arrival: To persons who are holders of a valid: United States Visa or permanent Resident Card; or A Canadian Visa or permanent Resident Card, or A United Kingdom Visa or Resident Card, or A Schengen Visa."
40. "Ave Global | DNM".
41. "Do I Need a Visa?" Belize High Commission London. Retrieved January 8, 2019. "Nationals of the following countries do NOT require a visa to enter Belize as a tourist for a period of up to 30 days. – Any person who is the holder of a valid United States of America (USA) multiple entry visa or a Permanent Residency Card OR a valid Schengen multiple entry visa for a European Union (EU) member state."
42. "Visas for Bosnia and Herzegovina Archived 2017-05-28 at the Wayback Machine". Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Kingdom of Norway. "Citizens of countries with which BiH has a visa regime can stay up to 30 days in Bosnia and Herzegovina without visa under condition that they possess a valid multiple-entry visa or residence permit issued by the Schengen Agreement country, European Union Member States or United States of America. Such visas or resident permits should be valid for at least 30 days longer than the date of entry into our country."
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44. "Visas". Embassy of the Dominican Republic in the United States of America. Retrieved 18 February 2019. "Any person who can legally travel or reside in the United States, Canada and the European Union (including the United Kingdom) does not need a visa to visit the Dominican Republic for tourist purposes."
45. "Countries and regions that require a visa to travel to Mexico Archived 2015-10-18 at the Wayback Machine". Instituto Nacional de Migración. 27 September 2013.
46. "|- Visa information for Mexico". Timatic.
47. "Montenegro Visa Regimes". Visit Montenegro. Holders of travel documents containing a valid Schengen visa, a valid visa of the United States of America, United Kingdom, and Ireland, or a permission to stay in these countries, may enter and stay, or pass through the territory of Montenegro up to 30 days, and not longer than the expiry of visa, if the period of validity of the visa is less than 30 days."
48. "Travel to Serbia". Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Washington, D.C. Retrieved February 8, 2019. "Foreign nationals who have a valid US visa or lawful residence in the United States (green card) may enter the Republic of Serbia without visas and stay no longer than 90 days within six month period. Visa must be valid for the whole duration of stay in the Republic of Serbia."
49. Achkhanian, Mary (29 March 2017). "UAE visa on arrival for Indians with US visa, Green Card". Gulf News.
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61. "Adjusted Refusal Rate, B Visas Only, By Nationality, Fiscal Year 2019". United States Department of State.
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64. "2016 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: Table 28. Nonimmigrant Admissions (I-94 Only) By Selected Category Of Admission And Region And Country Of Citizenship: Fiscal Year 2016". United States Department of Homeland Security.
65. "2017 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: Table 28. Nonimmigrant Admissions (I-94 Only) By Selected Category Of Admission And Region And Country Of Citizenship: Fiscal Year 2017". United States Department of Homeland Security.
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External links

• US Department of State page on Visitor Visas
• USCIS page on B-1 business visas

• United States visas by type
• United States immigration law