A B-2 visa would be granted to a person intending to enter the United States for recreational activities, such as travel, vacation (holiday), entertainment, visits with family or relatives, rest, medical treatment, activities of a fraternal, social, or service nature, and amateur participation in musical, sporting, or similar events or contents for which they will not be compensated. Even individuals who desire to enroll in a short course of study that is recreational (and not for credit toward a degree) and that is less than 18 hours per week are eligible for this visa.

Visa Procedure and Requirements

An applicant must: in order to qualify for a B Visa.

Consulate in the US to apply for a visa; US Citizenship & Immigration Service application not necessary;

prove that the visit to the US is just temporary and specific;

a proof of cash showing enough to cover expenses in the United States;

If they meet the requirements of the visa waiver program, citizens of countries participating in the VWP may obtain a waiver of the B visa at the port of entry for short-term stays in the US of 90 days or less.

Foreign nationals who are visiting the United States primarily for tourism but who also desire to enroll in a brief, recreational course of study that lasts less than 18 hours per week may be permitted to do so on a tourist visa. The foreign national will require a student visa if the course of study requires 18 hours or more per week of study time. The foreign national will require a student visa if he or she plans to visit the United States to take seminars or conferences for credit toward a degree.

With some restrictions, the following special traveller categories are permitted to enter the United States with a B-2 Business Visitor Visa or ESTA: foreign nationals who have a proxy marriage with nonimmigrant foreign nationals; spouses or children of U.S. citizens or permanent resident foreign nationals; cohabiting partners, extended family members, or other household members not eligible for derivative status of nonimmigrant foreign nationals; foreign nationals seeking naturalization under INA 329; and children seeking exoneration; foreign nationals going to an avocational or recreational school, LPRs granted a nonimmigrant guest visa for an urgent short-term visit to the US, and adoptive children traveling to the US to obtain citizenship.

ENTRY WITH A B-1/B-2 VISA

The B-1 and B-2 visas allow the holder to go to the US, but they do not guarantee that they will be admitted. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) representatives have the authority to refuse admittance to a visa holder at a U.S. port-of-entry even if the visa is in good standing. A CBP agent will issue Form I-94, which specifies the permitted duration of stay inside the nation, if admission is granted. Form I-94 is now available electronically instead of being printed on plain white paper. You must download a copy of your Form I-94 from the USCIS website in order to receive one. The CBP officer will stamp the visa holder’s passport in addition to issuing a Form I-94, indicating the date of admission and permitted duration of stay in the nation.

Extension of the B-1/B-2 Visa

How long you can stay in the United States is shown on your entry stamp and Form I-94. You will have to leave the country, ask for an extension, or modify your visa status if you need to stay in the U.S. for a longer amount of time than the time you are permitted to stay there. If your request for an extension or change of status is rejected and you stay longer than is permitted, you will be ineligible and your visa will be promptly revoked. A three-year entry prohibition into the United States is triggered by being out of status for more than 180 days (but less than a year). For ten years, the bearer of the visa who has been in the country illegally for more than a year will not be allowed to enter again. So, before making a decision to alter your status or submit an application for an extension, it is always good to speak with an immigration lawyer.