02/01/2018
United States: Visas for
Travelers to the United
States
If you are a citizen of a foreign country, and not a
resident or citizen of the USA, and you want to
enter the United States then you must first obtain
a visa. A visitor visa to the United States allows
you to spend a short amount of time in the
country â visitor visas are non-immigrant visas
and are for people who want to conduct business,
visit as a tourist, or take part in an exchange
program for a specified period of time. You can
also travel for a combination of business and
pleasure by combining two types of visas. Here
are the four visitor visas to the US that you need
to know about:
1. Business (Visa Category B-1)
If you want to visit the US for the purpose of
doing business then you will normally need the B1
visa for visitors. With this visa you can consult
with business associates and colleagues in the
US, attend a conference in the US that is
educational, scientific, or business-oriented, settle
business issues such as an estate, or negotiate a
contract with US business people.
Other reasons for acquiring a B1 visa include
surveying potential sites for an investment or a
business start-up in the US, as an athlete or
sportsperson, as a lecturer or speaker, a
researcher, setting up contracts or promoting
products that will be sold from outside the US, or
completing an engineering contract.
Click here for more information on the
requirements and the specifications for
the business visitor visa to the US (B1).
2. Tourism (Visa Category B-2)
When visiting the United States for tourism you
need the visitor visa for pleasure and leisure â the
B2 visa. As a tourist to the United States you can
visit on a vacation, take a trip to America to see
family and friends, tour the country as a tourist,
get medical treatment at a US hospital or clinic,
take part in social events organized by a club,
society or organization that you are a member of,
take part in an amateur contest â for example a
music competition or a sports event â or enroll in
a course of study that is not credited towards a
degree or other study (for example, you could
take a two-day cookery course in the United
States as part of your vacation.)
3. Combination of Business and Leisure (Visa
Category B-1/B-2)
When you are planning to visit as a tourist and
also take part in some of the business activities
listed above, you need a combination of the two B
visas â B1/ B2 .
4. Visa Waiver Program
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is designed for
citizens of participating countries to visit the
United States for up to 90 days, for the purposes
of tourism or business. In order to be eligible, the
traveler must come from a participating country
(38 countries are participating, including the UK,
Australia, Chile, Singapore and more), and must
have an Electronic System for Travel
Authorization (ESTA) approved before travel. If
you can travel on the Visa Waiver Program but
you would prefer to travel with a visa, you can
apply for the B visa for visitors.
5. Student (Visa Category F or M)
International students â students from foreign
countries â need a valid student visa (F or M)
before traveling to the US to study at a university,
college, school or other academic institution. You
can study on the visa, and you can travel on
tourism purposes around the country, but you
cannot work.
You need an F visa if you are going to the US to
attend university or college, high school, private
elementary school, a seminary, a conservatory, or
a language training program or other academic
institute. You need an M visa if you are attending
a "vocational or other recognized nonacademic
institution, other than a language training
program."
6. Exchange Visitor (Visa Category J)
A J1 visa is a visa for people who are coming to
the US for a short period of time to participate in
an exchange visitor program. There are various
categories for the J1 visa including visas for au
pairs, short term scholars, camp counselors,
government visitors, interns, secondary students,
physicians, teachers, professors and research
scholars, and trainees. You can also use this visa
category to participate in a summer work/ travel
program in the States. You generally cannot use
this visa to arrive as a foreign journalist, or for
study at a US college for a full-term degree, or for
paid performances as a foreign musician. The J1
visa has an insurance requirement â you need
medical insurance for the full duration of your
program at a set level of benefits.
Exchange Visitor Visa requirements vary
depending on what role you will be performing in
the United States. For example, if you are going to
be a camp counselor then you need to be over 18,
have a good level of English, and be enrolled in a
participating program.
At we undertake all sort of Visa requirements for entry into the United States.