US Business Visitor Visa – B-1 Visa Application Process

For a foreign national to travel to the U.S., a valid U.S. visa is required. A B-1 business visitor visa allows foreign nationals travel to the United States Port of Entry (Generally an Airport), to seek admission to the United States to engage in business activities.

A B-1 visa holder can stay in the United States for up to 180 days to engage in eligible business activities. If you decide to stay longer, you have to apply to extend your B-1 visa. You might be eligible for an interview waiver while applying to extend your U.S business visitor visa.

What activities am I permitted to do in the U.S. on a B-1 Visa?

If you are in the U.S. on a business visitor visa, you are permitted to engage in the following business activities listed below:

Consult with business associates

Attend a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference

Negotiate a contract

Settle an estate

Attend business seminars

Activities not permitted in the U.S. on a B-1 Visa

If you are in the U.S. on a B-1 visa, the following activities listed below are not permitted:

Study

Long or short term employment by a U.S. employer

Permanent residence in the U.S.

Paid performance, or any other professional performance

Who is exempt from applying for a U.S. Business Visitor Visa?

Foreign nationals from participating countries can travel to the U.S. visa free under the Visa Waiver Program and stay up to 90 days to engage in business activities.

What is a Visa Waiver Program?

The U.S. Visa Waiver Program is a program set up by the United States government, which enables foreign nationals of participating countries to enter the U.S. visa free and stay up to 90 days to engage in business or tourism.

Before traveling to the U.S. visa free to engage in business activities, you must first have the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization is a web based system controlled by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and it is used for determining the eligibility for traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program for business and tourism.

List of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program

Here you will find the list of all the countries currently participating in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program:

Andorra
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brunei
Chile
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece

Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
New Zealand

Norway
Poland
Portugal
San Marino
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
United Kingdom

B-1 Business Visitor Visa Requirement

To successfully apply and get a U.S. business visitor visa approved, you have to meet certain requirements. Below we have listed the requirements to get a B-1 visa.

You have to establish your intent of travel

You will be entering the U.S. to engage only in business activities that are permitted on a B-1 visa

You have to establish your intent of returning to your home country after your short stay in the U.S.

You must have sufficient fund to support yourself during your short period of stay in the U.S.

You must establish that you do not have any immigration intent

Required documents for a B-1 Business Visitor Visa

Following below are the required documents to apply for a U.S. B-1 Business Visitor visa.

International Passport: You must have ready a valid international passport which has a validity period of 6 months beyond your intended period of stay in the U.S.

Online Nonimmigration Visa Application (DS-160) confirmation page

Passport Photograph: You must have ready a 2 x 2 inches passport photograph that meets the U.S. visa photo requirement. This photo should be uploaded when you are completing your DS-160 from. But in the case where the upload fails, you can take the photo along with you to your interview.

Visa application fee payment receipt: In some cases the visa application fee is paid in the U.S. embassy on the day of the interview

Supporting documents

To increase your chances of getting your B-1 visa application approved, you have to provide supporting documents to the consular officer during your visa interview. Here we have listed the supporting documents that you need:

Bank Account Statement: You have to provide your bank account statement for the last 6 months. This helps prove to the consular officer that you have sufficient fund to sponsor your trip and take care of yourself during your stay in the United States.

Marriage Certificate: You have to provide your marriage certificate if you are married. This helps prove that you have a strong ties with your home country and would return home to your spouse after your short stay in the U.S.

Children’s Birth Certificate: If you have children, you have to make available the birth certificate of your child, as this helps to prove that you have strong ties with your home country.

Employment Offer Letter: You can also provide your employment offer letter as a way of proving your strong ties with your home country.

B-1 Business Visitor Visa application process

The application process for a U.S. B-1 Business Visitor visa is not a complex one as compared to some immigration visa application process that requires a lot of petitions and filings. Here at Schmick Travel, we have expert consultants that will be more than happy to help you with your visa application, kindly get in touch with us.

Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160)

The first step of a B-1 visa application process is to complete the DS-160 form. You have to complete this form with your correct information and then print out the confirmation page. You should upload your passport photograph while completing this form. In the case where the photo upload fails, you have to carry your photo along with you to your visa interview.

B-1 Visa Application Fee Payment

After completing the DS-160 form, you can proceed with the payment of the non-refundable visa application fee. Kindly print out the payment receipt because you will be submitting it during your visa interview appointment. In some cases, you might be required to pay the B-1 visa application fee at the U.S. embassy on the date of your visa appointment.

Schedule your Visa Appointment

After paying for the non-refundable visa application fee, you have to proceed with scheduling your B-1 visa appointment. Applicants aged 13 years and younger normally don’t require a visa interview, while applicants between the age of 14 and 79 requires an interview except in some cases of renewal.

Prepare your required and supporting documents

While waiting for your B-1 visa appointment date, you have to prepare all your required and supporting documents and arrange them in a file. Avoid the temptation of submitting fake or fraudulent documents because it can lead to your visa application denial and possible visa ban.

Attend your visa interview

This is the last phase of a B-1 visa application. You have to attend your visa interview and give the consular officer reasons why you should be given a U.S. B-1 visa. During the interview the consular officer will determine if you are qualified for a B-1 visa or not. You have to try as much as possible to be very honest with your responses and you have to clearly establish your travel intent.

Cost of applying for a B-1 Visa

Here is the break down of how much you will spend during your B-1 visa application:

Visa application fee: The application fee for a B-1 visa is 185 USD.

Visa issuance fee: If your visa is approved, you will be required to pay a visa issuance fee. How much you will pay depends on the U.S. embassy in your region.