Not everyone comes to the United States to stay. Some people just want to see some sights, perhaps attend an event, and then go home. For these shorter stays, the visitor visa is the way to go.
A visitor visa is a type of non-immigrant visa that allows a foreign alien to enter the United States for the purpose of recreation or limited business. Visitor visas are designed for temporary entry into the United States for limited tourist or business purposes.
A visitor visa costs $160. This fee is nonrefundable.
According to the state department, the average wait time for a visitor visa interview is about two months. If there are emergency circumstances that require the visitor to enter the U.S. sooner that may be taken into consideration.
A B-1 visitor visa is available to businesspeople who are entering the U.S. to:
A B-2 tourist visa is available to individuals seeking to engage in:
If an individual is going to participate in activities outside of the ones listed, they will not be allowed to enter on a simple visitor visa.