United States B2 Tourist Visa
B-2 Tourist Visa Description:
Visitors who wish to travel the United States for pleasure for tourism are normally eligible to apply for the B-2 Tourist Visa. The B-2 Tourist Visa is a non-immigrant type of “visitor visa.” The B-2 visa is required for citizens of countries that are not part of the Visa Waiver Program. Visa waiver citizens don’t need to apply for a visa to travel to the U.S. in general, however sometimes it may be beneficial to apply for a tourist visa to be allowed to a longer stay in the United States. One advantage of a tourist visa instead of using the visa waiver program is that it allows a visa holder to change status to a different type of visa or green card. In addition to tourism purposes the B-2 visa may be used for medical purposes when traveling to the U.S. to obtain medical treatment.
Non-Immigrant Visas
Visa are divided in two main categories:
1. Immigrant visas
Immigrant visas are designed for people that want to immigrate and live permanently in the U.S. Immigrant visas are also known as “Green Card” or “Permanent Residence.”
2. Non-immigrant visas
Non-immigrant visas should be used for temporary travel to the U.S., and are more commonly known just as visas in general. A non-immigrant visas doesn’t give you the right to stay permanently in the U.S., they have been designed for non-immigrant travelers with the purpose of one or multiple temporary short trips to travel as a visitor to the United States.
The B-2 tourist visa is one of the most common non-immigrant visas.
Tourist Visa Application Process:
Learn how to apply for a B-2 tourist visa, the first step to apply is to file the B-2 tourist non-immigrant visa form DS-160 online that must be submitted online, to pay for the visa application fee and to schedule an appointment to apply for the tourist visa at the local U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of residence. The waiting time for an interview appointment for applicants can vary, so early visa application is recommended. During the interview a U.S. consular officer will review your application and make sure that you are eligible for a tourist visa. Consular officers have experience reviewing visa applications and detecting people that have misrepresented the reasons for their visa application. They want to make sure that you have enough funds for a trip to the U.S. and that you are not trying to travel to work illegally. The officer may ask you about the purpose and nature of your trip in order to find out if you are eligible for a visitor visa. In order to be granted a nonimmigrant visa, you need to overcome the presumption in Section 214 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that all visa applicants are intending immigrants. There is not an exact way or a exact type of documents required to overcome this presumption. You may overcome this presumption by providing evidence that you have strong, binding ties to your home country and that you have no intention to abandon your residence.
Tourist Visa Renewal:
The process of renewing a visa is usually the same just as applying for a new visa. You will have to go through the whole visa application process each time you want to apply for a visa, even if your visa is still valid or if your visa just expired. Check with your local embassy for exact requirements, there are some situations where a visa applicant may not need to be interviewed when renewing a tourist visa.
For How Long Can I Stay in the U.S. with a Tourist Visa:
People admitted to the United States on a B2 Tourist Visa are usually issued a 6-month stay. The maximum length of stay for visitor visa holders is 6 months. The immigration officer at the port of entry determines how long each visitor is allowed to stay in the country. Most visitors have their I-94 cards stamped with a 6-month stay, however the immigration officer has the right to issue a shorter stay on a case by case basis. Upon entry into the United States, the foreign visitor has the right to request an extension of stay.
Expiration of a B-2 Tourist Visa:
The B-2 visa expiration and the period of time allowed to stay in the U.S. are tow different dates. A visa may be used to travel to the U.S. until the last date of its validity date, but the visa holder can stay in the U.S. beyond the visa expiration date. The allowed time of stay is not defined by the visa expiration date but instead by the time allowed to stay in the U.S. by the immigration officer at the point of entry to the United States as noted on form I-94. On the other hand a visa can continue being valid for a while but you can not stay in the U.S. until the visa expires, you are only allowed to stay on each trip for the time allowed by the immigration officer when you were admitted to the U.S.
Download the U.S. Tourist Visa Application. Instructions and Application Forms Included.
B-2 Tourist Visa Frequently Asked Questions:
How to apply for a B-2 Tourist Visa
Who is eligible to apply for a B-2 Tourist Visa
How to find out for how long I am authorized to stay in the U.S.? I am allowed to stay in the U.S. until the expiration of my visa?
How to understand the information printed on the visa
How to make an appointment and how to file application forms
A tourist visa guarantees admission to the U.S.?
How to request an extension of my allowed time to stay in the U.S. with a B1/B2 Visa?
Can I renew mi tourist visa?
What is the Visa Waiver program?
U.S. embassies and consulates contact information
How to access tourist visa application forms
Product Type: Download in PDF format
Delivery Time: Online Download
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