What is the difference between B1 and B2 visa?
What is the Difference Between the B1 and B2 Visas? B-Category visas are a type of visitor visa (temporary, non-immigrant) issued for business and tourist travel to the United States. Generally speaking, a B1 visa is for business-related projects, while a B2 visa is for tourism and pleasure-travel. The government can also issue a B1/B2 visa to business travelers who plan to travel within the US for tourist activities during their stay in the United States.
What does it mean to have a B1 B2 visa?
The B1 and B2 visas are for visitors who travel to America and plan to go back to their home country afterward. They are good for short-term visits of up to one year. Specifically, the B1 visa is for business visits while the B2 visa is for pleasure, tourism, and medical visits.
How long can a B1/B2 visa holder stay in the US?
Permanent residence in the United States. A B-1/B-2 visa does not grant permanent resident status - it is a temporary visa - but the holder can apply for a green card. The maximum amount of time issued for a B1/B2 visa is 180 days. This visa allows for multiple entries into the United States.
What documents are needed for B2 visa?
You should submit the following documents when applying for a B2 visa extension:
- Completed form I-539.
- Your valid passport.
- A written statement on the reason behind the requested extension.
- Evidence of financial support.
- Payment of the extension fee, which is $370.
- Original or photocopy of I-94 card.
What is a B1/B2 Visa?
A US B1/B2 Visa is a traditional visa that can be used for business or tourism. The B1/B2 visa is a temporary, non-immigrant visa, affixed to a page on your passport.
Where can I apply for the B1/B2 visa?
You can complete your B1/B2 visa application with VisaExpress. Their team is at your disposal 24/7 with an expert concierge service that has already assisted over 110,722 travelers to enter the United States.
How can I apply for a B1/B2 Visa with VisaExpress?
The application for a US B1/B2 Visa is really easy when using VisaExpress. It is split into three steps, and they are as follows:
How long does it take to get a B1 visa?
Similar to other application processes, the processing time is very difficult to predict. It could take anywhere between two to eight weeks for homeland security officials to verify the information in your B1/B2 visa. Rest assured that the VisaExpress team reviews all the information in your request form to avoid the slightest errors. After all, 90% of applications that are sent each year have one or more mistakes and even a single typo can affect the final outcome of the process.
How many types of visas are there in the US?
US visa rules and policies are anything but simple—with over 180 types of US visas available, you might feel overwhelmed about where to begin. Nonetheless, the US B1/B2 visa offers one of the simplest options for visiting the United States for business or tourism purposes.
How long is a passport valid for?
Your passport, valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States.
How many steps are there in the payment process?
It has only three steps: The first step will ask you to fill in your general information. You also need to choose the processing time from the options mentioned above. The second step will ask you to revise step one and make the payment. The last step consists of a questionnaire and a photo upload.
What is the purpose of B1 and B2 visas?
If you plan to stay in the US for a long time (at least 6 months), then you will need to consider applying for a visa. There are a multitude of visas adapted to various travel reasons and situations ( J1 visa, F1 visa, O and P visas, L1 visa …).
The business visa B1
This visa allows individuals to stay in the United States up to 6 months maximum for professional reasons. It has a validity of 1, 3 or 10 years. Attention, when we talk about professional reasons, it is not here a visa H1B work permit but an authorization to do business with American companies or other commercial partners:
The tourist visa B2
As the name suggests, this visa is for anyone wishing to visit the United States for more than 90 days. The B2 tourist visa is also used by people who need to travel in the United States to receive medical services:
How Long do the USA Visitor Visas take to Process?
The processing time for the B1/B2 visa can vary from a few weeks to a few months. If you have a specific date that you need to be in the US in, it is best to apply as early as possible so that you can allow enough time for the visa to be processed.
How Long Are the US Visitor Visas Valid?
US Visitor visas are given for a period 1 month up to 10 years. The maximum stay on a visitor visa is six months, but bear in mind that you are not allowed to work during that time, so you must prove you can afford to stay for that period of time.
Can I Bring my Dependents With a B1/B2 Visa?
The B1/B2 Visas do not have dependents visas, so if you want to travel with your family, they must also get the appropriate visitor visas.
What is DS 160?
Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application is a standard form required for a US visitor visa. It has various sections depending on the type of US visa that you are applying for. You must find the section for the visitor visas (either B1 visa or B2 visa) and fill the necessary spaces. It will ask about your personal information, background, and purpose of visit to the US. At the end, you will get a confirmation page and code which you need to retain for later.
How much does it cost to get a US visa?
The application fee for the US visitor visas is $160. Besides this fee, you might have to pay visa issuance fees which are determined based on the relationship of your country with the US.
How long can a US visitor stay in the US?
The US visitor visas allow its holder to go to the US short-term visits for a maximum of six months.Be cause there are two main purposes that visitors can go to the US, there are also two types of visitor visas into the B category:
How to extend B1 visa?
If you want a B1/B2 visa extension, you must provide a valid reason as to why you need to stay and submit documents supporting your case. Additionally, during the time that you are in the US with a visitor visa, you can try to change your status to a longer-term visa. However, if your purpose is this, then you need to inform the officials at the Embassy during your interview. If you do not inform them, then you need to prove that you did not intend to change your status at the beginning of your trip and the opportunity came later on.
