The B-2 visa is a tourist visa for travel to the USA. Learn about all requirements for the American visitor visa and get essential tips on how to apply and enter the United States.
You only need a B-2 visa for the USA if you either do not meet the electronic travel authorization ESTA requirements or if you want to stay longer in the USA than the 90 days allowed by ESTA.
Since the B-2 is a traditional visa, applicants must invest more time and money for approval than with ESTA: a detailed application and an interview at the US embassy or consulate are mandatory.
Once approved, you may use the B-2 visa for vacation travel, family visits, medical treatment, and private participation in events in the United States.
To obtain a B-2 visa for the USA, you must meet the following requirements:
Your passport must be valid either until the end of your trip or six months beyond your planned departure date. Which of the two options applies to you depends on the issuing country of the passport.
Nationals of countries in the so-called "Six Month Club" only need passport validity until their last day in the USA. There are currently more than 120 countries on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Six Month Club list, which is updated regularly.
If you plan to stay in the USA permanently, we recommend participating in the annual Green Card Lottery of the US government. Only possessing a Green Card gives you the unrestricted right of residence in the USA.
You can apply for a B-2 visa either directly at the US Embassy or - in case of lack of time, language barriers, or other support needs - with a US visa service agency, which will take care of the paperwork for you and also advise you in detail about possible challenges in the visa process.
The minimum cost for a B-2 visa to the USA is $ 185. The phrase "at least" refers to the fact that you will need to provide additional documentation to get your visa approved.
Also, the visa fee is non-refundable. If your application is rejected (e.g., due to an error) and you have to reapply, you will also have to pay the visa fee again.
Before your visa interview at the US Embassy, prepare a folder with the following documents:
The printed passport photo and supporting documents to be submitted are mainly a security measure in case there are problems with the photo you uploaded or doubts about the reason for your planned trip to the USA.
If you do not want to take the help of a USA expert to apply for your American visitor visa, you can submit the application form yourself. The following steps will guide you:
While filling out the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160), you will have to answer questions about your family, occupation, and biography, among other things. These questions are for homeland security purposes and are intended to clarify whether you intend to immigrate to the US illegally.
If your US visitor visa is approved, your passport will be retained at the Embassy after the interview and sent to you by mail after approximately one week.
In the visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate, an officer will ask you about who you are and what plans you have in the US to determine your eligibility for the B-2 tourist visa.
You will have to prove that you meet all the requirements and do not plan to move to the USA. The application process also includes fingerprinting.
The interview process and order of events may vary depending on your location. However, fingerprints are usually taken during the interview appointment, and the decision on the application is communicated immediately after the interview.
The amount of time you have to wait for your US tourist visa depends on the interview wait times. These vary depending on the season and country of application, and they can also depend on other factors. For example, there were extended visa wait times during the COVID pandemic.
In case you have to fly to the USA urgently, visa waiting times of up to 180 days can become a real problem. Therefore, if you meet the requirements and do not want to stay longer than 90 days, we recommend a quick and easy ESTA application.
A B-2 visa for the USA is valid for ten years. Within this period, you may enter the USA several times with a tourist visa and stay for a maximum of 180 days.
In order to prevent the US immigration authorities from suspecting you of illegal living and working in the USA, make sure the intervals between your entries are not too short.
The US government is not amused by visa abuse: if you are caught abusing a B-2 visa as a Green Card, you can be expelled from the country and, in the worst case, be permanently barred from entering the country.
With a B-2 tourist visa, you may:
You are allowed as many entries as you like within the 10-year validity period for a maximum stay of 180 days at a time, as long as your center of life remains clearly in your home country.
In addition to the B-2 visa, there is also the B-1 visa for business travel to the USA. As a B-1 holder, you can meet with American business partners, attend meetings and conferences, or negotiate a contract. The duration (10 years), the maximum period of stay at one time (180 days,) and the application process are identical to the B-2 visa.
Possession of a B-2 visa does not entitle you to employment in the United States. If you want to work in the US, you need either a work visa or - even better - a Green Card.
Both the Permanent Resident Card (as the Green Card is officially called) and work visas (e.g., the E-1, L-1, or H-1B) include a work permit for the USA. Those who wish to work in the States without a suitable visa must apply for an American work permit (EAD, Employment Authorization Document) which is a lengthy and often unsuccessful process.
Living in the USA permanently, even for seniors, is only possible with a Green Card. Therefore, if you dream of living in the States as a retiree, you should participate in the US government's Green Card Lottery.
After winning a Green Card, you no longer have to worry about expiring visas, the proper entry/exit strategy, or the threat of entry bans because Green Card rights last for life.
Suppose you still want to pursue your American retirement dream with a B-2 visa. In that case, you will need to periodically leave the country for an extended amount of time to avoid being classified as an illegal immigrant.
Do you have further questions about the B-2 visa for the USA? Then you will surely find what you are looking for in our USA Visitor Visa FAQ:
If your B-2 visa is still valid, but your passport has expired, you do not need to apply for a new visa. Instead, carry your old (expired) and new passports with you each time you travel and present them together when you enter the United States.
However, your personal information must match. So if you change your name or gender, you must also apply for a new visa.
You can enter the USA with your B-2 visa until the last day of its 10-year validity and stay there for 180 days. This means you do not have to apply for a new visitor visa immediately if it were to expire during your stay in the US. However, it would be possible, because there is no prohibition to apply for a new visa while the old one is still valid.
The rejection of your B-2 visa application may be due to various reasons. Among the most common are incomplete information, errors or misstatements in the application, or selecting the wrong visa category.
Usually, you can correct misunderstandings and mistakes by contacting the US Embassy. However, for serious reasons of rejection, such as suspicion of illegal immigration plans, you will not get this chance.
Unsure why your application was denied? Unfortunately, the US government is not obligated to tell you the reasons, but with the help of a US visa expert, you may be able to find out and together submit a new correct application.
Exceptions to the mandatory interview at the US Embassy or Consulate apply only to certain age groups: if you are younger than 14 or older than 79, you do not have to appear for the interview.
Entering the USA on a B-2 visa is not much different from entering with ESTA. You will have to answer some last questions about your travel plans at the border crossing, and then U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials will decide on your eligibility for entry.
When entering the country, you will go through the following steps:
If you find that you need to stay in the country longer than the 180 days allowed during your trip to the USA, you can file an application for an extension (Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) with the USCIS.
You must apply well in advance of the expiration date of your residence permit (a minimum of 45 days is recommended). The date in the entry stamp or the digital I-94 entry form is decisive.
However, you can only apply for an extension of your B-2 stay in the USA if ...
Did you fall head over heels in love with a US-American while on vacation, and you had a spontaneous flash wedding in Las Vegas? Or did someone offer you a job that you are exceptionally well qualified for and that no US citizen could do in your place?
If you originally traveled to the United States as a tourist and unforeseen events of this nature occur, you may challenge your status as a nonimmigrant of the United States.
However, changing your visa status from nonimmigrant (e.g., visitor visa) to immigrant status (Green Card) is a difficult and lengthy process, and you will likely fail without the help of an expert because the authorities will assume you had a prior illegal immigration intent.
With an appropriate application, it is easier to change from one nonimmigrant visa category to another (e.g., from the B-2 to the F-1 student visa). However, even for this, we recommend consulting a US visa expert.
With an ESTA, you can stay 90 days visa-free in the USA. Apply online now!