VISITOR / TOURIST VISAS

The tourist visa (B2 visa) is available for anyone wishing to go to the United States of America temporarily for pleasure. This can include visiting family, relatives, friends, or acquaintances, or simply for traveling throughout the United States. It is U.S. government policy to facilitate and promote international travel and the free movement of people of all nationalities to the United States. Consular officers endeavor to expedite applications for and issuance of visitors' visas so long as issuance of the visa is consistent with the requirements of the applicable laws and regulations. In most cases, a qualified applicant for a tourist visa will receive a combination B1/B2 (business and tourism) visa.

REQUIREMENTS

Tourist visa applicants must establish to the satisfaction of the consular officer that they have binding ties to a residence in a foreign country which they have no intention of abandoning, and that they will depart the United States at the end of their visit. It is impossible to specify the exact form the evidence should take, since applicants' circumstances vary greatly. Thus, applicants should consider what documents or information they can bring which prove their economic, personal, and social situation here in Romania.

Applicants must also demonstrate that they will not have to work or resort to government funds while in the U.S. Useful evidence of this could include bank statements, job letters, or an invitation from a relative or friend in the United States. At the visa interview, consular officers try to determine that an applicant has adequate funds to avoid unlawful employment while in the United States, a credible support arrangement for himself while in the United States, specific and realistic travel plans, strong ties abroad, and credible support arrangements for his family living in Romania.

B-2 VISA FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT

There is no special visa for medical treatment. Indeed, all applicants for medical visas must meet the requirements for a B2 tourist visa as listed above. All applicants must demonstrate their intention to return to Romania after their treatment in the United States. In addition, an applicant for a B2 visa for medical treatment in the U.S. must provide these documents:

• A letter from a doctor and/or hospital in the United States willing to provide the necessary medical care. The letter must include a rough estimate of the cost of treatment and expected length of treatment;
• Evidence of the applicant's or a sponsor's ability to assume all of the medical costs and associated expenses or, if the medical treatment is free, a letter from all of the American doctors or hospitals providing treatment which states that it will be provided free of charge;
• A letter from a Romanian physician describing the medical condition of the applicant and explaining the need for treatment in the United States; and
• If the applicant is a child who is institutionalized, the child's legal guardian (usually the Local Commission for Child Protection) must authorize the child's travel for medical treatment in the U.S. An institutionalized child may be required to have a medical examination performed by a physician approved by the Embassy.

IN THE UNITED STATES

Foreign nationals in the United States on B-2 status are allowed to visit family and friends and travel throughout the United States. However, as tourists, they are not allowed to engage in any skilled or unskilled labor. This means that they may not perform any sort of activity for which an American resident would be paid. This could include working at a construction site, helping out at a friend or relative's place of business, or even babysitting a relative's children. A foreign national on B-2 classification who engages in any of these activities may have a difficult time qualifying for a tourist (or any other type of visa) in the future.