[Skip Navigation] [Text & Graphics] [Home] [What's New?] [FAQs] [Search & Site Map] [Glossary] [Feedback] [Translate] [Printer Friendly Version] |
Business or Pleasure
Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to
enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary
stay or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. The visitor visa is a nonimmigrant visa
for persons desiring to enter the United States temporarily for business (B-1) or for
pleasure or medical treatment (B-2). Persons planning to travel to the U.S. for a
different purpose, such as students, temporary workers, crewmen, journalists, etc, must
apply for a different visa in the appropriate category. Travelers from certain eligible
countries may also be able to visit the U.S. without a visa, through the Visa Waiver Program. Read more about how to participate in the
Visa Waiver Program on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website. More helpful information on the Visa Waiver program is found on the State Department Visa Services website.
Also, you may want to find out more about "How Do I Get Legally Admitted to the U.S." (or "How Will I be Inspected When I Come to a U.S. Port of Entry") on the CBP website.
Qualifying for a Visa
Applicants for visitor visas must show that they qualify under provisions of the
Immigration and Nationality Act. The presumption in the law is that every visitor visa
applicant is an intending immigrant. Therefore, applicants for visitor visas must overcome
this presumption by demonstrating that:
Last Modified 06/14/2004