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A traveler who wishes to visit the United States for business reasons that do not involve receiving salary or payment of any kind from a U.S. source may apply for a business visa. The visa symbol is "B-1".

However, for Japanese travelers if your trip is for fewer than 90 days you may not need a visa. Please refer to the topic entitled the Visa Waiver Program to see whether you can travel without a visa.

Business travel generally means engaging in business activities other than the actual performance of labor. To work in the United States, you will need a visa specifically for that purpose. If you intend to work in the United States, please see the employment visa catagory.

The business visa is appropriate for the following types of persons:

• Employees of a company who come to the United States to solicit sales, negotiate contracts, or take orders from established customers for work that will be performed in Japan;
• Employees of a company or office of a U.S. company who come to the United States to engage in consultations with U.S. business associates;
• Business people attending professional conferences or conventions, or executive seminars in the United States;
• Businessmen who come to the United States to undertake independent research, such as product or market research;
• Investors coming to the United States to set up their investments; and
• Physicians coming to observe new procedures and to consult without performing any patient care.

If your purpose in traveling to the United States is one of the above, and you cannot use the Visa Waiver Program, you must obtain a business visa.

Please note that the length of the visa does not equate to a length of stay. When you enter the United States, you will be inspected by an officer of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He will determine the amount of time you will be permitted to remain in the U.S. Extensions of stay will be approved only for unexpected or compelling humanitarian reasons. The maximum extension period of stay for travelers entering with a B visa is 6 months.

Application Procedures: For information on the documents required to apply for a business visa, pleas see our application checklist.

Please note that because of new security regulations, some applications may require an additional clearance and longer processing. Since the application process cannot be accelerated, please apply well in advance of your travel date, and do not purchase plane tickets until you have received your visa. Applicants should refrain from calling the Embassy merely to inquire about the status of their application. Visa applicants should never assume their application would be automatically approved.