B-VISAS

Generally,  a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States  must first obtain a visa, either a non-immigrant visa for a temporary  stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Visitor visas are  non-immigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States  temporarily for business (visa category B-1), for tourism (visa category  B-2), or for a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2).

Here are some examples of activities permitted with a visitor visa:

• Consult with business associates
• Attend a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference
• Settle an estate
• Negotiate a contract

• Tourism
• Vacation (holiday)
• Visit with friends or relatives
• Medical treatment
• Participation in social events hosted by fraternal, social, or service organizations
• Participation by amateurs in musical, sports, or similar events or contests, if not being paid for participating
• Enrollment in a short recreational course of study, not for credit  toward a degree (for example, a two-day cooking class while on vacation)

These are some examples of activities that require different categories of visas and cannot be done while on a visitor visa:

• Study
• Employment
• Paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
• Arrival as a crew-member on a ship or aircraft
• Work as foreign press, in radio, film, print journalism, or other information media
• Permanent residence in the United States

Visitor visas will also not be issued for birth tourism  (travel for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to  obtain U.S. citizenship for their child).