Introduction To Class Of Admission B-2 Visa
B-2 Visa is a Temporary Visitor for Pleasure (B-2 Visa)
Why the B-2 Visa is Classified in This Way
Foreign tourists may enter the United States briefly for trips for pleasure (legal activities of a recreational nature) under the visa classification.
Benefits
Getting a B-2 visa is easy and quick.
Negative aspects
Visitors on B-2 visas are not allowed to work in the US.
Kin
Children under 21 and spouses may also be granted the visa status.
Interest Points
Travelers wishing to enter under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) must have a passport that can be scanned by a machine as of June 26, 2005.
By October 26, 2005, passports with digital photos must be produced by all VWP nations.
What a B-2 Visitor Visa Is?
A B-2 Visa Visitor for Pleasure is defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and immigration rules as the following:
who is visiting the United States temporarily; who now resides abroad and has no plans to leave; and who is visiting for pleasure.
A visitor with this Visa is not permitted to work in ANY capacity.
Broadly Approved B-2 Visa Activities
Passport Tourists may enter the United States for a brief stay to partake in legal leisure activities, such as:
Travel and Entertainment
Visits with family or friends Rest Medical care, as well as service, social, and fraternal activities.
Certain Activities That Qualify for the B-2 Visa Category
Activities Not Allowed Under B-2 Visa
B-2 Passport The following activities are off-limits to visitors:
B-2 Visa holders are not permitted to work.
Visitors with B-2 Visas are not permitted to participate in a whole term of study.
The Process For Obtaining a B-2 Visa for Leisure Travel
- Apply at the American Consulate.
- Examination at the US port of entry.
- Apply at the American Consulate
Basic nonimmigrant Visa application package:
- Application for Nonimmigrant Visa, Form DS-160;
- A passport photo, a valid, unexpired passport, and any applicable application fees.
- Moreover, candidates for B-2 visas need to persuade the consular official that:
- They have sufficient financial arrangements to fulfill the visit’s intended purpose and to leave the nation when it is over. They also aim to leave the United States after their brief stay and have authorization to enter another country.
Canadians
Canadians are exempt from needing this visa and are entitled to specific documentation exemptions.
Only while traveling from beyond the Western Hemisphere do Canadians require a passport.
Program for Visa Waivers.
Individuals from the following nations: Australia, Austria, Belgium, and Andorra The Visa Waiver Program permits visa-free travel to Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
It is not necessary for citizens of nations where visa waivers are granted to apply for a visa at the American embassy in their home nation before traveling to the United States on business.
With just a passport, visitors from the 27 authorized Visa Waiver Countries are allowed to enter the United States for up to 90 days for either business or pleasure.
Every year, almost 13 million tourists from countries where visas are not required enter the United States.
Officers from the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will start enforcing the requirement that visitors requesting entry under the VWP must hold a machine-readable passport on June 26, 2005. Travelers on the VWP who arrive in the US on that day and do not have a passport that can be scanned by a computer shouldn’t expect to be allowed entrance once.
Step 2: Applying at the U.S. Port of Entry
Visitor with B-2 Visa admitted.
If the tourist is allowed to enter the country for pleasure without a visa, or if the B-2 visa is approved, At a U.S. point of entry, an immigration official may then grant the visitor admission.
Although they do not need a visa, Canadians must provide the necessary documentation proving their citizenship.
Mexican nationals entering the country must provide appropriate identification, such as a valid passport, visa, or Mexican Border Crossing Card (Form I-186 or I-586).
Visitors may be granted an I-94 upon admission, or they may only be permitted entry into the country.
The B-2 Visa’s duration.
- Passport For a minimum of six months, visitors are permitted.
- A tourist may be granted a Visa for a maximum of one year.
- Extension of the Visa Status.
- Extensions of B-2 visa status can be acquired through a CIS Service Center without having to leave the country, and they can be granted in increments of six months.
Practical Guidance for Travelers
Even if enrolling in a full term of study is prohibited, B-2 Visa holders Guests may partake in a quick study session as part of their stay.
Additionally helpful for international fiancées and spouses is the B-2 Visitor Visa. See Particular Activities Eligible for this Visa Category for further details.
Canadian Citizens: Beware of Illegal Presence
SRW has discovered that even in cases where an I-94 with a predetermined expiration date was not previously presented, the Toronto PFI (Pearson) port of entry is assessing fees to Canadian citizens for unlawful presence provisions.
Noncitizens who were unlawfully present in the United States for more than 180 days. Left the country before any removal proceedings were started against them. And then applied for admission are ineligible for three years under section 212(a)(9)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Noncitizens who leave the nation and subsequently apply for re-entry are ineligible for 10 years if they were here illegally for a year or more.
According to CIS guidelines, Canadians who are accepted as tourists but are not granted an I-94 are not covered by the regulations regarding illegal presence. However, SRW has discovered that Canadians who affirm the overstay in a sworn declaration and provide CBP with documents to establish the date of entrance, date of departure, and admission class may face charges of 9B illegal presence.
It is advisable for any Canadian who has visited the United States for longer than six months to get legal advice before reapplying for entrance.
