Immigration Info
"B" Nonimmigrant Visas - Visitor Visas for Business and Pleasure
The "visitor" visa is a nonimmigrant visa for persons desiring to enter the United States temporarily for business (B-1) and for pleasure or medical treatment (B-2).
As example, if the purpose for your planned travel is to consult with business associates, travel for a scientific, educational, professional or business convention, or conference on specific dates, settle an estate, or negotiate a contract, then a business (B-1) visitor visa would be the appropriate type of visa for your travel.
Foreign travelers, who are citizens from certain eligible countries, may also be able to visit the U.S. without a visa on the Visa Waiver Program.
Visa Waiver Program
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. VWP eligible travelers may apply for a visa, if they prefer to do so. Not all countries participate in the VWP, and not all travelers from VWP countries are eligible to use the program. VWP travelers are screened prior to admission into the United States, and they are enrolled in the Department of Homeland Security’s US-VISIT program.
Which countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)?
Currently, 27 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program, as shown below:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, 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, United Kingdom.
Visa Waiver Program Memoranda of Understanding were signed with Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovakia; so, do travelers need a U.S. visa?
Yes. The Department of Homeland Security recently signed the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Malta, and Korea government representatives.
These MOU's do not admit these countries into the Visa Waiver Program; they are agreements for further cooperation on the security provisions that are required under the new VWP law. They are only a first step in working out details for the entire array of security and information sharing commitments found in VWP law.
Important Note: At the present time, citizens of the above countries continue to require a U.S. Visa for travel to the United States.
For more information please go to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
