How to Qualify for a B-1 Visa?

A B-1 Visa is meant for those who need to travel to the U.S. to partake in various business-related events, such as attending a professional function, signing an important contract, settling an estate, or having an in-person meeting with their business partners or colleagues.

If this sounds like the type of visa you need, then you’ve come to the right place. But before you can apply for your B-1 Visa, you must make sure you qualify.

In order to qualify for a B-1 Visa, you must:

– Be traveling to the U.S. solely for business purposes (this isn’t called a Business Visitor Visa for no reason!) Your business engagements while in the U.S. can include the conducting of research needed for you to open a business in the U.S., but by no means should any of the research or business-related work you are doing give off the appearance that you are employed in the U.S.

– Not be receiving a salary from any U.S. business (as we mentioned above – it’s not allowed!)

– Be coming to the U.S. for only a short period of time. Even though you can stay in the U.S. on a B-1 Visa for a maximum of 6 months, the actual length of your B-1 Visa will be determined by the specific demands of your visit.

– Be able to show that you have sufficient funds to cover your expenses while in the U.S.

Side note: If you are coming to the U.S. on a B-1 Visa to acquire funds needed for a U.S. business, you should not remain in the U.S. after you have acquired your funds – unless you change your visa status. If you have any questions about if, when, or how you should change your visa status, please give us a call at (305) 921-0440 and we’d be happy to help you.

It’s important to note that if your country of residence falls under the category of “visa waiver countries,” you may not need to apply for a B-1 Visa as long as your business visit to the U.S. will be for no longer than 90 days. If you are from a visa waiver country, then you are excused from the standard visa requirements. There are 38 countries that are considered visa waiver countries, and the citizens of these countries may enter the U.S. under the ESTA program. To find out if your country is one of the 38, visit this website.

If your country of residence is one of the 38 and your travel time in the U.S. will be 90 days or less, then you are eligible to enter the U.S. under the ESTA program.

To apply for an ESTA, you must:

– Have a valid passport from a visa waiver country

– Be prepared to pay the $14 USD application fee via your VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card, or your PayPal account.

– Provide your contact information

If you have any questions about B-1 Business Visitor Visas or any other kind of visa, please contact us at Jurado & Farshchian, P.L. via email at [email protected] or by phone at (305) 921-0440.