Can I use B1/B2 visa to travel to the US without a business purpose?
I got a B1/B2 visa earlier this year when I traveled to the US for a business trip from my company.
It expires in 2013 and I'd love to visit the United States again, but for no other purpose than traveling.
I wonder:
- If I can legally travel to US with B1/B2 visa without a real business need (assuming I'm honest);
- If I have to work at my current company to be able to use it.
I live in Russia.
Best Answer
This is a simple one to answer.
B2 is tourist. B1 is business.
So if you have B1/B2 stamped in your passport you have visas for both purposes.
You can do either or both, perfectly legally.
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Can B1 B2 visa be used for tourism?
A US B1/B2 Visa is a traditional visa that can be used for business or tourism.Can I travel on B1 B2 visa without invitation sponsorship letter?
Although an invitation letter isn't an essential document for your B1/B2 visa process, it could help you gain a few points with consular officers. Remember that anybody can apply for the B1/B2 Visa. Depending on your nationality, the process could finish online or offline.What can I do with B1 B2 US visa?
What Can You Do With a B1/B2 Visa?- Hire and fire a staff.
- Perform research.
- Plan out and spend money on investments and purchases.
- Attend business meetings, negotiations, and investment and sales meetings.
- Attend up to 18 hours per week of recreational lessons.
- Bring along dependents like children (only for a B2 status)
Is B1 a business visa?
The B-1/B-2 visitor visa is for people traveling to the United States temporarily for business (B-1) or for pleasure or medical treatment (B-2).B1 / B2 is Tourist / Visitor Visa NOT Good for Working or Doing Business in USA | Don't Abuse Visa
More answers regarding can I use B1/B2 visa to travel to the US without a business purpose?
Answer 2
When issuing visas, countries have different levels of concern about three different types of people entering the country. In ASCENDING order, they are:
Tourists: Low level of concern. They've come to the host country to "have fun" (and spend money).
Traveling businessmen/women. Here, there is some concern because they are "working." But if they are based, employed, and paid OUTSIDE the host country, they probably won't be staying long or taking jobs opportunities away from the locals. More like creating local opportunities, by exploring the possibility of a "deal."
Workers remaining inside the host country for an indefinite period of time, being paid "locally," by a "local" firm. These are the people a country is most concerned about, taking jobs away from locals.
Although it's possible, I have yet to hear of a country that is more concerned about tourists than they are about "businesspeople." A business visa would cover business purposes, and also lower levels of concern such as tourism.
The reverse is not true. A person with with a tourist visa will seldom have the rights conferred by a business visa, which covers a higher level of concern.
Answer 3
If
- you have M under Entries meaning a multiple entry visa. (This is missing from every other answer!)
- Expiration date is on or later than the date when you plan to present yourself at the border of the United States asking for admission (doesn't need to be valid during the trip only on the day of entry).
- Under Type/Class you have B1/B2.
then the answer is yes. All of these need to be met.
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