Does visiting Iraq or Iran invalidate an existing B1/B2 visa?
I understand that nationalities eligible for VWP cannot enter the US without seeking clearance and obtaining a sticker visa from US embassies if they have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Syria & Sudan since March 2011.
But what about citizens from countries that require a US visa to travel to the US, what if they have a valid US B1/B2 visa AND visit Iran/Iraq AND then visit the US soon after? Is there anything to suggest that the visit to the restricted countries would invalidate their existing US B1/B2 visa?
Let me add an example: suppose a citizen of Pakistan or Turkey or Lebanon, who holds a US B1/B2 visa which has been used once, visits Iran and Iraq for tourism/pilgrimage purposes and after a few months arrives at the US port of entry and seeks admission. Is there anything wrong with this scenario?
Best Answer
Visiting one of the VWP invalidating countries does not invalidate a visa. That's the whole point, since the VWP invalidation compels the VWP national to obtain a visa, and if it also invalidated the visa there would be no way for such a VWP national to visit the US.
You may get a little more questioning if the border guard knows about the visit, and you certainly shouldn't hide your visit if asked, but the visa is still perfectly valid.
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Can I visit the US if I have been to Iran?
If you hold a visa for the USA then there is no issue in travelling there after visiting Iran. The current rules (in so much as they effect tourists) do however mean that you cannot enter the USA via the ESTA system if you have travelled to Iran (or a number of other countries in the past five years).Can I travel as tourist with B1 B2 visa?
While a US B1 visa is solely used for business travel, the B1/B2 visa can be used for both business as well as for tourism and leisure purposes. The B1/B2 visa is also called B2 visa or US Visitor visa.USA B1/B2 Visa Got Approved on Pakistani or Indians Passport Validity 2022
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Answer 2
You'll be fine. They might ask you questions if you get taken to secondary, but that usually only happens if the computer flags a passenger. Source: personal experience.
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