To qualify for a B-1 visa, you must be traveling to the United States for business purposes or to seek employment. You must be staying for a short, specified period of time and have evidence that you can cover the expenses while abroad in the United States. You must also be able to prove that you have a residence in another country to indicate that you will be returning after your trip to the United States.
You must apply for a B-1 visa at a U.S. embassy or a consulate in your country. You must schedule an interview at the embassy or consulate, and some are booked up months in advance. Check for visa wait times with your consulate or online at the U.S. State Department website. Once you complete the interview process, you must provide your fingerprint, an electronic visa application called Form DS-160, a passport and two 2-by-2-inch photographs.
You will need to pay $140 for a visa application processing fee in 2010. You also will need to pay a visa issuance fee that varies based on the country from which you are traveling.
If you are traveling for less than 90 days from a qualified country, you may not need a B-1 visa. These countries include Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the United Kingdom and 22 others that you can find on the State Department's website.
The U.S. Immigration office will not permit Individuals to enter the country if they fall under certain criteria. Prohibitions include aliens with a communicable disease, having a physical or mental disorder that threatens the public health, believed to be drug addicts, believed to be visiting the United States for illegal activity, suspected of participating in political conspiracy or terrorism or the spouse thereof, known to participate in Nazi persecutions or believed to have completed the visa paperwork in a fraudulent or misleading manner.
If you are denied a B-1 visa, this is not a permanent denial. You may resubmit your application for consideration as well as provide new evidence to support your need for the visa. Generally, you will need to prove that significant changes have occurred in your personal, financial or professional circumstances for the U.S. Immigration office to approve your new application.
Additional restrictions may exist to prevent you from obtaining your B-1 visa as the political or economic climate changes. At times, the United States may prohibit all citizens of a certain country to enter the United States. For current policies regarding the acquisition of a B-1 visa, visit the U.S. State Department website and click on "Visa Policy Updates."
