The B-1/B-2 is the visa most travellers encounter — a combined visitor visa covering temporary business (B-1) and tourism, family visits or medical treatment (B-2). It's flexible, but it has clear limits, and misunderstanding them is a common cause of trouble.
What the B-1 covers (business)
The B-1 is for temporary business activities that don't amount to working for a U.S. employer. Think meetings, conferences, negotiating contracts, consulting with business associates, or settling an estate.
What the B-2 covers (tourism and visits)
The B-2 is for tourism, holidays, visiting family and friends, or seeking medical treatment. The two are usually issued together as a B-1/B-2.
What you cannot do
The biggest misconceptions involve work and study. On a visitor visa you generally cannot:
- Take up employment or be paid by a U.S. source
- Enroll in a course of study for credit (that requires F-1 or M-1 status)
- Stay indefinitely — admission is for a temporary, specific purpose
- Treat the visa as a path to living in the U.S. permanently
Staying in status
When you arrive, a Customs and Border Protection officer decides how long you may stay; check the date on your I-94 rather than assuming six months. If your plans change and you need more time — or a different status, such as switching to F-1 to study — there are documented processes for requesting that, and you should act before your authorised stay ends.
Permitted activities and timeframes are set by the government and can change, so confirm the details on the official U.S. Department of State visitor visa page.