B-2 Visa – Visitor for Pleasure (Tourist Visa)
The B-2 visitor visa is a nonimmigrant visa for persons desiring to enter the United States temporarily for pleasure. Pleasure is defined as “Legitimate activities of a recreational character, including tourism, amusement, visits with friends or relatives, rest, medical treatment, and activities of a fraternal, social, or service nature.” 22 C.F.R. §41.31(b)(2). Employment is not permitted even where only remuneration is room, board and pocket change.
Permissible activities include:
- Tourism
- Social visits to friends & relatives
- Medical treatment
- Participation in conventions of social organizations
- Participation in amateur musical, sports or similar events with no remuneration
- Dependents of U.S. Armed Forces personnel
- Accompanying D or B-1 aliens
- Coming to U.S. to marry U.S. citizen but will depart
- If eligible for H-4 but inconvenient or impossible to obtain it, the spouse or child can enter on B-2
- If you are coming to the U.S. primarily as a tourist, but you would like to take a short course of study which is recreational (and not for credit towards a degree), and the course is less than 18 hours per week
