• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Contact Us
  • Schedule a Consultation
    • Pay for Attorney Consultation
  • News & Alerts
    • News & Insights
    • Legal Alerts
    • Sign-up for upcoming webinar or conference call
    • Adhikari Law Podcast
  • Español
  • 中文
  • українська
  • français
  • عربى

Adhikari Law PLLC

Attorneys at Law

Call: 888-820-4430 info@adhikarilaw.com
TwitterFacebookLinkedin
  • About Us
    • Meet our Professionals
      • Niranjan “Nir” Adhikari
        • Consult attorney Niranjan Adhikari
      • Akshay Chitre
    • Careers
    • Client Login
    • Payment of Fees and Expenses
    • Our Practice Areas
      • U.S. Immigration
      • Corporate Law, corporate governance and compliance, and Contracts
      • Private International Law
      • U.S. Administrative Law
      • Int’l Trade and Business Transactions
    • Client Testimonials
    • Legal Disclaimers
    • Archives
      • Former Professionals
        • Serena Yang Li
  • Work Visas
    • H Visas
      • H-1B Cap (quota) case
      • H-1B Advanced degree (Master’s or higher from U.S. institution) Exemption (master’s cap)
      • Cap-Exempt H-1B
      • H-1B Visa Extension, Amendment or Change of Employer (Transfer)
      • H-1B1 (Singapore/Chile)
      • H-2A (Agriculture Worker)
      • H-2B Visa
      • H-3 Nonimmigrant Trainee or Special Education Exchange Visitor
    • L-1 Visas
      • L-1A Visa (Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager)
      • L-1B Visa (Intracompany Transferee Specialized Knowledge)
      • L-1 New Offices
      • L-1 Blanket Petition
    • Visa for Start-up Companies
      • H-1B for Startup
      • L-1 New Office
      • Startup Visa (Final Rule on International Entrepreneur)
    • E Visas (E-1, E-2, E-2 CNMI, E-3)
      • E-1 (Treaty Traders)
      • E-2 (Treaty Investors)
      • E-3 (Australia)
    • TN NAFTA
      • TN (Canada) NAFTA Professionals
      • TN (Mexico)
    • O Visas (O-1 and O-2)
      • O-1 Visa
      • O-2 Visa
    • P Visas (P-1, P-2, P-3)
      • P-1 Visa
      • P-2 Performer or Group Performing under Reciprocal Exchange Program
      • P-3 Visa
      • P-1S, P-2S, P-3S (Support Personnel)
    • B-1 & R-1 Visas
      • B-1 Business Visitor
      • B-1 in lieu of H-1 or H-3
      • B-1 Domestic Worker
      • R-1 Religious Worker
    • Training Opportunities as an F-1 or M-1 Student
    • Exchange Visitor (J-1 and Q-1)
      • Q-1 Cultural Exchange Visitor
      • J-1 Exchange Visitor
        • J-1 Waiver (2-year home country residence)
    • I (Rep of Foreign Media)
    • TN USMCA
    • Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
      • Employment Authorization based on Approved I-140 and Compelling Circumstances
      • EAD for for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses
      • H-4 EAD Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • Change of Status
    • Extension of Stay
    • Consular Processing of Nonimmigrant Visa
    • Third Country National Visa
    • I-9 Form, Employment Eligibility Verification
      • E-Verify of Employment Eligibility
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • Immigration
    • Employment-Based Green Card
      • EB-1 Green Card
      • EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
      • EB-2 Green Card
      • EB-3 Green Card
      • Labor Certification (PERM)
      • I-140 Petition
      • EB-4 Special Immigrants
      • EB-5 Investors Green Card
      • Schedule A Group I (Nurses or PT)
      • Schedule-A Group II (Exceptional Ability in the Sciences or Arts; Exceptional Ability in Performing Arts)
    • Family-Based & Other Green Card
      • Family member of a green card holder
      • Family member of a U.S. Citizen
      • Immediate relative of a U.S. citizen
  • Citizenship
  • Corporate Law
    • Corporate Law
    • Schedule an Attorney Consultation
  • Start-up
    • H-1B for Startup
    • Startup Visa (Final Rule on International Entrepreneur)
    • Schedule an Attorney Consultation
  • Intellectual Property
Home | Work Visas | B VISAS | B-1 Business Visitor

B-1 Business Visitor

Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa. Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1), tourism, pleasure or visiting (visa category B-2), or a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2).

Few examples of activities permitted with a visitor visa:

Business Visitor (B-1) can:

  • Engage in commercial transactions, which do not involve gainful employment in the United States (such as a merchant who takes orders for goods manufactured abroad);
  • Negotiate contracts;
  • Consult with business associates;
  • Litigate;
  • Participate in scientific, educational, professional, or business conventions, conferences, or seminars; or
  • Undertake independent research.

More over, under specific conditions and limitations, the business visitor could be:

  • B-1 visitor in lieu of qualified H-1 or H-3 employee
  • Investor Seeking Investment in United States: Foreigner seeking investment in the United States, including an investment that would qualify him or her for status as an E-2 nonimmigrant investor; EB-5 immigrant may be issued a B visa to examine or monitor potential qualifying investments as long as the applicant otherwise establishes qualification for a B visa, including that they do not intend to enter the United States to pursue adjustment of status. Please note, applicants seeking investment, like all B-1/B-2 travelers, are precluded from performing productive labor or from actively participating in the management of the business while in the United States in B status.
  • Personal/Domestic Employees (domestic help):
    • Personal/Domestic Employees of U.S. Citizens Residing Abroad
    • Personal/Domestic Employees of U.S. Citizens on Temporary Assignment in United States
    • Personal/Domestic Employees who accompanies or follows to join Foreign Nationals in Nonimmigrant Status
    • Personal/Domestic Employees of Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs)
  • a foreign citizen coming to United States to Pursue Employment Incidental To their Professional Business Activities
  • Ministers of Religion and Missionaries
  • Participants in Voluntary Service Programs which benefits U.S. communities, who establish that they are members of, and have a commitment to, a particular recognized religious or nonprofit charitable organization. A “voluntary service program” is an organized project conducted by a recognized religious or nonprofit charitable organization to assist the poor or the needy or to
    further a religious or charitable cause.
  • Members of Board of Directors of U.S. Corporation.
  • Professional athletes, such as golfers and auto racers, who receive no salary or payment other than prize money for his or her participation in a tournament or sporting event.
  • Yacht Crewmen
  • Coasting Officers
  • Commercial or Industrial Workers
    • An alien coming to the United States to install, service, or repair commercial or industrial equipment or machinery purchased from a company outside the United States or to train U.S. workers to perform such services. However, in such cases, the contract of sale must specifically require the seller to provide such services or training and the visa applicant must possess unique knowledge that is essential to the seller’s contractual obligation to perform the services or training and must receive no remuneration from a U.S. source.
    • These provisions do not apply to an alien seeking to perform building or construction work, whether on-site or in-plant. The exception is for an alien who is applying for a B-1 visa for supervising or training other workers engaged in building or construction work, but not actually performing any such building or construction work.
  • Foreign Airline Employees who:
    • Seek to enter the United States for employment with a foreign airline that is engaged in international transportation of passengers and freight;
    • Are working in an executive, supervisory, or highly technical capacity; and
    • Otherwise meet the requirements for E visa classification but are precluded from entitlement to treaty trader E-1 classification solely because there is no treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation in effect between the United States and the country of the aliens’ nationality, or because they are not nationals of the airline’s country of nationality.
    • Employees of foreign airlines coming to the United States to join an aircraft for an onward international flight may also be documented as B-1 visitors in that they are not transiting the United States and are not admissible as crewmen. Work on solely domestic flights within the United States is not permissible in B-1 status. Applicants for admission are inspected by a CBP officer to determine their admissibility in the United States.
  • Medical Clerkship or Business or other Professional or Vocational Activities
    • Aliens who wish to obtain hands-on clerkship experience are not deemed to fall within B-1 visa classification.
    • Medical Clerkship: An alien who is studying at a foreign medical school and seeks to enter the United States temporarily in order to take an “elective clerkship” at a U.S. medical school’s hospital without remuneration from the hospital. The medical clerkship is only for medical students pursuing their normal third or fourth year internship in a U.S. medical school as part of a foreign medical school degree. (An “elective clerkship” affords practical experience and instructions in the various disciplines of medicine under the supervision and direction of faculty physicians at a U.S. medical school’s hospital as an approved part of the alien’s foreign medical school education. (It does not apply to graduate medical training, which is restricted by Immigration and Nationality Act and normally requires a J-visa.)
    • Business or other Professional or Vocational Activities: An alien who is coming to the United States merely and exclusively to observe the conduct of business or other professional or vocational activity may be classified B-1, provided the alien pays for his or her own expenses. However, aliens, often students, who seek to gain practical experience through on-the-job training or clerkships must qualify under INA 101(a)(15)(H) or INA 101(a)(15)(L), or when an appropriate exchange visitors program exists (J). Provided certain requirements are met, interns at embassies, consulates, miscellaneous foreign government offices (MFGOs), missions to international organizations, or international organizations may qualify for A-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-4 visas. See 9 FAM 402.3-5(D)(1) and 9 FAM 402.3-7(B).
  • Participants in Foreign Assistance Act Program
  • Peace Corps Volunteer Trainers
  • Internship with United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
  • Participants in the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) program of internship for training and research who are not employees of foreign governments.
  • A foreign Employed by Foreign or U.S. Exhibitors at International Fairs or Expositions
  • A foreign to come to the United States to perform services on behalf of a foreign-based employer as a jockey, sulky driver, trainer, or groomer.
  • Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Employees
  • Medical Doctor whose purpose for coming to the United States is to observe U.S. medical practices and consult with colleagues on latest techniques, provided no remuneration is received from a U.S. source and no patient care is involved. Failure to pass the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is irrelevant in such a case.
  • Participants in Cultural Programs
  • A professional entertainer coming to the United States to participate only in a cultural program sponsored by the sending country.
  • Still Photographers

 

 


 

Note: Immigration laws, policies and procedures are complex and may require a consultation with an experienced immigration lawyer.

You can contact us at (+1) 202 600 7742 or on WhatsApp, or email us at info@adhikarilaw.com if you will have any question on this topic. You can also reach us to learn about our legal services or complete the Form to request an Attorney Consultation.

Footer

Contact Us

Call us or write us today to schedule a legal consultation

Email: info@adhikarilaw.com
Phone: 888-820-4430 (Toll-free)
Fax: 202-792-6243

Business Hours

Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 5:30pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed

Follow Us on Social Media

Visit us at our Washington, D.C.

Adhikari Law PLLC, 1627 K St NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006
Tel: 888-820-4430
info@adhikarilaw.com

Tyson’s Corner Office:

Adhikari Law PLLC, 1751 Pinnacle Dr, Suite 600, McLean, VA 22102 (by appointment)
hello@adhikarilaw.com

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Our Services
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • Legal News & Newsletters
  • Copyrights
  • Privacy Policy & Terms and Conditions
  • Legal Disclaimers
  • USCIS Filing Fees for various Applications, Petitions and Motions
  • USCIS Forms

Some useful links

  • Current Visa Bulletin (Priority Dates)
  • Visa Bulletin for Upcoming Month
  • USCIS Designated Civil Surgeon Doctor
  • DoL Processing Time
  • Check Your Case Status
  • Appointment Wait Time for a visa abroad

Recent Posts

  • RFEs on Employment-Based Cases Requesting Current Address for Biometrics Collection May 5, 2025
  • Frequently Asked Questions about SEVIS Termination of F-1 Students April 21, 2025
  • In AARP v. Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court issued order halting removal of immigrants under Alien Enemies Act April 19, 2025
  • Requirements for Reinstatement to Student Status April 16, 2025
  • H-1B petition filing window under the first draw of the lottery is April 1st through June 30, 2025 April 8, 2025
  • F-1 Student visa Revocation and SEVIS Termination and their legal implications April 8, 2025
  • Approved I-140 petitions and pending I-485 applications data indicate that EB-2 and EB-3 immmigrant visa applicants will still face a significant wait-time March 6, 2025
  • USCIS Policy Memorandum on Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens February 28, 2025

Disclaimer:
The materials appearing on this are attorney advertising. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. Past performance does not guarantee future results.This site is NOT intended to create an attorney-client relationship. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon any single source of information. You may ask us to send you additional information about us.

© 2025, Adhikari Law PLLC. All Rights Reserved.

  • Schedule a Consultation
  • Pay for Attorney Consultation
  • Contact Us
  • News & Alerts
    • Show All Articles
    • News & Insights
    • Legal Alerts
    • Sign-up for upcoming webinar or conference call
  • Work Visas
    • Work Visas Page
    • H Visas
      • H Visas Page
      • H-1B Cap (quota) case
      • H-1B Advanced degree (Master’s or higher from U.S. institution) Exemption (master’s cap)
      • Cap-Exempt H-1B
      • H-1B Visa Extension, Amendment or Change of Employer (Transfer)
      • H-1B1 (Singapore/Chile)
      • H-2A (Agriculture Worker)
      • H-2B Visa
      • H-3 Nonimmigrant Trainee or Special Education Exchange Visitor
    • L-1 Visas
      • L-1 Visas Page
      • L-1A Visa (Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager)
      • L-1B Visa (Intracompany Transferee Specialized Knowledge)
      • L-1 New Offices
      • L-1 Blanket Petition
    • Visa for Start-up Companies
      • H-1B for Startup
      • L-1 New Office
      • Startup Visa (Final Rule on International Entrepreneur)
    • E Visas (E-1, E-2, E-2 CNMI, E-3)
      • E-1 (Treaty Traders)
      • E-2 (Treaty Investors)
      • E-3 (Australia)
    • TN NAFTA
      • TN (Mexico)
      • TN (Canada) NAFTA Professionals
    • O Visas (O-1 and O-2)
      • O-1 Visa
      • O-2 Visa
    • P Visas (P-1, P-2, P-3)
      • P-1 Visa
      • P-2 Performer or Group Performing under Reciprocal Exchange Program
      • P-3 Visa
      • P-1S, P-2S, P-3S (Support Personnel)
    • B-1 & R-1 Visas
      • B-1 in lieu of H-1 or H-3
      • B-1 Domestic Worker
      • B-1 Business Visitor
      • R-1 Religious Worker
    • Training Opportunities as an F-1 or M-1 Student
    • Exchange Visitor (J-1 and Q-1)
      • Exchange Visitor (J-1 and Q-1) Page
      • Q-1 Cultural Exchange Visitor
      • J-1 Exchange Visitor
        • J-1 Waiver (2-year home country residence)
    • I (Rep of Foreign Media)
    • Third Country National Visa
    • Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
      • H-4 EAD Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
      • EAD for for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses
      • Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Page
    • Change of Status
    • Extension of Stay
    • Consular Processing of Nonimmigrant Visa
  • About Us
    • About Us Page
    • Meet our Professionals
    • Niranjan “Nir” Adhikari
    • Serena Yang Li
    • Client Login
    • Careers
    • Payment of Fees and Expenses
    • Our Practice Areas
      • Our Practice Areas Page
      • U.S. Immigration
      • Corporate Law, corporate governance and compliance, and Contracts
      • Private International Law
      • U.S. Administrative Law
      • Int’l Trade and Business Transactions
    • Client Testimonials
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • Legal Disclaimers
  • Immigration
    • Immigration Page
    • Employment-Based Green Card
      • Employment based Green Card
      • EB-1 Green Card
      • EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
      • EB-2 Green Card
      • EB-3 Green Card
      • Labor Certification (PERM)
      • I-140 Petition
      • EB-4 Special Immigrants
      • EB-5 Investors Green Card
      • Schedule A Group I (Nurses or PT)
      • Schedule-A Group II (Exceptional Ability in the Sciences or Arts; Exceptional Ability in Performing Arts)
    • Family-Based & Other Green Card
      • Family Based Green Card Page
      • Family member of a green card holder
      • Family member of a U.S. Citizen
      • Immediate relative of a U.S. citizen
  • Citizenship
  • Corporate Law
  • Start-up
    • Start-up Page
    • H-1B for Startup
    • Startup Visa (Final Rule on International Entrepreneur)
  • Intellectual Property
  • Español
  • français
  • українська
  • عربى
  • 中文