Short-Term Business in the U.S. on a B-1 Visa
The business immigration lawyers at Heartland Immigration can help make sure your application to visit the United States short-term for business is successful. Our attorneys can advise you in submitting the Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, to the U.S. embassy or consulate at which you will have your visa interview. We will provide expert advice on how to conduct to your visa interview, preparing you thoroughly for questions that will likely be asked of you. A Heartland Immigration attorney will also craft a letter for the consular officer who will be adjudicating your application, articulating exactly how it is that your situation qualifies you for a B-1 business visitor visa under various applicable laws and regulations.
The B-1 Business Visitor Visa
The B-1 business visa is intended for persons who will be coming to the U.S. for short-term stays to conduct business. Created to facilitate trade and business between the United States and other countries, specifically articulated legitimate uses of the B-1 business visitor visa include trips for the purpose of:
- negotiating a contract;
- engaging in commercial transactions;
- litigating, consulting with business associates;
- participating in scientific, educational, professional, or business conventions, conferences, or seminars; or
- undertaking independent research
The list above is not exhaustive. A key factor in whether an individual will qualify for a B-1 visa is whether they will be paid for their time in the country by a United States source. While not determinative, the presence of this factor militates toward a decision by a consular officer that a petition-based work visa is in order. Being reimbursed expenses and having travel costs covered by a U.S. source will generally not hurt an applicant's chances of receiving a B-1 visitor for business visa, but receiving anything more or actually performing any kind of labor certainly will.
Persons arriving in the U.S. on a B-1 visa, which are often actually granted as combination B-1/B-2 (visitor for pleasure) visa, are usually admitted to the country by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for a period of up to six months.
Give us a call today to learn how we can help you secure a B-1 visa:
Nationwide: 1-855-USA-IMMIGRATE (1-855-872-4664)
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