B-2 Visa Guide: Requirements, Fees, and How to Apply

The B-2 visa is a temporary visitor visa for tourism, family visits, and medical treatment in the U.S. It’s the most common nonimmigrant visa for personal travel, covering everything from vacation trips and family reunions to attending a wedding and receiving specialized medical care. This guide covers who qualifies, what the application process involves, how much it costs, and what to expect at your interview.

What is a B-2 visa?

The B-2 visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows foreign nationals to enter the U.S. temporarily for tourism and personal travel purposes. It’s issued by U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide and is one of the most widely used visitor visa categories. Unlike work or student visas, the B-2 doesn’t require employer sponsorship or school enrollment, but it also doesn’t authorize any form of employment or academic study.

If your home country participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), you can travel to the U.S. for up to 90 days for tourism without a visa using ESTA. A B-2 visa is required if your trip will exceed 90 days, if you’ve been denied ESTA before, or if your country isn’t part of the VWP.

The B-2 is often stamped together with the B-1 (business visitor) classification on a single visa labeled “B-1/B-2.” If you hold that combined stamp, you can use it for both tourism and short-term business activities on separate trips. For a detailed look at what each classification permits and when to use which, see our guide to the B-1 vs B-2 visa.

What can you do on a B-2 visa?

The B-2 visa covers a specific set of personal travel purposes. According to the State Department’s visitor visa page, permitted activities include:

• Tourism and vacation travel
• Visiting friends and family
• Medical treatment at a U.S. facility
• Attending social events such as weddings, graduations, and reunions
• Participating in amateur sports competitions or music events (without receiving payment)
• Short recreational courses during a vacation, such as a cooking class or photography workshop

What the B-2 doesn’t permit is just as important: you can’t work for a U.S. employer, receive compensation from a U.S. source, enroll in formal academic study, or conduct business activities. Visiting for a job interview is technically permissible on a B-2, but you’d need a separate work visa before accepting any position.

Short recreational courses during a vacation sit in an interesting middle ground. A weekend cooking school or a week-long art workshop is generally acceptable. The line is crossed when the course resembles formal academic enrollment. If you’re taking classes toward a degree or transferable credits, you need an F-1 or M-1 visa, not a B-2.

If you’re visiting the U.S. and considering work visa options, researching employers that offer sponsorship during your trip is a practical first step. Migrate Mate’s visa sponsorship job listings can help you identify sponsoring companies before you arrive or while you’re planning your next move.

Inviting parents or family to the U.S. on a B-2 visa

One of the most common reasons international workers and students look into the B-2 visa isn’t for themselves. It’s to bring parents or other family members to visit. Your parent, sibling, or other relative applies for their own B-2 visa through the standard application process, but the documentation you provide from the U.S. can significantly strengthen their case.

A strong invitation letter is the foundation. It should state your relationship to the applicant, the purpose and duration of the planned visit, where they’ll be staying, and whether you’ll be covering any expenses. Be specific about dates, your address in the U.S., and your current immigration status here.

Beyond the letter, consular officers want to see that the visitor’s expenses are covered. Include copies of your recent pay stubs or employment verification letter, bank statements for the past three to six months, and documentation of your legal status in the U.S. Your family member should also bring their own evidence of ties to their home country: steady employment, property ownership, or close family members who remain at home.

The application process for your parent or family member is the same six-step process described later in this guide. The invitation letter and financial support documents are supporting evidence within the standard process, not a separate pathway.

B-2 visa requirements

According to USCIS and the State Department, you qualify for a B-2 visa if you can demonstrate all of the following:

• Your trip is for tourism, a family visit, medical treatment, or another permitted personal travel purpose
• Your stay will be for a specific, limited time period
• You have sufficient funds to cover your expenses without working in the U.S.
• You maintain a foreign residence that you don’t intend to abandon
• You have binding ties to your home country that will bring you back
• You’re otherwise admissible to the U.S.

Vague descriptions (“I want to see America”) raise questions at the interview. Specific ones (“I’m attending my cousin’s wedding in Houston on April 15 and plan to spend two weeks traveling afterward”) give the officer something concrete to assess.

Proving ties to your home country

You need to convince the consular officer you’ll return home after your visit. Officers evaluate this through evidence of employment, business ownership, property, family obligations, or any other factor that anchors you to your home country. A job confirmation letter, property records, and documentation of immediate family members who remain at home all help build that case.

Officers weigh ties against the applicant’s overall profile. If you’re from a country with a historically higher refusal rate, or if you’re young with limited professional history, an officer may apply more scrutiny even if your stated purpose is legitimate. State Department visa statistics show refusal rates vary significantly by nationality.

Limited ties aren’t automatically disqualifying. If your personal roots at home are thin, a specific and well-documented travel itinerary carries more weight. Hotel bookings, a dated event invitation, a medical facility appointment letter, or a registered tour itinerary can compensate for weaker personal ties. A round-trip ticket showing your return date also helps demonstrate you’ve planned to leave.

Financial requirements

You need to show you can cover your expenses during the trip without working in the U.S. There’s no official minimum balance. Officers evaluate whether your income, savings, and overall financial picture are consistent with the trip you’ve described.

What “sufficient” means depends on the trip. Bank statements for the past three to six months are the standard evidence. Stable income from employment or a business is more persuasive than a lump sum without a clear source. If your salary is in a currency that converts unfavorably, showing a balance that’s reasonable relative to your local cost of living still works.

For trips funded by a U.S.-based sponsor, their financial documentation can substitute for your own. If a family member in the U.S. is covering your expenses, an invitation letter that explicitly states they’ll pay for your costs, combined with their bank statements and employment proof, satisfies the financial requirement even if your personal account is modest.

Documents you need for a B-2 visa

The State Department requires the following at every B-2 visa interview:

Most consulates also request supporting documents. The specific items vary by post, but commonly requested evidence includes:

B-2 visa fees and costs

The following fees apply to a standard B-2 visa application, as set by the State Department:

*The $250 visa integrity fee was authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 4, 2025). As of March 2026, the Department of State hasn't begun collecting it. Monitor travel.state.gov for updates.

If you need to extend your stay from within the U.S., USCIS charges separate fees for Form I-539:

The premium processing fee of $2,075 took effect on March 1, 2026, following USCIS’s inflation adjustment.

The Visa Bond Pilot Program

A State Department initiative called the Visa Bond Pilot Program runs from August 20, 2025 to August 5, 2026 and applies specifically to B-1/B-2 applicants. Under the program, a consular officer can require an applicant to post a financial bond as a condition of receiving the visa. The default bond amount is $10,000, though officers can set it anywhere between $5,000 and $15,000 based on the individual case.

If a bond is required, the visa is limited to three months of validity and a single entry. The bond is paid via Form I-352 on pay.gov within 30 days of the interview appointment. If the applicant departs the U.S. on time before their visa expires, the bond is refunded in full. If they overstay, the bond is forfeited.

Not every B-2 applicant will face the bond requirement. Officers apply it to applicants from certain countries or profiles where overstay risk is assessed as elevated. Very limited waivers exist for government employees and humanitarian cases. The program is temporary, but anyone applying during this window should be aware of it.

How to apply for a B-2 visa

The B-2 visa application follows six steps:

1. Complete Form DS-160 online at the State Department’s Consular Electronic Application Center. The form collects your personal details, travel history, and the specific purpose of your visit.
2. Pay the $185 MRV fee. Payment methods vary by country. You’ll receive a receipt to bring to your appointment.
3. Schedule your interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of residence. In most countries, you’ll schedule through the embassy’s online appointment system.
4. Gather your documents. Assemble both required and supporting documents well before your appointment date. Leave enough time to request any items that are missing.
5. Attend your interview. The interview typically runs two to five minutes. Bring your full document package even if the officer doesn’t ask for everything.
6. Wait for your visa. If approved, your passport will be returned by mail or courier within a few business days, depending on the consulate.

DS-160 tips for B-2 applicants

Select “B2 - TOURISM/MEDICAL” as your visa class and be specific about your travel plans throughout the form. The DS-160 asks for your intended dates, where you’ll be staying, and the primary reason for your visit. Vague answers flag the application for more intensive questioning at the interview.

Consular officers read your DS-160 before the interview begins. If you’re visiting for a wedding, state the date and city. If you’re seeking medical treatment, name the U.S. facility and briefly describe the procedure. Specificity signals genuine planning. Our DS-160 guide walks through the form field by field.

If your visit combines multiple purposes, such as attending a family event and sightseeing afterward, you can describe both. Each activity just needs to qualify as a legitimate personal travel purpose. Lead with the primary reason.

Processing times and scheduling

Check current appointment wait times on the State Department’s appointment wait time page before planning any trip with a fixed departure date. Times vary significantly by consulate and time of year.

High-demand consulates in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Lagos, and Mexico City can have appointment slots booked out two to four months during peak periods. If your nearest consulate has a long wait, check availability at other consulates in your region. A consulate two hours away might have appointments open weeks sooner.

If you’re renewing a B-2 visa that was valid for 48 months or more and you’re applying within 48 months of its expiration, you may qualify for the Interview Waiver Program and renew by mail without a new interview. Check your consulate’s page for specific eligibility and instructions.

What to expect at the B-2 visa interview

The B-2 interview is typically two to five minutes long. The consular officer’s goal is to assess whether you’re a genuine visitor with a clear reason to return home. They’re not looking for a detailed personal history. They’re looking for specific, credible answers about your particular trip.

Common B-2 visa interview questions

B-2 interviews typically include questions along these lines:

• “What is the purpose of your visit?”
• “Who will you be visiting or staying with?”
• “How long do you plan to stay?”
• “Who is paying for your trip?”
• “What do you do for work in your home country?”
• “Have you visited the U.S. before?”
• “Do you have any family members currently living in the U.S.?”

Short, factual answers outperform lengthy explanations. “I’m attending my brother’s wedding in Chicago on June 10, then spending 10 days visiting New York before flying home” is more effective than a three-minute narrative.

Consistency matters. Officers read your DS-160 before you walk in, and they notice when your verbal answers diverge from what you submitted. Review your DS-160 the night before so your responses align with what you filed.

If you’re visiting family in the U.S., expect slightly more scrutiny. Family ties here can raise questions about nonimmigrant intent. A detailed itinerary, proof of return travel, and strong evidence of your life at home address this more thoroughly than the invitation letter alone.

Interview tips for tourists and family visitors

Bring your full document package even for a short interview. Officers occasionally ask for specific supporting documents, and having them organized signals preparation.

Connecting your documentation to your verbal answers is more persuasive than handing over papers without context. Mentioning that you have a project due the week after you return, for example, naturally reinforces your intent to leave. Let your answers and your documents tell the same story.

Medical treatment visitors should bring a letter from the U.S. healthcare facility confirming the appointment along with a referral from their home-country doctor explaining why the treatment requires travel to the U.S. Officers are generally accommodating of medical B-2 visits when the documentation clearly supports the purpose.

How long can you stay on a B-2 visa?

Your visa stamp and your authorized stay are two different things. The visa stamp controls how long you can use it to request entry, and can be valid for up to 10 years for eligible nationalities, depending on reciprocity agreements. The CBP officer at the port of entry sets your actual authorized stay on each trip, recorded on your I-94. The I-94, not the visa stamp, controls your legal status.

For most B-2 entrants, CBP issues a stay of one to six months, with six months being the typical maximum. If you need more time, you can file Form I-539 to extend your stay after arriving. Check your I-94 record at i94.cbp.dhs.gov after every U.S. entry to confirm the date CBP recorded.

How to extend your B-2 visa stay

If you need more time beyond your authorized I-94 date, file Form I-539 before your current authorization expires. Filing after that date means you’re already in overstay, and USCIS can’t approve an extension for someone out of status. File early: USCIS recommends at least 45 days before your I-94 expiration.

Extensions are granted in increments of up to six months, with total cumulative stay on a single visit generally capped at 12 months from the original entry date. USCIS evaluates cumulative stay on a case-by-case basis. The online filing fee is $420; paper filings cost $470. Premium processing via Form I-907 costs $2,075 and guarantees a 30-calendar-day decision.

Extension vs. renewal

An extension and a renewal are two distinct actions. An extension means filing Form I-539 from within the U.S. to add time to your current authorized stay. A renewal means applying for a new B-2 visa at a U.S. consulate in your home country for a future trip.

Renewals may qualify for the Interview Waiver Program if your previous visa was valid for 48 months or more and you apply within 48 months of its expiration. Eligible applicants submit their renewal by mail without an in-person interview. Check your consulate’s page for specific instructions.

Changing from B-2 to a different category (F-1, work visa) is a separate process entirely. Changing status within 90 days of your B-2 entry may raise questions about your original intent, commonly called the 90-day rule. This doesn’t automatically disqualify the application, but consulting an immigration attorney is worth the investment if a work visa is involved.

Common reasons for B-2 visa denial

Denial at the B-2 interview typically comes down to a small number of recurring issues. Understanding them before you apply helps you address potential weak spots proactively.

The most common denial for B-2 applicants is a finding that ties to the home country are insufficient. U.S. immigration law presumes that any nonimmigrant applicant could intend to stay permanently, and it’s your responsibility to overcome that presumption with evidence.

If you receive a 221(g) notice, your application has been placed into administrative processing rather than denied outright. The consulate may request additional documents or need time to complete a background check. Follow the consulate’s instructions precisely, respond promptly to any document requests, and don’t rebook a new interview while the case is pending. Most cases resolve within a few weeks.

A denial isn’t the end. You can reapply at any time with no mandatory waiting period. The key is addressing the specific weakness the officer identified. Reapplying with the same documentation and hoping for a different outcome rarely works, but strengthening the weak point often does.

Frequently asked questions

Whether you’re planning a vacation, visiting family, or exploring medical treatment options in the U.S., the B-2 visa process is straightforward when your documentation is organized and your purpose is clear. If your visit sparks an interest in working in the U.S. long-term, Migrate Mate lists thousands of employers who sponsor international talent, giving you a head start on the next step.