A B1 visa for the USA is a business visa permitting entry to the United States for 6 months. As a rule, you can only obtain one if you can demonstrate a need to travel to the USA for longer than 3 months; for shorter trips, an ESTA is sufficient.
Save yourself time and money: let our experts prepare your B1 visa application – simply get in touch via our contact form. The service costs €300.
Permitted activities
One of the questions we are asked most often is what you may do on a B1 visa. Activities permitted under the B1 (business visa) regime include, among others:
- Installing, testing, inspecting, servicing or repairing commercial or industrial equipment or machinery sold by a company outside the USA to a US buyer, where the purchase contract specifically requires this; construction work is not permitted
- Taking part in a training programme not primarily designed to provide employment • Observing or inspecting how a business, company or professional practice operates • Looking for investment opportunities in the USA, without carrying out productive work or actively participating in running a business • Scouting potential business premises (offices, warehouses, land) • Appearing as a lecturer or speaker • Working for a foreign exhibitor in connection with exhibits at international trade fairs or exhibitions, provided the visitor’s employment duties are based outside the USA. • Arranging and attending business negotiations • Performing statutory duties as a member of the board of directors of a US corporation • Purchasing supplies or goods • Selecting and recruiting employees • Negotiating or signing contracts, or taking orders for products manufactured outside the United States • Attending conventions, meetings, trade shows or business events for scientific, educational, professional or business purposes • Settling an inheritance or estate • Conducting independent research (that is, research for which you receive no payment from US sources).
In addition to the activities listed above, many others are also permitted – for instance, a musician performing at a concert without payment from US sources. What these activities share is that they are not remunerated from US sources and are one-off or short-term in nature.
Each of these activities can be described in greater detail according to how USCIS (the US immigration authority, broadly comparable to the Home Office in the UK) interprets them and its case law. Let us know which activities matter most to you, and we can prepare a written explanation of what you may do in the USA on a B1 visa.
| Druh víz | Cena |
|---|---|
| H-1B L1 E2 | 4.850 EUR |
| EB5 | 19.450 EUR |
| B1 | 600 EUR |
| Konzultácia | 200 EUR |
E-2 visas
If you need to carry out activities in the USA that go beyond the scope of a B1 visa, an E-2 visa is likely to suit you better. Save time and money: contact our experts via the contact form and they will guide you through preparing and obtaining your visa. Other options include the L-1B visa and the H-1B visa, although their requirements are considerably harder to meet.
Installing and repairing machinery on a B1 visa
What visa applicants most want to know is how far they may go when installing, testing and repairing machinery and equipment. Further detail is provided in the internal guidance on foreign affairs (The Foreign Affairs Manual, 9 FAM 402.2-5 (E) (1)). This provision allows a business visitor (B1 visa) with a higher level of qualification – chiefly people holding a university degree or possessing other specialist knowledge or experience – to carry out certain types of work in the United States in connection with commercial or industrial equipment or machinery purchased from a company outside the USA. The business visitor may either install, test or repair the equipment or machinery, or train US workers to carry out these services. The purchase contract must expressly require the seller to provide such services. Please note: building or construction work is not permitted, even where the purchase contract requires the seller to provide these services.
The Foreign Affairs Manual, at 9 FAM 402.2-5(E)(1), permits an otherwise-qualified business visitor to perform certain types of labour in the United States in connection with commercial or industrial equipment or machinery purchased from a company outside the US.. The business visitor may either install, service or repair the equipment or machinery, or train US workers to perform those services. The contract of sale must specifically require the seller to provide such services. Note: the performance of building or construction work is not permitted, even if the contract of sale purports to require the seller to provide those services.