How often can I travel to the USA on a B1/B2 visa?

The B1/B2 visa is a multiple-entry visit visa, which means a foreign national can travel to the United States multiple times without a specific limit on the number of visits in a year. This visa is valid for up to 10 years. However, the frequency of your visits may depend on the immigration officer, who will review your case each time you enter.

 

A B1/B2 visa is intended for temporary, occasional visits for business, tourism, or medical treatment. This visa is not meant for living long-term in the country or spending the majority of your time in the country.

 

Factors that will determine how many times to travel to the US

Here are certain factors that determine how many times to travel to the US:

 

• The length of stay: The maximum length of stay with a B1/B2 visa can be six months.
• Time between stays: The US government might be suspicious if they consistently use up the maximum allowed stay and quickly return.
• Personal and career ties to the home country: B1/B-2 applicants must prove that they have a intention to return and have sufficient ties to their home country.

 

*Want to apply for B1/B2 visa? Talk to Y-Axis for complete guidance.

Visits that are regarded as a threat to the country if it’s too often

There are three types of visits through which foreign national entry to the country can be referred as suspicious threat:

 

Frequent short visits of 1-2 weeks length (throughout the year)

Mostly, short-stay or short-visit stays range from a few days to many weeks, are incorporated throughout the year, and generally referred as a low risks that a visitor will be seen as a threat to the country. It is a good idea to prepare a detailed itinerary, including your return flight to your home country, and clearly explain the purpose of the trip (visit friends, family, business meetings, etc.).

 

Longer-term visits of 2-3 months to 6 months (with a larger gap between each visit)

Visitors seeking to stay for longer-term visits spanning several months should be prepared to answer questions regarding their ties to their home country (employment, schooling, residence, etc.) and explain their reason for staying longer than usual, such as your itinerary, details about the occasion that they are attending in the U.S., or family and friends they are visiting.

 

Suppose the time they spend in your home country appears more significant than their trips to the U.S. In that case, the risks are lower, and they will be questioned about whether or not they are trying to practically reside in the US, which is not allowed with a visitor visa.

 

Long-term visit of full period of 6 months (with a very short gap between each visit)

U.S. government, the moment they accumulate a travel record that shows that a visitor has stayed many months in the United States, left for only a short time, and re-entered the United States to wait for another several months, it became suspicious. This is because it can give the visa officer reason to suspect that they are a de facto resident of the U.S even if they fulfil all other requirements, (such as not engaging in any unauthorized work in the U.S).  

 

If they spend the majority of their time staying in the U.S. with insufficient evidence on how it is for a specifically limited duration, an examining officer may refuse you entry on your next visit on the basis that they suspect you are trying to practically live in the United States, based on your travel record.

 

*Want assistance for U.S Immigration? Talk to Y-Axis, the world’s No. 1 overseas immigration consultancy for end-to-end support.