A tourist/visitor visa, also known as a B2 visa, is required for foreign nationals who wish to enter the USA for holidays or to pursue other leisure activities, visit family, seek medical care or take brief courses. It is a non-immigrant US visa that only allows a temporary stay.

A B2 visa grants residency for between one and ten years. This type of US visa allows aliens to leave and re-enter the USA during this period, as long as the purpose of travel remains the same as that specified in the visa. In cases of multiple entries, each visit should not exceed six months. The duration of each visit can be extended to six additional months provided that the visitor can prove that it is only temporary. The Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) decides how long a visit should last and this is stamped in the individual’s 1-94 card.

When reviewing applications for B2 visas, the immigration authority pays close attention to the possibility of illegal immigration. B2 applicants must prove that they have no plans to permanently settle in the USA. This can be done by providing proof of family ties, property ownership and strong reasons why they plan to return to their country of origin.

The US Visa Waiver Program exempts the nationals of certain countries from having to obtain a US visa if they have a machine-readable passport and a non-refundable flight ticket to their country of origin or other foreign destination, except Canada. Among the nationals eligible for this programme are Britons, Danes, Spaniards, Australians and Hungarians.