Information for WHOI Sponsors

B Category: Visitors for Business or Pleasure

General Information

B-1 visa is appropriate for an alien who wishes to engage in temporary commercial, business, or professional activities related to their employment/business abroad.

B-2 visa is for short-term visits for pleasure or tourism, medical reasons and/or other health purposes, to participate in conventions, conferences, or convocation of fraternal, social/service organizations or prospective students.

A B-1 visa holder may stay in the US for a "reasonable" period of time for completion of the purpose of the trip, not to exceed one year. A B-2 visa holder is admitted for a standard period of 6 months.

No paid employment is permitted on a B-1. Visitors in B-1 status are able to receive reimbursements for receipted expenses incidental to their B-1 activity. *Certain honorarium payments and payments for associated expenses are possible if certain guidelines are met.

B-2 visitors are not permitted to engage in employment of any kind in the U.S. nor are they permitted to receive any other type of payments for reimbursement and per diem expenses. They may receive "academic honoraria" payments and payments for associated incidental expenses if *certain guidelines are met.

*The "American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998" changed this so that certain payments are now permitted to nonimmigrants admitted to the US on a B-1 or B-2 visa. The nonimmigrant can now accept honorarium payment and associated incidental expenses for an activity lasting no longer than 9 days at any single institution. The payment has to be made for services conducted for the benefit of WHOI and the nonimmigrant cannot have accepted such payments or expenses from more than 5 institutions or organizations in the previous 6-month period.

Nonimmigrants in B-1 and B-2 status are prohibited from enrolling in a course of study or taking other actions unless and until USCIS has changed the B nonimmigrant status to an appropriate student nonimmigrant status.