American Immigration Lawyers
Khan Law, PLLC
555 Republic Drive, Floor 2, Suite 214
Plano, TX 75074
Office: (469) 200-6508
WhatsApp: (469) 200-6508
Email: info@khanlegalgroup.com
U.S. immigration law, serving clients
in all 50 states and worldwide.
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The Visa Guide · Visit & Study
B-1/B-2
Visitor Visas
Visit with confidence.
The B-1 covers temporary business visits: meetings, negotiations, conferences. The B-2 covers tourism, family visits, and medical treatment. Most are issued as one combined visitor visa. Here’s the whole journey, in plain English.
Who Qualifies
Built on ties and truth.
Five things decide a visitor case, and strong home ties carry the most weight.
A temporary purpose
A genuinely temporary visit, with no U.S. employment or study.
Strong home ties
Job, property, family, finances: the heart of overcoming INA 214(b) refusals.
Funds for the trip
Enough money to cover the visit from start to finish.
Admissibility
Past overstays and misrepresentation are the usual landmines.
Or skip the visa: ESTA
Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries may travel visa-free for 90 days with ESTA, but ESTA entries cannot be extended or changed to another status.
The Process
Five steps. One trip.
The application
Complete Form DS-160 online and pay the MRV fee.
The interview
Schedule and attend the consular interview with ties evidence. Answers about purpose and return plans decide most cases in under three minutes.
The entry
On issuance, travel. CBP grants admission, typically up to 6 months for B-2.
The extension
Need more time? File a Form I-539 extension before status expires. Overstays trigger the 3/10-year bars.
The pivot
Changing plans (marriage, work, study) requires a proper change of status. Timing and intent at entry matter enormously: get advice before acting.
Forms & Fees
Know the paperwork.
The online visitor visa application, filed with the MRV fee
The extension request, filed before status expires
Refused under 214(b)?
There’s a right way to reapply. 214(b) refusals turn on ties and purpose, so strengthen the ties evidence and the answers before trying again.
Live processing times & fees
Government numbers change monthly. These official tools are always current:
Your journey.
Our fight.
Refused under 214(b)? There’s a right way to reapply. Tell us your story: the evaluation is free, and we’ll tell you exactly how to prepare.
Attorney Advertising: general information, not legal advice. Refused under 214(b)? There’s a right way to reapply: request a free case evaluation or call (469) 200-6508. ← Back to all visa guides
The Rules
What you can and cannot do.
- Attend business meetings, conferences, and negotiations
- Visit family and friends, travel, and sightsee
- Receive medical treatment
- Take a short recreational class that is not for credit
- Work for a U.S. employer or freelance for U.S. clients
- Enroll in a degree program or study for credit
- Live in the U.S. through back-to-back visits
- Arrive intending to marry and adjust status without disclosing it
Costs
What it costs in 2026.
Two government fees now apply to most B visa applicants: the long-standing $185 application fee, and the new $250 visa integrity fee created by the 2025 budget law, charged when a visa is issued. The integrity fee took legal effect on October 1, 2025, but consulates are rolling it out unevenly, so confirm the current total with the embassy handling your case. The law allows a refund after a fully compliant visit, but no refund process has opened yet, so treat it as a cost, not a deposit.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (MRV) | $185 per person | Paid when you book the interview; not refundable if refused |
| Visa integrity fee | $250 per person | At issuance; phasing in since Oct 2025; adjusts with inflation |
| Extension inside the U.S. (Form I-539) | $420 online / $470 paper | USCIS filing fee to extend or change status after entry |
| ESTA (Visa Waiver alternative) | $40 | For citizens of the 40+ waiver countries; 90-day visits, no B visa needed |
Fee amounts reflect published government figures as of August 2026 and change over time; the live links above are always current. Fees apply per person, including children.
FAQ
Questions we hear every week.
How early should I apply?
As soon as your trip is realistic. Some consulates schedule interviews within weeks; others run backlogs of many months. The State Department publishes current appointment wait times for every post.
Can I work remotely for my foreign employer while visiting?
Checking email is one thing; running your workday from a U.S. beach house for months is another. There is no clean rule, and immigration officers look at the whole picture. Keep visits short and purpose-true.
How long do I have to wait between visits?
No fixed rule, but officers look for patterns. Spending more time inside the U.S. than outside it looks like living here, and that is a common reason entries and renewals get refused.
Can my parents visit for six months at a time?
Usually yes, if admitted for six months on each entry. Repeated long stays back-to-back invite scrutiny. For parents of U.S. citizens who want to stay permanently, a family green card is the honest tool.
What happens if I overstay?
More than 180 days of unlawful presence triggers a 3-year bar when you leave; more than a year triggers a 10-year bar. Even short overstays void the visa and complicate every future application.
Do children pay the same fees?
Yes. The $185 application fee applies per person regardless of age, and the integrity fee is also charged per visa issued.