B-1 Visa

• Participants to attend scientific, educational, professional, business, or religious conventions
• Persons to work on specific projects in the U.S. and paid by a foreign employer
• Business professionals to participate in commercial transactions (which do not involve gainful employment) such as negotiating contracts and consulting with business associates
• Persons to undertake independent studies such as feasibility studies, market research or any such activity
• Persons to attend professional or business conferences, workshops, or seminars
• Business professionals to explore possibilities to set up a subsidiary of a foreign corporation, or to make investments
• Personal or domestic servants to come to the U.S. with a U.S. citizen or nonimmigrant employer on B, E, F, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, R, or TN status
• Technical personnel to install or service equipment pursuant to a contract of sale, or to provide after sales service
• Business professionals to attend meetings as a member of the Board of Directors of a U.S. corporation
• Persons to observe business, professional, or vocational activity as long as it does not involve any hands-on activity
• Professional athletes to compete for tournament money and not for a salary
• Professionals to conduct business consultations with business associates in the U.S.
• Purchasing agents of a foreign employer to come to the U.S. to procure goods, components, or raw materials for use outside the U.S.
• Foreign business persons coming to the U.S. in conjunction with Litigation
• Persons rendering professional services in the U.S. that would otherwise qualify them for an H-1B visa, but who are paid for those services by a source outside the U.S.
• Persons employed outside the U.S. who are paid from abroad, and who come to the U.S. to undertake an established training program that would qualify them for an H-3 visa
• Employees of foreign airlines who are engaged in productive employment in the U.S. and paid in the U.S. who are not eligible for E-1 treaty trader status
• Other persons such as for bona fide religious missionaries and crew members on yachts
• Special situations involving Canadians and Mexicans such as Canadian truck drivers who are paid by either Canadian or U.S. firms and who transport commodities across the Canadian Border
• Foreign companies to send their personnel to the U.S. to install or service equipment pursuant to a contract of sale or to provide after sales service
• U.S. companies to bring foreign business consultants for training or expert advice
• U.S. universities to bring foreign guest speakers or lecturers

The first step to obtaining a B-1 visa is to go online and complete the DS-160 Non-immigrant Visa Electronic Application. Make sure that you triple check your information, there’s no way to go back after submission.

Once you’ve completed the application, you will get a confirmation page and a DS-160 number. You will need to use the number to schedule an interview appointment with the U.S. consulate or embassy in your home country. You will also need to bring a printout of the confirmation page to the appointment as well as a receipt of payment for the DS-160 application.

Go to your visa appointment for a one-on-one interview with a consular officer. If the officer clears you, you will be able to enter the U.S. under B-1 status for the allotted duration.