Acceptable uses of a B-1 visa

Under the category of temporary visitor for business, a B-1 visa may be used to enter the U.S. to engage in any of the following activities.^[1]

• Hold business meetings^[2]
• Perform certain business functions as a member of the board of directors of a U.S. corporation^[3]
• Purchase supplies or materials
• Interview and hire staff
• Negotiate contracts, sign contracts, or take orders for products manufactured outside the United States^[4][2]
• Attend a convention, meeting, trade show, or business event for scientific, educational, professional, or business purposes^[4][2]
• Settle an estate^[5]
• Perform independent research^[4][2]
• Receive practical medical experience and medical instruction under the supervision and direction of faculty physicians at a U.S. medical school's hospital as part of a third-year or fourth-year internship as long as the visitor is a studying at a foreign medical school and the visitor is not compensated by the hospital without remuneration from the hospital^[3]
• Observe U.S. medical practices and consult with medical colleagues on techniques, as long as the visitor is a medical doctor, the visitor receives no compensation from a U.S. source, and the visitor does not provide patient care while in the U.S.^[3]
• Take photographs, as long as the visitor is a professional photographer and the visitor receives no compensation from a U.S. source^[3]
• Record music, as long as the visitor is a musician, the recording will be distributed and sold only outside the U.S., and the visitor will give no public performances^[3]
• Create art, as long as the visitor is a creative artist, the visitor is not under contract with a U.S. employer, and the visitor does not intend to regularly sell such artwork in the U.S.^[3]
• Perform certain professional services^[6]
• Perform as a professional entertainer as part of a cultural exchange program performed before a nonpaying audience and funded by visitor's country^[2]
• Perform as a professional entertainer as part of a competition for which there is no compensation other than travel expenses or, in certain limited instances, a prize^[2]
• Perform work as crew on a private yacht that sails out of a foreign home port and cruises in U.S. waters^[2]
• Perform services on behalf of a foreign-based employer as a jockey, sulky driver, horse trainer, or horse groomer^[3]
• Compete in a particular athletic competition^[4] with the only compensation being prize money as long as the prize money is not the recipient's primary source of income^[2]
• Try out for a professional sports team^[4] as long as the visitor is not compensated other than reimbursement of travel expenses^[2]
• Participate in an athletic tournament or athletic sporting event as a professional athlete, as long as the visitor's only compensation is prize money, the visitor's principal place of business or activity is outside the U.S., the visitor's primary source of income is outside the U.S., and the visitor is either part of an international sports league or the sporting activities involved have an international dimension^[3]
• Survey potential sites for a business^[4]
• Perform as a lecturer or speaker^[4]
• Work for a foreign exhibitor in connection with exhibits at international fairs or international exhibits, as long as the visitor's employment responsibilities are primarily outside the U.S.^[2]
• Install, service, or repair commercial or industrial equipment or machinery that was sold by a non-U.S. company to a U.S. buyer when specifically required by the purchase contract; construction work is not allowed^[4][2]
• Perform a minor amount of volunteer services, excluding construction, for a religious organization or a nonprofit charitable organization, as long as volunteering is not the primary purpose of entering the U.S.^[2]
• Participate in a training program that is not designed primarily to provide employment^[4]
• Observe how a business operates or how professional activities are conducted^[2]
• Seek investments in the U.S., without actually performing productive labor or actively participating in the management of a business^[2]
• Participate in Peace Corps training as a volunteer or under contract^[2]
• Participate in the United Nations Institute for Training and Research internship program, as long a foreign government does not employ the visitor^[2]
• Drill for oil on the Outer Continental Shelf^[2]
• As a minister of religion, engage in an evangelical tour, as long as the visitor does not intend to take an appointment with any one church and the visitor will be supported by offerings contributed at each evangelical meeting^[3]
• As a minister of religion, temporarily exchange pulpits with U.S. ministers of religion, as long as the visitor will continue to be reimbursed by a foreign church and will not be compensated by the U.S. church^[3]
• Perform missionary work, religious instruction, religious aid to the elderly or needy, or religious proselytizing as a member of a religious denomination, as long as the work does not involve the selling of articles, the solicitation of donation, the acceptance of donations, administrative work, or is a substitute for ordinary labor for hire, and the visitor will not be compensated from U.S. sources other than an allowance or other reimbursement for travel expenses incidental to the temporary stay^[3]
• Participating in an organized project conducted by a recognized religious or nonprofit charitable organization that benefits U.S. local communities, as long as the visitor is a member of, and has a commitment to, the particular organization, the visitor receives no compensation from a U.S. source other than reimbursement of travel expenses^[3]
• Work as a personal employee or a domestic employee of an employer who seeks admission into, or who is already in, the United States in B, E, F, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, Q, or R non-immigrant status, if and only if the employee has been employed outside the U.S. in a similar capacity prior to the date the employer enters the U.S., the employee has a residence outside the U.S. that the employee has no intention of abandoning, the employer compensates the employee based on the prevailing wage, and the employer provides the employee free room and board.^[7][8]
• Work as a personal employee or a domestic employee of a U.S. citizen employer, if and only if the employer ordinarily resides outside the U.S.; the employer is traveling to the U.S. temporarily; the employer is subject to frequent international transfers of at least two years; the employer will reside in the U.S. for no more than four year as a condition of employment; the employer has regularly employed a domestic employee in the same capacity while outside the U.S.; the employee has a minimum of one year of experience in the same capacity; the employer provides the employee with the prevailing wage, room, board, and round-trip transportation; and the employee has a residence outside the U.S. that the employee has no intention of abandoning.^[9][10]

Acceptable uses of a B-2 visa

Under the category of temporary visitor for pleasure, a B-2 visa can be used to enter the U.S. to engage in any of the following activities.

• Travel within the U.S.^[3]
• Visit family or friends
• Participate in a convention, a conference, or a convocation of a fraternal, social, or service nature^[3]
• Obtain medical treatment, as long as the visitor has the means to pay for it^[3][11]
• Enroll in a short, recreational course of study, as long as it is not credited toward a degree^[3]
• Participate in an event, talent show, or a contest as an amateur, as long the visitor is not typically compensated for such participation and the visitor does not actually receive payment, other than reimbursement of travel expenses^[3]
• Enter as a dependent of an alien member of any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces temporarily assigned for duty in the U.S.^[3]
• Accompany a person with either a D-1 visa or a D-2 visa with the sole purpose of accompanying the person^[3]
• Enter with the intent of becoming engaged, meeting the family of a fiancé, making arrangements for a wedding, or renewing a relationship with a fiancé^[3]
• Enter with the intent of marrying a U.S. citizen and then return to a residence outside the U.S. after the marriage^[3]
• Accompany a spouse or child who is a U.S. citizen on a temporary visit to the U.S.^[3]
• Enter as a cohabiting (unmarried) partner of a non-immigrant visa holder if the partner is not otherwise eligible for derivative status under the partner's visa classification.^[3]

Prohibited uses

A person who enters the U.S. with a B-1 visa or a B-2 visa is prohibited from engaging in any of the following activities.

• Employment, whether paid or unpaid (some exceptions apply)
• Receive education that credits to a degree
• Arrive in the U.S. as a part of a crew of a ship or an aircraft
• Work as a journalist or other information media
• Perform before a paying audience
• Live permanently or long-term in the U.S.
• Manage a business located in the U.S.^[4]
• Start a new branch, subsidiary, or affiliate of a foreign employer^[2]
• Enter the U.S. with the purpose of performing emergency response services^[2]

History

Before 1994, there was no application fee, and only the issuance fee was charged, varying by nationality based on reciprocity.^[16] In 1994, the application fee was introduced for all applicants, in addition to the reciprocal issuance fee, to pay for the more costly machine-readable visas, which replaced the older stamped visas around that time.^[17] The application fee was initially US$20, and has increased several times since then.

Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS)

A 10-year United States B visa issued to a national of China. The annotation indicates that Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) enrollment is needed before travel.

On March 15, 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that starting from 29 November 2016, all holders of Chinese passports who also hold 10-year B visas are required to enroll in the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) before travelling to the United States via air, land or sea.^[31] The EVUS is designed for visa holders to update any changes to their basic biographic and employment information at the time of their visa applications. Similar to the ESTA, each EVUS registration is valid for a period of 2 years or until the holder's passport expiration date, whichever comes first. As of 2023, this system can be used free of charge and no time frame exists for when the US$8 cost recovery fee will be imposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Holders of EVUS can travel to the United States for unlimited times providing that their EVUS registration and visa remain valid.^[32]

The requirement applies to any holder of a Chinese passport and B visa with a 10-year validity. It also applies to holders of non-citizen travel documents issued by other countries, such as a refugee travel document and certificate of identity, whose nationality is Chinese. It does not apply, however, to holders of Hong Kong SAR passports,^{[lower-alpha 1]} Macau SAR passports, B visas with a validity shorter than 10 years, or of other types of visas. The CBP and DHS are seeking to expand the EVUS to other nationalities in the future.^[36]

EVUS was officially launched on October 31, 2016, for early enrollments. Upon launch, CBP announced that the enrollment fee will be suspended until further notice.^[37]

Visitor visas issued

B-1/B-2 visas issued in fiscal year 2017

United States   Visa-exempt nationalities   >400,000 visas

100,000–400,000 visas   50,000–100,000 visas   25,000–50,000 visas

10,000–25,000 visas   5,000–10,000 visas   <5,000 visas

The highest number of B-1/B-2 visas were issued to nationals of the following countries in fiscal years 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Country	B-1/B-2 visas issued
	2017[50]	2016[51]	2015[52]
China	1,452,834	1,989,925	2,227,670
Mexico[lower-alpha 2]	1,088,880	1,106,723	1,234,885
India	599,983	563,202	553,385
Brazil	520,589	450,166	870,008
Colombia	333,433	374,398	345,233
Argentina	353,555	295,326	240,115
Dominican Republic	194,557	136,057	85,140
Ecuador	168,103	150,163	150,458
Russia	164,944	151,692	122,147
Israel	163,495	168,136	137,439
Nigeria	155,940	162,996	136,409
Philippines	115,712	99,967	83,139
Vietnam	100,423	86,180	80,936
Poland	95,272	88,624	81,861
Peru	82,485	79,927	97,936
Costa Rica	75,529	71,710	58,139
Turkey	74,312	85,560	78,118
Jamaica	65,119	94,458	83,483
Hong Kong	62,131	61,708	54,027
Honduras	54,753	48,177	35,004
Egypt	54,216	58,062	46,433
Saudi Arabia	52,476	78,042	85,303
Indonesia	52,233	48,787	48,239
Pakistan	48,537	65,844	62,714
Venezuela	47,087	144,283	223,854
South Africa	46,427	45,240	48,432
Ukraine	45,709	45,638	52,943
Thailand	43,182	47,382	44,795
Guatemala	41,055	52,326	48,735
Total	6,276,851	7,988,520	8,403,683

In fiscal year 2014, most reasons to refuse a visa were cited as "failure to establish entitlement to nonimmigrant status", "incompatible application" (most overcome), "unlawful presence", "misrepresentation", "criminal convictions", "smugglers" and "controlled substance violators". Smaller number of applications were rejected for "physical or mental disorder", "prostitution", "espionage", "terrorist activities", "falsely claiming citizenship" and other grounds for refusal including "presidential proclamation", "money laundering", "communicable disease" and "commission of acts of torture or extrajudicial killings".^[53]

Adjusted visa refusal rate

US B visa refusal rate in fiscal year 2022

United States   Visa-exempt countries

<3%   3–5%

5–10%   10–20%

20–30%   30–40%

40–50%   >50%

The adjusted visa refusal rates for B visas, by fiscal year, were as follows.

Country	2008[54]	2014[55]	2015[56]	2016[57]	2017[58]	2018[59]	2019[60]
Afghanistan	51.00%	46.70%	61.03%	73.80%	72.14%	71.39%	68.42%
Albania	38.70%	39.80%	36.82%	35.95%	40.45%	41.92%	41.45%
Algeria	20.30%	23.10%	25.92%	36.00%	43.96%	39.26%	44.22%
Angola	17.10%	21.40%	26.77%	48.52%	36.01%	51.76%	58.26%
Antigua and Barbuda	21.70%	20.80%	20.17%	22.11%	20.50%	19.07%	15.25%
Argentina	3.10%	1.40%	2.14%	2.14%	1.79%	1.73%	2.07%
Armenia	53.30%	43.80%	47.17%	45.88%	51.87%	53.83%	51.65%
Azerbaijan	14.00%	13.50%	12.93%	14.83%	27.63%	28.45%	25.43%
Bahrain	6.60%	4.70%	3.81%	6.26%	9.53%	6.96%	13.55%
Bangladesh	48.20%	50.80%	59.96%	62.82%	60.88%	40.05%	39.78%
Barbados	10.10%	9.80%	9.54%	11.24%	8.72%	7.07%	6.76%
Belarus	21.10%	14.00%	12.53%	14.87%	21.69%	23.26%	21.93%
Belize	25.40%	16.40%	30.47%	35.21%	30.91%	34.55%	28.63%
Benin	39.10%	31.40%	35.74%	38.01%	42.10%	47.74%	48.48%
Bhutan	48.30%	43.60%	54.55%	69.78%	52.43%	59.63%	57.13%
Bolivia	23.60%	13.60%	13.56%	14.36%	18.08%	22.19%	24.17%
Bosnia-Herzegovina	21.30%	16.10%	20.38%	19.70%	16.37%	23.50%	25.27%
Botswana	15.60%	16.90%	16.67%	18.97%	17.94%	18.67%	17.54%
Brazil	5.50%	3.20%	5.36%	16.70%	12.34%	12.73%	18.48%
Bulgaria	13.30%	15.20%	17.26%	16.86%	14.97%	11.32%	9.75%
Burkina Faso	44.40%	37.40%	50.37%	65.35%	75.74%	71.16%	62.32%
Burundi	58.80%	50.00%	58.35%	61.33%	75.55%	74.39%	73.16%
Cambodia	44.30%	39.90%	48.41%	35.62%	41.05%	54.22%	33.65%
Cameroon	46.70%	28.20%	29.89%	36.84%	47.29%	32.63%	57.97%
Cape Verde	42.70%	28.70%	36.05%	45.89%	50.70%	52.27%	52.66%
Central African Republic	39.60%	46.60%	32.43%	35.12%	44.24%	36.03%	37.45%
Chad	41.40%	32.40%	33.87%	42.53%	51.65%	60.80%	70.16%
China	18.20%	9.00%	10.03%	12.35%	14.57%	17.00%	18.22%
Colombia	25.60%	12.30%	15.52%	17.79%	21.93%	35.11%	41.93%
Comoros	14.00%	17.00%	54.44%	53.73%	48.45%	69.46%	53.02%
Congo	33.20%	35.40%	40.77%	46.55%	48.47%	52.23%	60.49%
Costa Rica	21.20%	11.40%	9.83%	8.39%	6.49%	9.91%	18.66%
Croatia	5.10%	6.10%	5.29%	6.78%	5.10%	5.92%	4.02%
Cuba	45.20%	66.20%	76.03%	81.85%	77.17%	50.97%	53.40%
Cyprus	1.70%	3.50%	3.53%	2.03%	1.69%	2.38%	2.78%
Democratic Republic of the Congo	36.20%	39.10%	45.62%	45.63%	49.94%	50.56%	53.80%
Djibouti	42.50%	50.10%	52.00%	47.09%	74.80%	82.96%	85.35%
Dominica	29.50%	29.00%	33.33%	31.63%	28.74%	37.13%	26.83%
Dominican Republic	45.60%	35.90%	33.78%	31.88%	35.78%	49.54%	53.21%
East Timor	16.70%	25.00%	12.68%	26.67%	7.02%	8.16%	4.23%
Ecuador	40.00%	20.80%	31.34%	29.18%	27.95%	31.38%	34.05%
Egypt	35.30%	34.00%	33.57%	28.61%	34.24%	32.15%	31.83%
El Salvador	45.70%	36.30%	45.72%	57.12%	52.97%	51.49%	58.18%
Equatorial Guinea	11.10%	17.80%	19.30%	17.75%	18.21%	21.29%	27.79%
Eritrea	51.10%	41.70%	55.67%	50.49%	71.69%	69.54%	65.39%
Eswatini	13.00%	10.00%	12.95%	8.03%	12.59%	8.49%	5.73%
Ethiopia	46.70%	44.90%	48.32%	38.13%	50.30%	41.74%	45.46%
Fiji	38.00%	14.00%	14.92%	20.23%	26.59%	41.74%	38.96%
Gabon	23.00%	13.50%	15.74%	21.29%	26.10%	40.00%	45.41%
Gambia	55.70%	69.30%	75.64%	69.87%	70.27%	64.22%	72.30%
Georgia	46.60%	48.20%	50.58%	62.82%	61.09%	62.35%	63.85%
Ghana	50.10%	59.80%	63.28%	65.70%	56.18%	49.35%	55.60%
Grenada	29.90%	29.50%	32.00%	35.71%	26.94%	26.44%	19.49%
Guatemala	33.80%	35.90%	45.37%	48.68%	47.14%	53.62%	58.64%
Guinea	63.80%	47.80%	59.81%	63.53%	64.59%	66.16%	73.29%
Guinea-Bissau	63.40%	56.50%	65.18%	71.88%	71.61%	76.09%	65.33%
Guyana	56.60%	40.20%	37.28%	25.76%	37.92%	70.62%	62.96%
Haiti	54.40%	58.20%	60.45%	64.52%	71.44%	67.59%	60.81%
Honduras	33.60%	36.80%	39.73%	42.76%	40.35%	60.32%	61.71%
Hong Kong	3.30%	3.10%	4.36%	4.61%	3.45%	4.25%	3.23%
India	24.70%	19.80%	23.78%	26.02%	23.29%	26.07%	27.75%
Indonesia	37.00%	8.30%	8.71%	11.19%	10.99%	12.81%	12.46%
Iran	42.50%	41.80%	38.55%	45.02%	58.66%	87.66%	86.58%
Iraq	46.30%	41.40%	52.82%	51.71%	60.71%	56.95%	49.94%
Israel	3.00%	8.20%	3.85%	4.09%	4.88%	5.10%	5.33%
Ivory Coast	40.90%	29.80%	28.59%	37.38%	33.72%	33.81%	35.73%
Jamaica	35.50%	32.30%	37.62%	35.64%	46.78%	54.46%	56.59%
Jordan	43.20%	26.90%	37.59%	40.34%	40.06%	42.62%	45.26%
Kazakhstan	11.70%	9.90%	12.70%	27.55%	32.81%	39.38%	42.58%
Kenya	35.60%	27.30%	27.34%	26.60%	33.17%	41.59%	49.86%
Kiribati	26.20%	15.40%	16.05%	5.81%	5.13%	25.33%	11.69%
Kosovo	47.90%	38.10%	44.03%	41.48%	37.92%	35.97%	36.76%
Kuwait	6.50%	5.70%	5.73%	4.56%	8.32%	2.71%	3.27%
Kyrgyzstan	32.10%	43.20%	55.75%	51.68%	55.58%	58.9%	67.75%
Laos	73.40%	61.10%	66.68%	62.37%	63.66%	64.06%	65.60%
Lebanon	27.90%	16.10%	27.10%	25.41%	31.75%	25.22%	23.85%
Lesotho	32.10%	16.70%	13.95%	21.20%	35.97%	21.94%	28.24%
Liberia	70.70%	49.40%	62.45%	70.23%	64.98%	64.36%	73.93%
Libya	27.10%	33.90%	43.02%	40.58%	45.50%	73.73%	89.05%
Madagascar	11.90%	11.60%	11.01%	12.12%	11.00%	11.77%	7.69%
Malawi	28.90%	12.30%	10.23%	14.52%	26.49%	28.20%	37.05%
Malaysia	5.60%	4.60%	3.34%	3.65%	3.93%	4.94%	4.91%
Maldives	4.70%	6.70%	15.49%	47.56%	27.74%	9.88%	33.65%
Mali	48.10%	54.00%	52.77%	57.58%	59.43%	50.60%	55.89%
Mauritania	51.00%	52.20%	61.45%	71.45%	67.30%	61.58%	67.79%
Mauritius	11.60%	2.20%	5.71%	5.53%	8.29%	6.49%	6.59%
Mexico	11.40%	15.60%	20.17%	23.49%	22.50%	24.93%	26.66%
Moldova	36.70%	40.10%	41.83%	36.35%	49.12%	61.10%	58.03%
Mongolia	53.60%	27.90%	34.76%	43.63%	53.62%	56.51%	54.60%
Montenegro	25.60%	28.00%	31.26%	28.69%	26.41%	35.35%	39.10%
Morocco	24.00%	21.90%	20.60%	26.77%	36.99%	42.88%	28.48%
Mozambique	13.80%	4.00%	4.03%	10.29%	26.18%	10.22%	14.24%
Myanmar	41.90%	15.50%	16.32%	13.02%	17.88%	23.12%	30.91%
Namibia	6.80%	7.60%	7.43%	5.56%	6.31%	8.40%	6.60%
Nauru	66.70%	42.90%	5.26%	13.33%	20.97%	21.43%	20.83%
Nepal	51.20%	38.20%	42.19%	49.54%	46.42%	51.53%	50.70%
Nicaragua	41.80%	35.80%	41.19%	44.54%	43.28%	46.75%	63.52%
Niger	55.70%	36.40%	31.10%	31.14%	30.65%	43.33%	42.76%
Nigeria	36.00%	33.20%	32.56%	41.44%	44.95%	57.47%	67.20%
Non-nationality based issuances[lower-alpha 3]	n/a	n/a	n/a	28.92%	35.61%	40.27%	43.16%
North Korea	16.30%	55.60%	47.67%	15.00%	54.55%	100.00%	100%
North Macedonia	33.50%	29.80%	36.08%	33.84%	28.69%	31.29%	36.19%
Oman	2.20%	2.10%	2.00%	1.93%	3.46%	4.87%	5.13%
Pakistan	46.30%	38.00%	40.40%	46.43%	49.40%	47.89%	48.26%
Palestine	55.60%	36.70%	42.68%	40.64%	50.98%	53.87%	52.92%
Panama	19.20%	10.00%	11.36%	12.05%	11.61%	11.71%	18.93%
Papua New Guinea	3.40%	7.40%	5.14%	10.56%	9.34%	6.84%	1.74%
Paraguay	14.40%	6.10%	6.15%	7.47%	6.83%	8.02%	12.41%
Peru	37.70%	13.80%	14.46%	28.61%	25.97%	28.53%	25.39%
Philippines	31.00%	24.60%	27.96%	27.29%	25.54%	27.07%	24.40%
Poland	13.80%	6.40%	6.37%	5.37%	5.92%	3.99%	2.76%
Qatar	4.90%	2.10%	2.97%	3.50%	7.48%	8.34%	10.33%
Romania	25.00%	9.80%	11.16%	11.43%	11.76%	10.44%	9.11%
Russia	7.50%	7.80%	10.24%	9.29%	11.61%	14.89%	15.19%
Rwanda	50.30%	51.10%	49.17%	43.79%	52.17%	44.51%	53.76%
Saint Kitts and Nevis	25.00%	27.50%	26.60%	28.31%	26.66%	24.98%	21.87%
Saint Lucia	26.60%	27.60%	26.90%	27.16%	22.34%	21.90%	16.75%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	26.40%	24.10%	27.15%	27.46%	20.38%	19.17%	14.55%
Samoa	32.40%	27.20%	29.99%	28.44%	40.32%	26.26%	27.02%
São Tomé and Príncipe	28.60%	10.70%	5.71%	24.14%	14.81%	26.09%	34.78%
Saudi Arabia	6.60%	3.30%	3.24%	4.04%	5.26%	7.47%	6.82%
Senegal	55.20%	57.50%	54.37%	52.46%	56.85%	59.18%	55.88%
Serbia	11.70%	16.00%	16.54%	18.77%	22.33%	25.93%	30.33%
Seychelles	18.00%	6.80%	7.26%	9.66%	13.14%	11.64%	10.60%
Sierra Leone	50.10%	51.90%	53.02%	61.25%	47.30%	60.56%	57.99%
Solomon Islands	6.50%	5.40%	7.26%	4.28%	16.79%	3.57%	2.20%
Somalia	54.00%	52.00%	64.60%	63.89%	75.50%	90.16%	80.77%
South Africa	4.60%	2.60%	5.08%	6.83%	6.44%	7.31%	6.92%
South Sudan	n/a	43.80%	41.77%	43.89%	47.52%	41.29%	52.32%
Sri Lanka	31.40%	19.50%	22.07%	21.69%	26.19%	33.61%	35.12%
Sudan	38.60%	42.40%	40.45%	36.59%	51.37%	59.83%	57.44%
Suriname	9.60%	13.60%	7.78%	10.86%	11.44%	8.57%	7.44%
Syria	33.10%	60.00%	63.43%	59.77%	59.11%	77.31%	74.83%
Tajikistan	32.40%	49.00%	44.44%	55.24%	51.84%	53.39%	60.97%
Tanzania	26.20%	21.30%	12.02%	23.05%	18.36%	19.87%	23.90%
Thailand	19.80%	10.20%	12.35%	17.82%	20.15%	22.17%	23.41%
Togo	51.70%	35.60%	43.42%	54.39%	59.88%	59.61%	59.78%
Tonga	48.70%	25.40%	28.09%	31.58%	32.85%	51.33%	45.85%
Trinidad and Tobago	23.80%	21.20%	25.16%	22.70%	22.46%	19.28%	13.05%
Tunisia	23.90%	17.50%	19.69%	15.92%	19.53%	27.67%	24.17%
Turkey	11.20%	7.10%	13.88%	13.62%	17.86%	17.49%	19.19%
Turkmenistan	45.40%	18.60%	25.41%	32.95%	40.60%	52.93%	56.26%
Tuvalu	17.60%	27.30%	21.05%	20.00%	15.38%	34.78%	25.81%
Uganda	34.40%	37.20%	30.63%	41.53%	42.38%	42.29%	51.65%
Ukraine	30.90%	27.70%	34.03%	40.83%	34.54%	40.97%	45.06%
United Arab Emirates	10.40%	4.80%	7.10%	4.02%	5.80%	3.75%	5.56%
Uruguay	9.50%	1.80%	2.70%	3.14%	3.19%	4.11%	5.91%
Uzbekistan	61.10%	52.10%	49.59%	57.09%	50.29%	61.76%	68.06%
Vanuatu	16.70%	20.00%	10.53%	16.67%	13.51%	38.30%	41.05%
Vatican City	16.70%	7.70%	25.00%	0.00%	36.36%	0.00%	8.33%
Venezuela	25.40%	15.20%	15.57%	40.25%	42.87%	74.28%	59.53%
Vietnam	38.80%	14.30%	23.43%	29.49%	24.06%	26.20%	23.70%
Western Sahara	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	100.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Yemen	54.70%	44.20%	54.01%	48.85%	60.76%	82.50%	78.45%
Zambia	53.30%	22.20%	20.98%	22.26%	21.72%	22.45%	40.64%
Zimbabwe	30.30%	13.20%	21.03%	22.88%	26.32%	26.60%	26.92%

Visitor admissions

Number of non-immigrant admissions for tourist and business purposes into the United States in fiscal year 2017

United States   >2 million   1–2 million   500,000–1 million

250,000–500,000   100,000–250,000   15,000–100,000   <15,000

The individuals admitted for tourism and/or business purposes during fiscal year 2017 were nationals from the following countries.^{[61][62][63][64]}

Country	Admissions[lower-alpha 4]
Afghanistan	1,910
Albania	14,151
Algeria	13,291
Andorra	1,417
Angola	6,900
Antigua and Barbuda	14,992
Argentina	1,085,461
Armenia	11,614
Australia[lower-alpha 5]	1,463,908
Austria	219,187
Azerbaijan	6,912
Bahamas	293,192
Bahrain	7,168
Bangladesh	29,646
Barbados	66,984
Belarus	18,926
Belgium	302,585
Belize	28,496
Benin	2,301
Bhutan	612
Bolivia	71,519
Bosnia and Herzegovina	8,246
Botswana	2,108
Brazil	2,011,385
Brunei	1,126
Bulgaria	31,126
Burkina Faso	4,716
Burundi	1,597
Cambodia	3,890
Cameroon	12,014
Canada	11,616,347
Cape Verde	4,833
Central African Republic	216
Chad	745
Chile	396,367
China[lower-alpha 6]	2,630,300
Colombia	926,855
Comoros	102
Congo	1,146
Costa Rica	307,979
Croatia	26,345
Cuba	67,284
Cyprus	10,642
Czech Republic	123,545
Democratic Republic of the Congo	6,701
Denmark[lower-alpha 7]	353,381
Djibouti	1,252
Dominica	5,692
Dominican Republic	435,775
East Timor	54
Ecuador	430,136
Egypt	80,367
El Salvador	199,375
Equatorial Guinea	982
Eritrea	3,373
Estonia	25,799
Eswatini	325
Ethiopia	20,951
Fiji	10,810
Finland	160,289
France[lower-alpha 8]	1,923,414
Gabon	2,013
Gambia	1,661
Georgia	3,710
Germany	2,228,358
Ghana	22,949
Greece	86,475
Grenada	11,498
Guatemala	285,254
Guinea	3,241
Guinea-Bissau	164
Guyana	71,314
Haiti	148,524
Honduras	215,261
Hungary	97,439
Iceland	66,319
India	1,264,598
Indonesia	100,932
Iran	14,530
Iraq	16,790
Ireland	532,793
Israel	435,873
Italy	1,282,989
Ivory Coast	6,703
Jamaica	314,301
Japan	3,697,844
Jordan	40,558
Kazakhstan	23,011
Kenya	27,588
Kiribati	237
Kosovo	3,752
Kuwait	39,519
Kyrgyzstan	1,443
Laos	1,654
Latvia	23,539
Lebanon	41,731
Lesotho	333
Liberia	3,555
Libya	780
Liechtenstein	2,008
Lithuania	26,135
Luxembourg	13,333
Madagascar	1,227
Malawi	2,232
Malaysia	82,881
Maldives	382
Mali	3,491
Malta	6,789
Marshall Islands	70
Mauritania	920
Mauritius	4,765
Mexico	18,101,904[lower-alpha 9]
Micronesia	70
Moldova	8,991
Monaco	991
Mongolia	11,377
Morocco[lower-alpha 10]	30,043
Mozambique	1,773
Myanmar	7,976
Namibia	2,043
Nauru	49
Nepal	28,394
Netherlands[lower-alpha 11]	796,945
New Zealand[lower-alpha 12]	351,924
Nicaragua	69,900
Niger	1,347
Nigeria	196,326
North Korea	16
North Macedonia	8,059
Norway	298,554
Oman	4,347
Pakistan	104,064
Palau	30
Panama	149,544
Papua New Guinea	682
Paraguay	29,059
Peru	310,924
Philippines	352,474
Poland	212,207
Portugal	190,022
Qatar	11,833
Romania	83,926
Russia	297,397
Rwanda	3,395
Saint Kitts and Nevis	12,288
Saint Lucia	16,338
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	10,313
Samoa	2,072
San Marino	699
São Tomé and Príncipe	34
Saudi Arabia	108,115
Senegal	8,785
Serbia and Montenegro	26,042
Seychelles	316
Sierra Leone	2,971
Singapore	135,949
Slovakia	53,437
Slovenia	26,727
Solomon Islands	196
Somalia	161
South Africa	129,412
South Korea	2,324,707
South Sudan	234
Spain	1,037,798
Sri Lanka	24,507
Sudan	3,460
Suriname	12,770
Sweden	568,668
Switzerland	433,375
Syria	8,869
Taiwan	456,106
Tajikistan	1,542
Tanzania	5,868
Thailand	93,760
Togo	2,402
Tonga	3,834
Trinidad and Tobago	186,223
Tunisia	10,907
Turkey	174,501
Turkmenistan	1,117
Tuvalu	39
Uganda	8,957
Ukraine	98,547
United Arab Emirates	28,435
United Kingdom[lower-alpha 13]	4,786,421
Uruguay	80,410
Uzbekistan	11,565
Vanuatu	110
Vatican City	0[lower-alpha 14]
Venezuela	540,168
Vietnam	101,686
Yemen	2,713
Zambia	4,245
Zimbabwe	7,939
Unknown	61,705
Total	70,056,257

Overstays

A number of visitors overstay the maximum period of allowed stay on their B-1/B-2 status after entering the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security publishes annual reports that list the number of violations by passengers who arrive by air and sea. The table below excludes statistics on persons who left the United States later than their allowed stay or legalized their status and shows only suspected overstays who remained in the country. More than 95% of visitors from Mexico arrive in the U.S. by land rather than by air and sea. Statistics for suspected overstays of the land visitors are yet to be released.^[65]

The number of suspected in-country B-1/B-2 overstays in fiscal year 2018 by nationality were the following.^[66][67][68]