B1/B2 Visa Guide: How to Get a US Visitor Visa in 2026

You've got a conference in Las Vegas, a wedding in Chicago, or a new grandchild in Texas you're dying to meet. Before you book anything, you need to know whether you need a B1/B2 visa or can travel on an ESTA. Then you'll face an application process that's stricter than it was a year ago.

This guide walks through the US visitor visa step by step. Rules and fees are as of September 2026. Several changed recently, so confirm the details with the State Department or your US embassy before you pay or book.

B1 vs B2 visa: what a US visitor visa lets you do

The B visa covers two purposes, and most people receive a combined B1/B2 visa.

B1 (business). USCIS lists activities such as consulting with business associates, attending a conference or convention, negotiating contracts, settling an estate and taking part in short-term training. You can't work for a US employer.

B2 (tourism and personal visits). This covers tourism, visiting friends or relatives, and similar short personal trips.

Neither lets you take a job. If your real goal is to work in the US, look at a work visa such as the H-1B instead.

ESTA vs visa: do you need a B1/B2 visa?

You may not need a visa at all. CBP says the Visa Waiver Program lets citizens of 42 countries visit for business or tourism for up to 90 days without a visa. You need an approved ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) and an e-Passport.

A DHS Federal Register notice set the ESTA fee at $40.27 from January 1, 2026, after the 2025 reconciliation law raised it and added yearly inflation increases. Apply as soon as you start planning.

Choose a visa if your ESTA is denied or you need to stay longer than 90 days.

How to apply for a B1/B2 visa, step by step

1. Complete the DS-160 online application. Answer truthfully, keep answers consistent, and save the confirmation page.
2. Pay the application fee. As of September 2026, it's $185 for B1/B2 applicants, as the State Department restated in a June 2026 Federal Register rule.
3. Schedule your interview at a US embassy or consulate, generally in your country of nationality or residence.
4. Gather your documents (see the ties section below).
5. Attend the interview and answer briefly and honestly.
6. Wait for a decision. Some cases need extra administrative processing.
7. Check your visa for errors as soon as your passport comes back.

New fees and visa bonds

The 2025 reconciliation law also created a visa integrity fee for most nonimmigrant visas. A July 2025 Federal Register notice from USCIS said the fee needed cross-agency coordination and would be implemented in a later publication. Check your embassy's fee page to see whether it's being charged when you apply.

A State Department rule published on August 3, 2026 made the visa bond program permanent. Consular officers can require applicants from designated countries to post a bond of up to $20,000 before the visa is issued. Check whether your country is on the current list before you apply.

Interview wait times and the interview waiver

Wait times vary a lot by city and season, so check your consulate's estimated wait before booking any travel.

If you need an appointment fast, a temporary rule that runs from July 1 to December 31, 2026 created an optional $750 fee for an expedited B1/B2 interview appointment at selected posts. It aims to get you an interview within ten business days. It doesn't speed up the decision or guarantee a visa.

Interview waivers are now rare. Under the State Department's 2025 update, effective October 1, 2025, most applicants, including children and older adults, must interview in person. A limited waiver may be available if you're renewing a full-validity B1/B2 visa within 12 months of its expiry, you were at least 18 when it was issued, you apply in your country of nationality or residence, and you've never been refused (or the refusal was overcome). Officers can still call you in.

Proving ties to home and handling refusals

What INA 214(b) means for you

Under section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, visitor visa applicants are presumed to be intending immigrants until they satisfy the consular officer otherwise. That's why the interview focuses on your life at home and whether your trip makes sense.

Documents that often help include:

• Your passport and DS-160 confirmation page
• Proof of your appointment and fee payment
• Evidence of a job, business or studies you'll return to
• Bank statements or proof of who's paying for the trip
• Family, property or other ties at home
• For business trips, an employer letter and event invitation

The officer may not ask to see most of these. What matters more is a clear answer about what you'll do, how long you'll stay, who's paying and why you'll go home.

Here's a hypothetical example. Maria is a pharmacist in Manila who wants to attend a week-long conference in Atlanta and then spend a few days with her cousin. She brings an employer letter confirming her approved leave, her conference registration and recent bank statements. At the interview she explains the trip in under a minute, and her answers match her DS-160. That's the kind of simple, consistent story officers look for, although nothing guarantees approval.

If your visa is refused

A 214(b) refusal means the officer wasn't convinced you'd leave the US on time. It isn't a permanent ban. You can reapply with a new DS-160 and fee, but it's worth doing only when your circumstances have changed or you can present them more clearly.

If you were refused on another ground, such as a past immigration violation or misrepresentation, reapplying won't fix it. Talk to a licensed US immigration attorney first, and ignore anyone selling "guaranteed" visas. Our guide to job and visa scams targeting migrants lists the red flags.

How long you can stay: the I-94 and overstays

A visa lets you travel to a US port of entry and ask to be admitted. It doesn't decide how long you can stay. The CBP officer does, and records it on your electronic I-94 with an admit-until date.

Check your I-94 on the CBP I-94 website or the CBP Link app after every entry. For B-1 visitors, USCIS says the initial admission is up to six months, an extension can add up to six months, and the total on one trip is generally capped at a year. To stay longer, you'd file Form I-539 with USCIS.

Overstaying can follow you for years. USCIS explains that more than 180 days but less than a year of unlawful presence in a single stay can trigger a three-year bar on returning once you leave. A year or more can trigger a ten-year bar.

Travel insurance for your US trip

US medical care can be very expensive, and your home health plan may not cover you abroad. A travel medical policy can protect you from a large bill if you're sick or injured during your trip.

When you compare policies, check the medical coverage limit, emergency evacuation, preexisting condition exclusions and whether the dates cover your whole stay. Trip cancellation cover may help with nonrefundable costs, but read whether a visa delay or refusal counts. If you're moving to the US rather than visiting, read our guide to health insurance for new immigrants.

Common mistakes with US visitor visas

• Applying for a visa you don't need when ESTA would work, or using ESTA when you need more than 90 days.
• Giving answers that don't match your DS-160.
• Booking nonrefundable travel before the visa arrives.
• Planning to work on a visitor visa.
• Confusing your visa's expiry date with your I-94 date.
• Staying past your admit-until date.
• Paying agents who promise approval.

Your next steps

First, check whether you can travel on an ESTA. If you need a visa, fill in the DS-160 carefully, pay the $185 fee, and check your consulate's wait times and fee page, including whether a visa bond applies to you. After you arrive, look up your I-94 and put your departure date in your calendar.