THE B1/B2 visas allow foreigners to travel to the United States for short tourism or business trips, to include vacation, visit family, attend funerals, watch a sporting event, attend business meetings, or contract negotiations, and settle an estate.

You are not authorised to work in the United States on a B1/B2 visa. Common examples of when you need a different type of visa are to work, study, give a musical performance before a paying audience, or cover a media event as a journalist.

Q: How do I apply for a visa for tourism or business travel?

A: First, you need a valid passport. Next, complete a DS-160 for a non-immigrant visa at the consular electronic application center
https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC. Be sure to answer all questions completely and honestly. You will need to provide information on where you live, your employment or studies, and who you will visit. Please pay close attention to what the questions are asking (for example, do not provide your annual salary if the question asks for monthly). Do not exaggerate your salary or other information on your application form. Failure to provide information on your application that you think might be negative (such as a prior visa refusal, overstays in the US, arrest history, etc) or failure to include complete information (such as work history and prior US travel) can profoundly affect adjudication of your visa. “Little” lies or omissions add up and can result in refusal of your visa application.

Once you submit the DS-160 application electronically, a confirmation page with a barcode will appear. Be sure to save and print this PDF; you will need it throughout the application process. Then, create an account, pay, and make an appointment at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-jm/niv.

The interview

In order to approve your tourist/business visa application, we need to be convinced that you have strong socio-economic ties to your home country that will compel you to return after a short stay in the United States. During the interview, we will review your electronic application and ask you questions about your employment, studies, and family in both Jamaica and the United States. You must convince the American consular officer that you will abide by the rules of your visa. For example, we must be sure that you do not have the need or desire to work in the United States. You must be honest during your visa interview about your job, salary, and family in Jamaica and the United States. If you have visited the United States before, we may ask you questions about how long you stayed prior trips. If you have been arrested before, anywhere in the world, be prepared to answer questions about the arrest and bring to your visa interview the court document showing the outcome of the case against you (if you were found innocent, guilty, if the charges were dismissed, etc). If you were found guilty, be sure your court document states specifically the charges (and statute) under which you were found guilty.

Q: Should I bring documents to my interview appointment?

The focus of your tourist/business visa interview will NOT be on documents. Rather, the focus of the interview will be on your verbal responses during an interview with the American consular officer. (Note: If you have a disability that impedes your ability to hear or speak and need an accommodation during the interview, please write to us ahead of time via our visa navigator, found on
https://jm.usembassy.gov/. You need a code, found in the navigator, in order to e-mail us.)

That said, you are encouraged to bring documents to your interview that will help prove your socio-economic ties to your home country.

If your true intention is to seek employment in the United States, rather than apply for a tourist/business visa, you must apply for a temporary work visa. For a list of work visa categories and what is required, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment.html.

If your plan is to study in the United States, or to enroll your children in school, you or they must have a student visa. For a list of student and exchange visitor categories and the requirements, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study.html.

Keep on top of visa information and Embassy news on our website (https://jm.usembassy.gov/) Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Embassy-Jamaica and by following @USEmbassyJA on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter).