Updated October 27, 2026

B1 vs B2 visa: what's the difference?

A B-1 visa is for short business trips, like meetings, conferences or negotiating a contract. A B-2 visa is for tourism, visiting family or friends, or medical treatment. Both are visitor visas, and the State Department also issues a combined B1/B2 visa for people whose trips mix both purposes. Neither one lets you work for a US employer or study for a degree. You apply for both the same way, with the same DS-160 and the same interview.

B1 vs B2 at a glance

What a B-1 visa allows

The State Department's B-1 fact sheet says business on a B-1 means business activities "other than the performance of skilled or unskilled labor." In other words, you can do business, but you can't hold a job in the US.

Allowed activities in that fact sheet include engaging in commercial transactions that don't involve US employment, negotiating contracts, consulting with business associates, litigating, attending conventions, conferences or seminars, and doing independent research. If your trip is something the guidance doesn't clearly cover, the State Department says to apply for a more fitting visa, such as a petition-based work visa.

What a B-2 visa allows

B-2 covers personal travel: tourism, vacations, visiting friends or relatives, medical treatment, social events hosted by fraternal, social or service organizations, amateur performances or contests where you're not paid, and short recreational classes that don't count toward a degree. The State Department's example is a two-day cooking class on vacation.

If you're traveling for medical treatment, the officer may ask for a diagnosis from your local doctor, a letter from the US doctor or hospital with the expected length and cost, and proof that your costs will be paid.

What neither visa allows

The State Department lists these as needing a different visa:

• Study
• Employment
• Paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
• Working as a crew member on a ship or aircraft
• Working as foreign press, in radio, film, print journalism or other media
• Permanent residence in the United States

It also says birth tourism, travel mainly to give birth in the US so the child gets US citizenship, isn't permitted on a visitor visa.

Do you apply for B-1 or B-2 separately?

In practice, you apply for a visitor visa and tell the officer the purpose of your trip. The State Department describes three options: B-1 for business, B-2 for tourism, or B-1/B-2 for a combination of both. The steps are the same: complete the DS-160, schedule an interview at the embassy or consulate where you live, pay the fee, and attend the interview.

The interview is where the purpose matters. A business traveler gets asked who they're meeting and who pays their salary. A tourist gets asked about the trip, the cost and what brings them home. Both face the same legal test under INA 214(b): showing ties strong enough that you'll leave at the end of your visit. See the full list in our B1/B2 visa interview questions.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.