The B1/B2 visaand its interview,explained.
The US visitor visa for short business trips and tourism. Here's what it covers, what the officer checks at the window, and how to get ready.
What is the B1/B2 visa?
A US visitor visa for short trips: business (B-1), tourism (B-2) or both, decided at a short interview with a consular officer.
- Business (B-1)
- Meeting business associates, attending a conference, negotiating a contract or settling an estate.
- Tourism (B-2)
- Vacations, visiting friends or relatives, and medical treatment.
- Not for
- Study, employment or paid performances. Birth tourism isn't permitted on a visitor visa.
- Who needs it
- Visitors who can't travel under the Visa Waiver Program with an ESTA.
- Fee
- $185, as of October 27, 2026, per the State Department.
- Interview
- In person at a US embassy or consulate. Since September 2025 almost every applicant interviews.
The B1/B2 interview
Most B1/B2 interviews last a few minutes. One US embassy says officers may see 100 or more applicants a day, so every answer counts.
What happens
- 1You file the DS-160 online and book an appointment where you live.
- 2At the window the officer has your DS-160 in front of them and asks short questions.
- 3Under US law (INA 214(b)) every visitor is presumed to be an intending immigrant until they show otherwise.
- 4So the officer needs to believe three things: your trip is a real visit, you can pay for it, and you'll go home after.
- 5They may ask for evidence of your trip's purpose, your plan to leave and how you'll pay.
Why B1/B2 visas are refused
- 214(b): the officer isn't convinced the trip is a real visit or that your ties will bring you home.
- Not knowing who pays, or how much the trip costs.
- A stay that sounds open-ended, or caregiving that can look like work.
- 221(g): the officer needs a missing document or more processing time. It isn't a final refusal.
- Hiding relatives, past refusals or a petition on file. Willful misrepresentation can mean a permanent bar.
What the officer asks about
- Purpose20 questions
- Money and sponsor14 questions
- Ties and 214(b)8 questions
- Family in the US8 questions
- Purpose“How long will you stay?”
- Money“Who is paying for this trip?”
- Ties“Why will you come back?”
- Work“What do you do for work?”
How Visaful helps with your B1/B2 visa interview
Practice this exact interview with an AI officer: the topics it covers, out loud, in 2 to 4 minutes like the real thing, with a score after every mock.
- 1
We teach you what to say
A short guide for the B1/B2 visa, step by step: the answers officers want to hear, and the ones that get people refused.
8 steps
B1/B2 visitor
Ties · 214(b)
Prove you'll come back
- 2
and prepare you for every question
67 B1/B2 questions drawn from reported visa interviews, with 28 nightmare ones on money, family in the US, long stays and past refusals.
67 questions
B1/B2 visitor
28 nightmare ones
The hard follow-ups
- 3
Practice like it's the real thing!
A skeptical AI officer asks, cuts in and follows up on what you just said, out loud, in 2 to 4 minutes like the real thing.
- A skeptical officer who cuts in and follows up on what you say
- Window speed: short answers, quick follow-ups, 2 to 4 minutes
- B1/B2 visitor, F-1 student and H-1B stamping
- 4
and learn exactly what to fix
A score, the officer's likely decision with reasons, and line-by-line notes on your own words, so you know exactly what to fix.
Likely decision
Approve · 221(g) · 214(b)
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