Non-Immigrant Visas

B-1 Visa - Business

Acceptable B-1 Activities

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  • Your name and date and place of birth;
  • Your foreign permanent residence address;
  • The name and address of initial destination in the U.S.; and
  • The anticipated duration of your assignment.
  • the activities will last no longer than nine days at a single institution;
  • the institution is a nonprofit research organization or a governmental research organization, or an institution of higher education, or a related or affiliated nonprofit entity.
  • such activities are conducted for the benefit of the institution or entity; and
  • the delegate has not accepted such payment or expenses from five such institutions during the previous six month period.

Selling and Buying


An individual traveling to the United States to take part in an exhibition, set up an exhibition booth, display samples, sign contracts, and take orders for merchandise produced in and delivered from The Gambia or procure goods and services from businesses in the United States, may be eligible for a B-1 visa  The holder of a B-1 visa may not actually sell or take orders for merchandise produced in the United States. If the proposed activities are not as described, a temporary work visa will be required.

B-1 visa holders may not operate a business in the United States. Individuals must have adequate resources to fund their travels in the United States without resorting to unauthorized employment.  Unauthorized employment includes performing services for payment, such as hair-braiding, babysitting, or marabout services.  You cannot bring items to the United States or shipping items to yourself to sell in the United States in order to fund your trip.  All customs regulations on the importation of goods must be followed. 




Voluntary Work

Individuals participating in a voluntary service program which benefits a U.S. local community, who establish that they are a member of, and have a commitment to, a particular recognized religious or nonprofit charitable organization, may be eligible for a B-1 visa if the work to be formed is traditionally done by volunteer charity workers; they will receive no salary or remuneration from a U.S. source, other than an allowance or other reimbursement for expenses incidental to their stay in the United State; and they will not engage in the selling of articles and/or the solicitation and acceptance of donations.

A voluntary service program is an organized project conducted by a recognized religious or nonprofit charitable organization to provide assistance to the poor or the needy, or to further a religious or charitable cause.

If your proposed activities as a voluntary worker are not exactly as described, you will require either an exchange visitor (J-1) or temporary worker (H-2B) visa.

Please Note: When applying for entry into the United States as a voluntary worker with a visa, you should furnish a letter from your U.S. sponsor which contains the following information:




Conference

Participants in scientific, educational, professional, or business conventions, conferences or seminars may travel to the United States on B-1 visas. The B-1 visa is also appropriate if presenting a paper at the conference, provided there is no remuneration from a U.S. source other than expenses incidental to the stay. Those who will receive an honorarium in addition to incidental expenses will only be eligible for the B-1 visa if all of the following are met:

If the proposed activities are not exactly as described, an exchange visitor (J-1) or temporary work (H-1) visa will be required.

Note: The applications of those seeking visas to attend a technical conference may be subject to additional administrative processing. I regret that we are unable to provide you with any guidance on how long it may take. Therefore, do not make any final travel plans until you have received your passport with a visa in it.




Researcher

An individual who will engage in independent research may be eligible for a B-1 visa or visa free travel under the Visa Waiver Program provided there is no remuneration from a U.S. source and the results of the research will not benefit the American institution. Those who will receive payment from a U.S. source and/or the U.S. institution will benefit from the results of the research, will require an exchange visitor (J-1) or temporary work (H-1) visa will be required.




Business venture

The B-1 visa is the appropriate visa classification to travel to the United States to survey potential sites for a business and/or to lease premises. However, the holder of a B-1 visa may not remain in the United States to manage the business. An L-1 (intra-company transferee) visa is required. This would enable the holder to travel to the United States for a temporary period to open up and operate a branch, subsidiary or affiliate office of the business there. To qualify, the new U.S. operation is required to file a petition on the employee's behalf with the nearest office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the United States.




Medical Elective

A medical student studying at a foreign medical school and who seeks to enter the United States temporarily in order to take an “elective clerkship” at a U.S. medical school’s hospital without remuneration from the hospital may be eligible for a B-1 visa. Note: The medical clerkship is only for medical students pursuing their normal third or fourth year internship in a U.S. medical school as part of a foreign medical school degree. (An “elective clerkship” affords practical experience and instructions in the various disciplines of medicine under the supervision and direction of faculty physicians at a U.S. medical school’s hospital as an approved part of the alien’s foreign medical school education. It does not apply to graduate medical training, which normally requires a J-visa).

If applying for a visa, a letter from the U.S. medical school outlining the nature and duration of the elective clerkship should accompany the application. If traveling under the VWP, the letter from the school should be presented to the U.S. immigration official at the port of entry.

Students seeking training as physiotherapists, dentists, nurses or vets require either an exchange visitor (J-1) or trainee (H-3) visa.