US Embassy Reminds B1/B2 Visa Holders of Restrictions

DHAKA — The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka has reminded holders of B1/B2 visitor visas that the visa category does not permit certain activities, including birth tourism, paid employment and formal academic study for credit. The embassy issued the reminder Saturday through its verified social media account, outlining activities that visitors are not authorized to undertake while traveling to the United States on a B1/B2 visa.

According to the embassy, “birth tourism”—traveling to the United States primarily to give birth for the purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for a child—is not permitted under a B1/B2 visitor visa.

The embassy also reminded visa holders that they cannot work for or receive remuneration from a U.S. employer or business while in the United States on a visitor visa. Formal study for academic credit is likewise not permitted. Visitors seeking to pursue degree-level or other qualifying academic study generally need an appropriate student visa.

What B1/B2 visas allow

The B1/B2 category is a nonimmigrant visitor visa generally used for temporary business and tourism. The B1 component covers certain temporary business activities, including attending business meetings and consultations, participating in professional or business conferences, negotiating contracts and conducting other permitted business activities that do not constitute employment in the United States.

The B2 component generally covers tourism, vacations, visits to family or friends and medical treatment. The State Department also permits certain short recreational courses that are not taken for academic credit.

Activities prohibited on visitor visas

The U.S. Department of State says visitor visas cannot be used for employment, formal study, permanent residence or professional activities that require another visa category. The department specifically lists employment and study among activities that are not permitted on visitor visas. It also states that working as foreign press, including in print journalism and other information media, is not permitted on a visitor visa. Foreign journalists traveling to the United States to work in their profession generally need the appropriate media visa rather than a B1/B2 visitor visa.

Birth tourism

The State Department separately states that traveling to the United States primarily to give birth in order to obtain U.S. citizenship for the child is not a permissible basis for a visitor visa. The embassy’s reminder comes as the issue of birthright citizenship remains the subject of an ongoing legal and political debate in the United States. A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration’s latest executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, saying the order could not override Supreme Court precedent.

The Embassy’s latest message, however, concerns the permitted uses of the B1/B2 visitor visa and does not itself change the existing visa categories. Travelers are advised to ensure that the purpose of their trip matches the visa category under which they are entering the United States. The State Department notes that travelers who intend to engage in activities requiring another visa category should seek the appropriate visa or, where applicable, follow the required change-of-status procedures.