(日本語)

Frequently Asked Questions

Travellers wishing to visit the United States for business reasons that do not involve receiving salary or payment of any kind from a U.S. source may apply for a business visa. The visa symbol is "B-1".

Japanese travellers planning trips for fewer than 90 days may not need a visa. To see if you need a visa, please refer to the Visa Waiver Program page.

Business travel generally means engaging in business activities other than the actual performance of labor. To work in the United States, you will need a visa specifically for that purpose. If you intend to work in the United States, please see the employment visa catagory.

Business visas are appropriate for the following persons/activities: selling, voluntary work, service engineer, speaker/lecturer, conference, researcher, business venture, medical elective, and telecommuters.

Selling: Individuals travelling to the United States to participate in exhibitions, set up exhibition booths, display samples, sign contracts, and take orders for merchandise produced in and delivered from Japan, 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.

Voluntary Work: Individuals participating in voluntary service programs which benefit a U.S. local community, who can 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 performed is traditionally done by volunteer charity workers. The individuals must not receive a salary or remuneration from a U.S. source, other than an allowance or other reimbursement for expenses incidental to their stay in the United States and they cannot 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 the proposed activities are not as described, an exchange visitor (J-1) or a temporary work visa will be required.

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

• Your name and date and place of birth
• Your foreign permanent residence address
• The name and address of your initial destination in the U.S.
• The anticipated duration of your assignment

Service Engineer: Engineers travelling to the United States to install, service, or repair commercial or industrial equipment or machinery sold by a company in Japan to a buyer in the United States under a purchase contract requiring that the Japanese company provide such services may apply for a B-1 visa. The individual must possess the specialized knowledge essential to perform the services, receive no remuneration from a U.S. source, and the company must not receive any payment for these services in addition to that specified in the original contract of sale. If the proposed activities are not as described, a temporary work visa will be required.

Note: The B-1 visa does not cover building or construction work, even if the purchase contract requires that the company provide such services. In such cases, the employee must qualify for a temporary work visa.

The B-1 visa for business is also appropriate for engineers travelling to the United States to train U.S. personnel in the installation, service or repair of commercial or industrial equipment or machinery as specified above. The individuals concerned must continue to be paid by the Japanese company and the contract of sale must specifically require the seller to provide such services.

Speaker/Lecturer: Individuals travelling to the United States in connection with a speaking engagement may apply for a B-1 visa provided there is no remuneration from a U.S. source, other than expenses incidental to the visit.

Speakers/lectures who will receive an honorarium in addition to incidental expenses may still be eligible for the B-1 visa provided they satisfy the following conditions:

• 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
• The speaker/lecturer has not accepted payment or expenses from five such institutions during the previous six month period

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

Conference: Individuals participating 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 the appropriate visa classification to present a paper at a 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 provided they satisfy the following conditions:

• 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
• The delegate has not accepted payment or expenses from five such institutions during the previous six month period

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

Note: Applicants seeking visas to attend technical conferences are required to submit the following documents. The application may be subject to additional administrative processing. We are unable to provide you with guidance on how long it may take. Do not make final travel plans until you have received your passport and visa.

• Complete CV or resume
• Complete list of publications, if applicable
• Letter of acceptance/invitation from the school

Researcher: Individuals engaged in independent research may be eligible for a B-1 visa 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 a temporary work visa.

Business Venture: The B-1 visa is the appropriate visa classification for individuals travelling to the United States to survey potential sites for a business and/or to lease premises.

The holder of a B-1 visa may not remain in the United States to manage the business. If the individual is to remain in the United States, an L-1 (intra-company transferee) visa will be required. The L-1 (intra-company transferee) visa 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 Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the United States.

Medical Elective: An elective clerkship which affords practical experience and instruction in the various disciplines of medicine under the supervision and direction of faculty physicians at a U.S. medical school's hospital may be undertaken on a B-1 visa. The clerkship must be an approved part of the individual's foreign school education with no remuneration from the hospital.

When applying for a visa, a letter from the U.S. medical school outlining the nature and duration of the stay and source of remuneration, if any, should accompany the application. If travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program, the letter from the school should be presented to the officer of the Immigration and Naturalization Service at the port of entry.

Students seeking training as physiotherapists, dentists, nurses or veterinarians require H-3 visas.

Telecommuters: Individuals temporarily resident in the United States who will be working from home as computer programmers for foreign based companies may be eligible for B-1 visas provided they satisfy the following conditions:

• The individual is employed by a company outside of the United States
• No remuneration will be received from a U.S. source, other than expenses incidental to the stay
• The work is in an occupation requiring a bachelor's or higher degree in the specific specialty and the individual has that level of education

If you believe that you may qualify for the B-1 visa, you should apply for a visa in order for your qualifications to be evaluated.

If accompanying a spouse who is the beneficiary of a work or student visa, the individual may apply for both the derivative and B-1 visa. When applying for admission into the United States, you should advise the USCIS at the port of entry of your dual intent, that is to say, you are accompanying your spouse, but also intend to continue working for your Japanese employer as a telecommuter.

Note: The length of the visa does not equate the length of stay. When you enter the United States, you will be inspected by an officer of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The officer will determine the amount of time you will be permitted to remain in the U.S. Extensions of stay will be approved only for unexpected or compelling humanitarian reasons. The maximum extension period of stay for travellers entering with a B visa is 6 months.

Application Procedures: For information on applying for this visa, please see the application checklist.

Due to new security regulations, some applications may require additional clearance and longer processing. Since the application process cannot be accelerated, please apply well in advance of your travel date, and do not purchase plane tickets until you have received your visa. Applicants should refrain from calling the Embassy to inquire about the status of their application. Visa applicants should never assume their application will be automatically approved.