Confirm you need a B1/B2 visa
The B1/B2 is a temporary, nonimmigrant visa for business (B-1) and tourism, family visits, or medical treatment (B-2). Most applicants receive a combined B1/B2 visa.
Who needs this visa
- You are travelling temporarily for tourism, visiting family/friends, business meetings, conferences, or medical treatment.
- Your country is not part of the Visa Waiver Program, or you prefer/need a visa rather than an ESTA authorization.
- You do not intend to work, study full-time, or immigrate permanently — B1/B2 holders may not accept employment in the U.S.
- If you intend to study a full degree program, use F-1. For exchange programs, use J-1. For skilled employment, you'll need a petition-based work visa instead.
The 8-stage journey
- Complete Form DS-160 online
- Pay the visa application (MRV) fee
- Schedule your interview appointment
- Gather your supporting documents
- Attend the in-person interview
- Wait for processing & passport return
- Travel under your visa's terms
Complete the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application
Form DS-160 is the official electronic application, submitted through the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). Every applicant — including each child — needs a separate DS-160.
How to complete it
- Go to the CEAC website and start a new Form DS-160.
- Select the embassy/consulate where you plan to interview (Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, or Peshawar for Pakistan-based applicants).
- Fill in personal, travel, family, work/education, and security-history sections truthfully and completely.
- Upload your photo (2x2 in / 51x51 mm, plain white/off-white background, taken within the last 6 months).
- List your social media handles used in the last 5 years (no passwords required).
- Submit the form, then immediately print or save the confirmation page with the barcode — write down your Application ID.
Common pitfalls
- A saved-but-unsubmitted DS-160 is only kept for 30 days — download a copy if you need more time.
- Once submitted, the DS-160 cannot be edited. Mention any changes to the consular officer at your interview instead.
- Use Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer 11+. Safari and Microsoft Edge are not fully supported by CEAC.
- Getting a CEAC error page? See the troubleshooting note in the FAQ below.
Pay the visa application fee
The MRV (Machine Readable Visa) fee is paid before you can schedule your interview. Payment is non-refundable and valid for 365 days from the receipt date.
Estimate your total government fees
How & where to pay
- Pay through the instructions on your local U.S. Embassy/Consulate site — for Pakistan, this is ustraveldocs.com/pk.
- Accepted payment methods vary by country (bank deposit, online banking, or designated bank branches).
- Keep your payment receipt — you'll need the receipt number to schedule your interview.
- Fee is per applicant, including children, and is generally non-refundable even if your visa is denied.
Schedule your visa interview
Almost all applicants — regardless of age or visa history — must now attend an in-person interview, since most interview-waiver categories were eliminated in September 2025.
Booking steps
- Create an account at your country's official appointment portal (Pakistan: ustraveldocs.com/pk).
- Enter your DS-160 barcode number and MRV fee receipt number.
- Choose your preferred U.S. Embassy or Consulate location.
- Select an available interview date and time slot.
- Download/print your appointment confirmation letter.
Pakistan interview locations
- U.S. Embassy, Islamabad — general nonimmigrant visas; prioritizes student/exchange (F, J) categories.
- U.S. Consulate General, Karachi — prioritizes student/exchange and temporary employment visas.
- U.S. Consulate General, Lahore and Peshawar — check current visa services offered.
- Applicants with genuine life-or-death emergencies may request an expedited appointment through the portal.
Gather your supporting documents
There is no single fixed document list — bring whatever best demonstrates your purpose of travel and your ties to home. Choose your travel purpose below to tailor the checklist.
Proving "ties to home"
The core question a consular officer must answer is whether you intend to return home after a temporary visit. Strong, specific evidence helps:
- Steady employment or an active business, with a letter confirming your role and approved leave.
- Property, family responsibilities, or dependents remaining in your home country.
- A clear, specific, time-bound trip purpose ("visiting my son for 6 weeks, returning for my daughter's exams").
- Sufficient, verifiable funds for the whole trip — yours or a sponsor's.
Attend your visa interview
A short, focused conversation with a consular officer, plus a biometric fingerprint scan, decides most applications on the same day.
Arrive early with your documents
Bring your passport, DS-160 confirmation page, appointment letter, fee receipt, one printed photo (backup), and your supporting evidence. Follow embassy security rules — most electronics are not allowed inside.
Biometrics
Your fingerprints are captured digitally as part of the process.
The interview
Usually just a few minutes. Answer clearly and honestly about your travel purpose, your job/family/ties at home, and how you'll fund the trip. Keep documents ready but let the officer ask before handing over paperwork.
On-the-spot decision
Most applicants are told at the window whether they are approved, refused, or need further ("administrative") processing.
Interview tips
- Be concise — most officers form a decision within the first minute or two of answers.
- Never memorize a script; answer naturally and consistently with your DS-160.
- Never provide false information — discrepancies are cross-checked and can cause long-term ineligibility.
- If refused, ask (politely) for the specific section of law cited, so you know what to strengthen if you reapply.
Processing, fees, and passport return
If approved, there are a few final steps before your passport comes back with the visa stamp.
What happens next
- Most cases are printed and returned within days to a few weeks; some require additional "administrative processing," which can take longer.
- The $250 Visa Integrity Fee, where currently being collected, is due at the point your visa is issued — not before.
- Your passport is typically returned by courier or pickup, per your embassy's instructions.
- Carefully check your name, passport number, visa category, and validity dates as soon as you receive it.
If refused
Most refusals cite Section 214(b) — the officer wasn't convinced of your intent to return home, not necessarily a problem with your paperwork.
- You can reapply at any time — there's no mandatory waiting period — but you should strengthen the evidence of your ties and trip plan first.
- A new DS-160 and a new MRV fee are required for each new application.
Know the rules once you have your visa
The visa gets you to a U.S. port of entry — a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer there makes the final decision on admission and length of stay.
On arrival
- A visa is permission to travel to a U.S. port of entry and request entry — it does not guarantee admission.
- The CBP officer sets your authorized stay (commonly up to 6 months) and issues an electronic Form I-94 — this is the document that actually controls your legal stay length.
- A valid visa in an expired passport remains usable — travel with both the old and new passports.
What you cannot do on B1/B2
- Accept paid employment from a U.S. employer.
- Enroll in full-time academic study.
- Overstay your authorized I-94 date — this can jeopardize future visas.