business visa

A business visa, also known as the B-1 visa, is a non-immigrant visa that allows foreign nationals to temporarily stay in a country for business-related activities. It is required for short-term business travel that does not involve actual labor or payment from a country.

Many business visas are valid for 30 to 90 days within a 180-day period. However, some business visas are granted for as little as 15 days or for periods longer than 90 days.

Common activities performed on a business visa include:

Attending meetings

Attending business events/conferences

Investigating business opportunities and ventures

The most critical element is that business visas typically involve only business logistics and relations, not labor or services.

However, the permissions granted to a holder of a business visa differ from country to country. For instance, some countries allow business visa holders to perform the installation of goods (hardware, machinery) after a sale, while other countries may require a work permit for this same service. Some countries even offer foreign nationals of select countries the option to conduct permissible business activities without requiring a visa.

Business visas are also often different from work permits as they are only granted for a temporary short-term period, while, generally, work permits can be granted for longer periods. Many business visas are valid for 30 to 90 days within a 180-day period. However, some business visas are only valid for 15 days or as long as 90 days or more.

The conditions of entry often vary as well, with some business visas permitting multiple entries into the country of issuance throughout the duration of its validity.