The B-1/B-2 visitor visa is the visa most people need for a short business trip, a vacation, a family visit or medical treatment in the United States. It looks simple, but many applications are refused because the purpose, the finances or the applicant’s ties are not presented clearly. Ozek Law Firm helps applicants in Türkiye and worldwide prepare truthful, consistent applications, get ready for the interview and plan the next step after a refusal.
Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for temporary stays. Many applicants receive a combined B-1/B-2 visa, but the purpose of each trip must still fit the category.
The interview is short. Officers decide mainly from your answers and your overall situation, so practice explaining your trip in a few clear sentences. Do not buy non-refundable tickets until the visa is issued.
Under INA 214(b), you are presumed to be an intending immigrant until you show the officer that you qualify for the visa and will leave at the end of your stay. The State Department describes ties as things such as your job, your home and your relationships with family and friends. For a student, that may mean enrollment and family support; for a business owner, the company and its obligations; for a retiree, a pension, property and family at home.
There is no fixed minimum bank balance for a visitor visa. The State Department asks applicants to show that they can pay the costs of the trip, but it does not publish a required amount. Officers look at the whole picture: income, employment, the length and cost of the trip, who is paying, and past travel. A large deposit made shortly before the interview, without a clear source, can raise more questions than it answers.
Two of the most common cases we see are parents traveling for a child’s graduation and parents coming to help after a grandchild is born. Visiting relatives is a permitted B-2 purpose. An invitation letter can explain the occasion, the dates, where the parents will stay and who will pay, and it should be supported by documents such as the graduation notice or the inviting person’s U.S. status documents. The letter does not create eligibility: the parents must still show their own ties and plans to return. Visiting to help with a new grandchild is different from travel for the purpose of giving birth in the United States, which is not a permitted B-2 purpose.
Citizens of countries in the Visa Waiver Program may travel for tourism or business for up to 90 days with an approved ESTA instead of a visa. Türkiye is not a Visa Waiver Program country, so Turkish citizens need a B-1/B-2 visa. A traveler who also holds the passport of a participating country may be able to use the program under its own eligibility rules. Travelers admitted under the Visa Waiver Program generally cannot extend their stay or change status in the United States.
Your authorized stay is shown on your Form I-94, not on the visa stamp. If you need more time, file Form I-539 with USCIS before the I-94 date; USCIS recommends filing at least 45 days before your authorized stay expires. If your plans change, for example from visitor to student, you must request a change of status before your stay expires and must not start the new activity until USCIS approves it. A B-1 business visitor who wishes to stay for pleasure within the authorized period does not need to file.
If you stay past the date on your I-94, your visa is automatically void, unless a timely and non-frivolous extension or change of status application is pending. An overstay can make you ineligible for future visas and may bar you from returning to the United States.
Most visitor visa refusals are issued under 214(b). They are not permanent, but reapplying with the same facts rarely changes the result. Our page on visa refusals under 214(b) and 221(g) explains what the refusal means and what can change an outcome.
As with all our services, you also receive a strategy consultation, a document checklist in English and Turkish, attorney review before filing, responses to routine requests and updates by email, phone or WhatsApp. Fees depend on the scope of work and are quoted at your consultation.
Ozek Law Firm attorneys are admitted in Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia. California matters are handled with California-licensed co-counsel. Immigration law is federal, so we represent immigration clients across the U.S. and worldwide. We work with applicants in Türkiye and many other countries by video, with consultations in English, Turkish, Spanish and Swedish.
Tolga Ozek founded Ozek Law Firm and has spent more than 13 years guiding individuals, families, investors and companies through U.S. immigration and business law, in English and Turkish. He is admitted in Washington, D.C., Maryland and New York.
No fixed amount is published. You must show that you can pay the costs of the trip, and officers consider your income, employment, the length of the trip and who is paying. Credible, consistent finances matter more than a single number.
No. Türkiye does not participate in the Visa Waiver Program, so Turkish citizens need a visitor visa. A person who also holds the passport of a participating country may be able to use that passport under the program’s rules.
No. Employment is not permitted on a visitor visa. Permitted business activities, such as meetings with business associates or attending a conference, are different from working for a U.S. or foreign employer in the United States.
Yes, visiting relatives is a permitted B-2 purpose. Your parents must still show their own ties and plans to return. An invitation letter and supporting documents can help explain the trip, but they do not replace your parents’ own eligibility.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection decides the length of your stay when you enter. The date on your Form I-94 is the official record of your authorized stay, not the expiration date on the visa.
Often, yes. You can file Form I-539 with USCIS before your authorized stay expires; USCIS recommends filing at least 45 days before the I-94 date. Visitors admitted under the Visa Waiver Program cannot extend.
Your visa is automatically void, unless a timely, non-frivolous extension or change of status application is pending. An overstay can also make you ineligible for future visas and may bar you from returning.
There is no required waiting period, but reapplying with the same facts usually produces the same result. Reapply when you have new information or your circumstances have changed, and make sure your application reflects that change.
Take the first step toward turning your challenges into achievements. We are ready to listen.
