What is the difference between business and work visa categories?

Citizens of Georgia need a visa of the appropriate category to travel to the USA. The visa category depends on the purpose of departure. For example, if a person is traveling to the USA as a tourist, he can apply for a B1/B2 category visa, or for an F1 category to study, etc. However, business and work visas cause some confusion among travelers and are often confused. Today in this blog I will tell you what business and work visas mean, what is the difference between them and how can we apply for each of them?

To obtain a business visa, it is important that the passenger has a scheduled business visit to the USA, which includes the following destinations:

• Traveling for a short time, the purpose of which should be meetings, participation in exhibitions, conducting negotiations

• A visit from local organizations without payment (the inviting organization should not pay you a salary during the visit)

• Invitation letter sent to you by the inviting organization.

All the destinations listed above include a temporary business visit, which in turn includes a B1 category visa. Accordingly, persons wishing to travel to the USA on a business visit must hold a B1 category visa, or a combined B1/B2 category visa.

In order to obtain a US business visa, it is important to complete the following steps

💳 You pay the visa fee

📝 you fill in the electronic application form (DS160)

✅ Set the interview date

🏛️ You go through an interview with a consular officer who makes the final decision on issuing a visa.

After successfully passing all stages, you will receive a US business visa, for which the official waiting time is from 4 working days to 10 working days.

Individuals who wish to work in the US on a temporary, nonimmigrant basis must hold a US work visa. For which, it is important for the applicant to submit the letter of invitation received from the employing organization. Therefore, during the working visit, the passenger receives the appropriate salary and has the right to work and live in the country for a long time.

In order to get a business visa, as well as a work visa, the first step is to pay the visa fee, fill out a special application (DS160), create a profile and set an interview date.
To create a profile and mark the date, you will need the following three pieces of information:

📕 Your passport number

💸 Visa fee payment receipt number

✅ DS160 application number

After successfully completing all the above mentioned processes, you will be interviewed by a consular officer who will make the final decision on issuing a visa.

Thus, work and business visas are issued for different purposes, and visa processes are similar in both cases. However, in the case of a working visa, the passenger receives a corresponding salary, which is not the case during a business visit.

If you are applying for a work or business visa and need help with the process, Ikonsuli offers a full visa service service for any category.