How to Check the Validity of a USA Visitor Visa

Check the validity of your visitor visa to enter the United States.

There are two types of visitor visas issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. A business-related B1 visitor visa is for those who wish to visit the United States to conduct business, such as to attend a conference. A B2 visa is for a visitor who is entering the country for pleasure or for medical treatment. These visas can last from six to 12 months and may be conditional. If the conditions are met, then the visa is valid until the expiration date.

Instructions

1. Compare the person's visa with the example shown on the U.S. State Department's travel information website (travel.state.gov). Click on "VISAS" in the top menu bar. Move your cursor over "Visa Questions?" in the left-hand menu and select "What is a Visa?" Scroll down to see an example of a B1/B2 visa. Make sure there is a photograph of the person who holds the visa on the document. The visa should have multicolored, engraved images of U.S. landmarks, such as the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and the Lincoln Memorial.

2. Look at the expiration date on the visa. If the current date is before the expiration date, then the visa is in good standing.

3. Read the conditions for the visa at the State Department's travel information website. Click on "VISAS" in the menu bar. Move your cursor over "Temporary Visitors to the U.S." in the left-hand menu. Select "Visa Types for Temporary Visitors." You can check the conditions for a visa by the trip's purpose or visa designation. These conditions may include keeping a job with your sponsoring company or allowing only one entry into the United States. If the visa holder is in compliance with the visa conditions, it is a valid visa.

4. Report anyone that you feel has an invalid visa to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Call ICE on their fraud hotline at 800-347-2423 with as much information as possible about the person. ICE will determine the validity of the visa and take appropriate action.

Tips & Warnings

• Making false claims to ICE is a crime.

References

• ICE.gov: Contact ICE
• Travel.state.gov: Temporary Visitors to the U.S.
• Immihelp.com: USA Visitor Visa

Resources

• United States Citizenship and Immigration Service: § Sec. 214.2(b) Visitors