US Visitor Visa (B1/B2) 2027: Fees, Interview Tips and Wait Times

The US visitor visa, the B1/B2, covers business trips, tourism, family visits and short medical treatment. It is also the visa most often refused. Every year consular officers turn down a large share of applicants from Africa and South Asia under one short section of US law, 214(b), usually after an interview lasting a few minutes.

This guide is for first-time applicants and people renewing who want to know what changed in 2025 and 2026, what the visa really costs now, and how to give the officer what they need to say yes. If you hold a passport from a Visa Waiver Program country such as the UK, Japan or most of the EU, you probably want ESTA instead, which is covered briefly below.

The plain answer: the B1/B2 is harder to get than it was two years ago. Most applicants now need an in-person interview, you must apply where you live, nationals of 39 countries face full or partial suspension, and about 50 nationalities can be asked for a bond of up to $20,000.

B1, B2 or ESTA: which do you need

The B1 covers business visitors: meetings, conferences, contract negotiations, short training. The B2 covers tourism, visiting relatives, and medical treatment. Most people receive a combined B1/B2 stamp, so the distinction matters mostly for what you tell the officer.

Neither lets you work for a US employer, take paid gigs, or study for credit. Remote work for your home employer during a visit sits in a gray area; keep it incidental and don't make it the purpose of the trip.

If your passport is from a Visa Waiver Program country, apply for ESTA online instead. It costs $40 since September 2025 and allows stays of up to 90 days. Nationals of countries outside the program, including India, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan and the Philippines, need a B1/B2.

What the visa costs in late 2026

The Visa Integrity Fee was created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025. It is meant to be refundable if you follow the terms of your visa, but no refund system existed at the time of writing. Ask your embassy whether it is being collected before you budget.

Filling in the DS-160

Every application starts with the online DS-160 on the Consular Electronic Application Center. A few things trip people up:

• Social media. You must list every platform identifier you have used in the last five years. Leaving one out can look like concealment.
• Previous travel and refusals. Disclose every US visa refusal, even from 15 years ago. Officers can see them.
• Employment and income. Use the same job title and salary that appear on your payslips and bank statements.
• Purpose and trip length. Give a specific plan: "two weeks in Houston for my sister's graduation," not "tourism."
• Who pays. If someone in the US is paying, name them and be ready to explain the relationship.

Save the confirmation page with the barcode. You will need it to book and at the interview. If you spot an error after submitting, complete a new DS-160 and update your appointment.

Where you can apply: the country-of-residence rule

Since 6 September 2025, you must apply at a US embassy or consulate in your country of nationality or your country of residence. If you apply based on residence, you need to prove it: a residence permit, work permit or long-term visa.

The old trick of flying to a neighboring country with shorter queues, a Nigerian booking in Accra or an Indian booking in Bangkok, is effectively finished unless you live there. Nationals of countries where the US does not process routine visas, such as Iran or Afghanistan, must use a designated post listed on the State Department website.

Interview waivers after September 2025

From 2 September 2025, the State Department scrapped most interview waivers. Children under 14 and adults over 79 now attend interviews like everyone else.

The main remaining waiver is for renewals: you may skip the interview if you are renewing a full-validity B1/B2 that expired less than 12 months ago, were at least 18 when it was issued, are applying in your country of nationality or residence, and have never been refused. Even then the officer can call you in. If your previous visa expired 13 months ago, you need an interview.

Wait times and how to get an earlier slot

Check the State Department's Global Visa Wait Times tool for your city before you plan anything. In September 2026 the next available B1/B2 interviews were around 12 months in Hyderabad, 11.5 months in Mumbai and 10 months in New Delhi. Waits change monthly.

Some practical habits help:

• Log in to the appointment system early in the morning local time; cancellations are released without warning.
• Book the first date offered, then keep checking for earlier slots. Most systems allow a limited number of reschedules, so don't burn them.
• Expedited appointments exist for genuine emergencies such as a relative's serious illness or a funeral, with documents. A wedding or a conference you knew about months ago does not qualify.
• Never pay an agent who claims to have access to faster slots. Agents reselling appointments is a scam the embassies actively warn about.

Visa bonds for some nationalities

A pilot that began in August 2025 with Malawi and Zambia was made permanent by a State Department final rule on 3 August 2026. About 50 countries are designated, including The Gambia, Tanzania, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Nicaragua. The list changes, so check the State Department page before your interview.

If you are from a designated country, the officer can require a bond of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 as a condition of issuing the visa. You must enter and leave through designated airports. The bond is refunded if you depart on time, never use the visa, or are refused entry at the border. Paying a bond does not guarantee a visa; you pay only after the officer instructs you to.

Travel ban and restricted countries

Proclamation 10998, in force since 1 January 2026, suspends visitor visas for nationals of two groups:

• Full suspension (all visas): Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Palestinian Authority travel documents.
• Partial suspension (B, F, M and J visas plus immigrant visas): Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Turkmenistan remains on the list for immigrant visas only.

That means a Nigerian or Senegalese citizen cannot currently get a new B1/B2 visa unless an exception applies. Exceptions include dual nationals traveling on a passport from a non-listed country and case-by-case national interest exceptions. Visas issued before the effective date were not revoked. The list is reviewed every 180 days, so check before paying any fee.

Social media and continuous vetting

Officers can review your public online presence, and anything you post about overstaying, working "under the table," or political violence will be read. Since 2025 the State Department has also expanded "continuous vetting" of people who already hold visas, and visas have been revoked after issuance.

Don't delete accounts right before applying; a sudden disappearance looks worse than an ordinary history. Make sure the names, employers and places you list on LinkedIn match your DS-160.

How to show ties and avoid a 214(b) refusal

Under section 214(b), every visitor is presumed to be an intending immigrant until they prove otherwise. Your job is to show a life you will come back to. Strong evidence includes:

• A stable job with a letter stating your role, salary, approved leave dates and expected return
• Business registration, tax returns and contracts if self-employed
• Property or a long-term lease in your name
• Spouse and children staying at home
• Enrollment letters if you are a student
• Previous travel to the US, UK, Schengen area or Canada with on-time returns

Funds matter, but differently than people think. Six months of normal salary deposits beat a large sum appearing two weeks before the interview, which officers read as borrowed money. Our guide to proof of funds for visa applications explains what a believable statement looks like.

At the interview and after a refusal

Interviews are short, often under three minutes. Answer the question asked, in a sentence or two, and don't recite a script. Officers are trained to spot memorized answers. Carry your documents organized but don't hand over a stack unless asked; many decisions are made on your answers alone.

If you are refused under 214(b), you get a letter, not a detailed reason. The refusal is not permanent: you can reapply, pay the fee again, and attend a new interview. Reapplying the following week with the same documents rarely works. Wait until something has changed: a promotion, a property purchase, a trip to the UK or Schengen area, or a clearer purpose. Applying for a Schengen visa or a Canada visitor visa and using it properly builds a travel record that helps.

Travel insurance for US trips

The B1/B2 has no insurance requirement, which is odd given that a night in a US hospital can cost more than your flight. A broken ankle or an appendectomy can run into tens of thousands of dollars, and US hospitals bill visitors at full price. Buy a policy with at least $100,000 of medical cover and emergency evacuation, and check pre-existing condition exclusions if you are visiting elderly parents. Our guide to travel insurance for visa applications compares the main options.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a US visitor visa cost in 2027?

The application fee is $185, paid whether you are approved or not. Where posts collect it, a $250 Visa Integrity Fee is added at issuance, plus any reciprocity fee for your nationality. Nationals of designated countries may also need a refundable bond of $10,000 to $20,000.

Can I apply for a B1/B2 visa in a country where I'm only visiting?

Generally no. Since September 2025 you must apply in your country of nationality or the country where you legally reside. Rare exceptions are made for humanitarian or medical emergencies.

How long is a B1/B2 visa valid?

Validity depends on reciprocity with your country and ranges from a single entry over a few months to multiple entries over ten years. Each entry usually allows up to six months, but the officer at the airport decides the actual length of stay on your I-94 record.

What are my chances after a 214(b) refusal?

Reasonable, if your circumstances have changed. A refusal on 214(b) is a judgment about your ties at that moment, not a ban. Reapplying without anything new usually produces the same answer.

Do children need a visa interview now?

Yes, in most cases. The age-based waivers for children under 14 and adults over 79 ended in September 2025.

Final Thoughts

Apply well ahead of your trip, budget for the fees you know and the ones that may apply, and build your case around ties rather than bank balances. If your nationality is on the travel ban or bond list, read the current State Department pages before paying anything, because the lists have changed several times since 2025.

Most refusals come from vague purposes, inconsistent paperwork and last-minute deposits. Fix those three things and a first-time application is far more likely to succeed. If the US is not the only destination on your list, a Schengen or Canadian visa can be quicker to get and helps your record for a later US application.