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Foreign citizens (like from India, China etc.) who wish to visit the United States temporarily must first obtain a visa. Those coming to the U.S. as tourists, to visit friends or relatives, for medical treatment or to conduct business, must obtain a visitor's visa (B-1 for business or B-2 for pleasure/medical treatment). B1 and B2 are non-immigrant visa. Such visas are normally issued up to period of 3 months to 10 years. Once the visitor is in USA, an additional extension of 6 months can be obtained upon approval by USCIS.

Persons planning to enter the United States for different purposes, such as study, temporary employment, crew service, journalism, religious work, etc., must apply for a different category of visa. Persons who want to remain in the United States indefinitely or plan to seek employment cannot be classified as visitors.

Applicants for visitor visas must show that they qualify under provisions of Immigration and Nationality Act. The presumption in the law is that every visitor visa applicant is an intending immigrant. Therefore, individuals applying for visitor visas must overcome this presumption.

Applicants must demonstrate that they have a residence in the home country which they do not intend to abandon, that they wish to enter the United States for a specifically limited period, and that the purpose of the trip is to enter United States for business, tourism or medical treatment.

There are many countries whose citizens do not require visitors visa to enter United States temporarily.

More Information

Tourist visa is appropriate if you want to come to US for "pleasure". But the meaning of this word is broader than you roaming around to tourist places
all the time, with a camera and camcorder. Many types of activities qualify under tourist visa, such as participating in conventions, conferences or convocation of fraternal or social organizations; looking into potential colleges or universities, taking rest, visiting friends and family, taking
part in amateur unpaid arts entertainment events or contests, attending short classes, receiving medical treatment, accompanying relatives on other temporary visas, for voluntary programs conducted by charitable organizations, as visiting ministers, or personal/domestic employees, under certain conditions. Some foreign athletes and sports teams may come to the US with visitors visas.

You can also come to US on tourist visa to look at schools. If that is your intention, it is better to specify that at the time of application so that officer can put
a notation in your visa stamp "Prospective Student". This is important to avoid any future problems where USCIS might say that studying was true intention and not tourism, when you apply for change of status once you get admission into the school.

If you are planning to attend short, recreational or part-time study course such as cooking, art, yoga classes, it is better to specify at the time of application so that you can get "Study incidental to visit: I-20 not required" notation on your visa stamp to avoid any problems later.

Representatives of foreign press, radio, film, journalists or other information media, engaging in that vocation while in the US require a nonimmigrant Media (I) visa and cannot travel to the US using a visitor visa and cannot travel on the visa waiver program.

Visitors are not authorized to work in the US.Unless previously cancelled, a visa is valid until its expiration date.