For those seeking to travel to the U.S. for business purposes, Business Visa Center (BVC) of Department of State assists business/organizations in the U.S. by providing information about the application process for a Business Visa (B-1).
Don’t send any application documents to the Business Visa Center, unless specifically asked to do so. BVC has not changed any visa processing steps that are conducted by U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide. BVC does not have any authority to issue a visa nor override the decision made by the U.S. Embassy/Consulate regarding the denial of a visa. Business Visa Center directs US organizations to embassy- or consulate-specific visa application procedures, clarifies information about the visa application process, and familiarizes them with the criteria for expedited interview appointments.
If there is an unusual delay in security clearance, such as over a month, or if the travel date is coming near, in certain circumstances, BVC can work with the relevant offices regarding the status. Again, BVC cannot expedite nor waive security clearance processing.
If your company is located outside the USA, local U.S. Embassy or Consulates have programs to assist businesses.
Contacting Business Visa Center
For inquiries falling within the scope of the Business Visa Center’s services, contact:
Email: [email protected] (Preferred)
Phone: 202-485-7675, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (EST), Monday – Friday
For general visa information and to speak with a Visa Specialist, contact:
Phone: 202-485-7675, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (EST), Monday – Friday
Conference/Event Organizer
If you are an organizer/sponsor of a conference/event located in the U.S. that will be held in the U.S., you can send an email to a business visa center with the following information about the conference/event:
- Date(s)
- Title/Name
- Brief description, including purpose and sponsorship
- Location
- Expected international attendance (100 visa applicants minimum to post an event) and the total number of expected attendees
- Point of Contact (at conference/event organizer): organization web site (if available), contact name, title, address, phone number, and email address, in case the U.S. Embassy/Consulate has questions about your announcement.
Providing conference information and a participant list for large conferences does not waive or expedite any visa procedures. It is simply an internal communications tool with U.S. Embassies/Consulates worldwide to let them know that such a conference/event is taking place in the U.S. and BVC has been contacted by the U.S. company. The master conference list is for internal purposes of the Department of State and is not available to the public.
