how often can you come to the US on a tourist visa

[bt1 42]

A friend of mine got a 10 year multiple entry tourist visa. She will go back home after a 3 month stay and is planning to come back 3 weeks later for another 3 months. Is this allowed? Also, how often can she come in a calendar year, is there a limit? She is always planning on coming for 3 months, back and forth, again, is this allowed?

She is not working, she is retired and just visiting friends.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Is it allowed? Maybe, maybe not.

Depends on her personal circumstances and credibility.

But 3 months in, 3 weeks out, forever? She will be denied entry at some point. Generally you are not supposed to be in the US over 6 months a year.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Harpa Timsah

[Dave&Roza 748]

A friend of mine got a 10 year multiple entry tourist visa. She will go back home after a 3 month stay and is planning to come back 3 weeks later for another 3 months. Is this allowed? Also, how often can she come in a calendar year, is there a limit? She is always planning on coming for 3 months, back and forth, again, is this allowed?

She is not working, she is retired and just visiting friends.

The key term here is TOURIST. Does a tourist spend more time in a country they are visiting or in their home country? If the CBP ever thinks your friend is using the tourist visa to live in the US--i.e. typically defined as spending more than 182 days out of any consecutive 365 day period inside the US--then they will be warned and if they fail to heed that warning the visa will be revoked. Also, your friend cannot assume they can spend 6 months each time they visit. Again the CBP person will determine the length of time your friend gets to spend in the US and this is based on previous trips, their length, and the amount of time spent outside the US preferably in their home country.

Dave

[Boiler 45,673]

There is the IRS definition of resident, which she would be.

What sort of 'friend' is she visiting?

[bt1 42]

Thanks everyone for your input, much appreciated. I don't think she wants to do this "forever"...she just has several friends and relatives throughout the US and now that she is retired, she has the time to visit. She never wants to stay longer than 3 months at a time and certainly no longer than 6 months in one year. Personally, I think that after 2-3 visits, she will have enough of being away from home and won't do it for a while.