Question about using B visa -

[cacb 1]

Hi all,

 

Firstly I should thank you all for being helpful in the past - my year long trip last year was successful and I was successfully able to enter and leave the US on my B2 visa.

 

TLDR is this - is the B2 visa inside my passport used up from that one trip, or can it be used again for more in the future, especially for short trips that would otherwise fit within the ESTA? (Note that I'm from Australia, a visa waiver country).

 

 

Background/more info:

Applied for, attended interview, and received B1/B2 visa in passport in May 2022. Expires in 2027

Entered the USA on a B2 visa 20 July 2022 - after being taken to the room and questioned I was admitted until 20 July 2023 (stamped in passport)

Left USA on 17 July 2023 before the end date

Kept to the terms of the visa (did not work, study or overstay)

 

Considering (but not committed) to visiting in early September - invited to a wedding of a friend for a week and a few days

And again in late October to visit other friends for exactly 2 weeks

 

 

Cheers

Edited March 6 by cacb

[Dashinka 23,248]

This is what I found.  I was a bit surprised by the 5 year date, but apparently that is the case for Australians, but it is multi-entry over that period.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/australia.html

Edited March 6 by Dashinka

[Boiler 43,438]

The 5 years is a reciprocity thing.

[appleblossom 1,307]

You can certainly use it again, but if you spent nearly a year in the US last time then I'd be prepared to be questioned upon entry. You may want to take proof of your savings to show that you don't need to work etc. Assume you're retired and that's how you can visit for so long without any income? So you may also want to take proof of that.

 

Good luck. 

Edited March 6 by appleblossom

[Boiler 43,438]

3 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

You can certainly use it again, but if you spent nearly a year in the US last time then I'd be prepared to be questioned upon entry. You may want to take proof of your savings to show that you don't need to work etc. Assume you're retired and that's how you can visit for so long without any income? So you may also want to take proof of that.

 

Good luck. 

I can not imagine they would give a retired person 12 months just to visit.

 

I have seen it in religious settings. Obviously not usual. I can only think of a couple of times I have seen this. Also H1b partners.

[appleblossom 1,307]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

I can not imagine they would give a retired person 12 months just to visit.

 

I have seen it in religious settings. Obviously not usual. I can only think of a couple of times I have seen this. Also H1b partners.

 

Something like hiking the Appalachian Trail would be a good reason, but definitely not usual.

[Boiler 43,438]

42 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

Something like hiking the Appalachian Trail would be a good reason, but definitely not usual.

I have seen that and other similar routes but in the context of a B vs the VWP

[cacb 1]

7 hours ago, Dashinka said:

This is what I found.  I was a bit surprised by the 5 year date, but apparently that is the case for Australians, but it is multi-entry over that period.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/australia.html

Thank-you! This directly answered my question. 

 

 

Judging by the surprise from you guys is it normally single entry?

 

The purpose of the visit was a 9 month long religious/church program I was part of. The extra time before and after was to volunteer at church camps. Either way I disclosed all of this in detail at the border, and ultimately they were content to allow me the year. 

 

It will become over a year since I last visited, so I don't imagine they would be suspicious of me coming back for two short visits. At any rate I do work now and I'd be taking time off with permission from my work. I'll bring some proof of employment just in case.

 

 

Cheers

[Boiler 43,438]

Most Bs are multi entry

[Dashinka 23,248]

29 minutes ago, cacb said:

Thank-you! This directly answered my question. 

 

 

Judging by the surprise from you guys is it normally single entry?

 

The purpose of the visit was a 9 month long religious/church program I was part of. The extra time before and after was to volunteer at church camps. Either way I disclosed all of this in detail at the border, and ultimately they were content to allow me the year. 

 

It will become over a year since I last visited, so I don't imagine they would be suspicious of me coming back for two short visits. At any rate I do work now and I'd be taking time off with permission from my work. I'll bring some proof of employment just in case.

 

 

Cheers

No, it was the 5 yr thing, I expected a 10 yr visa, but apparently that is the agreement between the U.S. and Australian governments.

 

You should be fine, the general rule of thumb is more time outside than inside the U.S.

 

Good Luck!

[MaxP22 151]

I thought CBP can only give 6 months at the border? And you need to apply for 6 months extension if you want to stay longer? Unless things have changed recently.

 

Also the stamp and date in your passport means absolutely nothing and can and have been wrong.

 

Your online i94 is what you need to go by. Curious what yours showed for your last visit as giving 1 year at the POE is very very odd.

[Boiler 43,438]

I have seen it before, not common, a year is the max.

[cacb 1]

2 hours ago, MaxP22 said:

I thought CBP can only give 6 months at the border? And you need to apply for 6 months extension if you want to stay longer? Unless things have changed recently.

 

Also the stamp and date in your passport means absolutely nothing and can and have been wrong.

 

Your online i94 is what you need to go by. Curious what yours showed for your last visit as giving 1 year at the POE is very very odd.

 

Unusual, yes - my case was to be part of a church program that ran for 9 months with optional time extra to volunteer for their summer camps. I had heard it was possible to ask for an additional 6 months so that's what I did. When taken to the room for questioning I was pressed quite harshly to begin with, but after some time they were more accommodating and asked for proof I had paid and was going to attend it like I said I would, and called the church to confirm. After checking with their supervisor they gave me until next year exactly to leave.

 

I doubt that they would have lied about that? They would have just refused me or told me I could only be there for 6 months if that wasn't possible.

I dont think I94 would have been right for my situation as my circumstances wouldn't have changed, I was always intending for 9 months to a year.

 

 

Anyway this is just afterthought, my question here has been answered already

Edited March 7 by cacb

[cacb 1]

6 hours ago, MaxP22 said:

Your online i94 is what you need to go by. Curious what yours showed for your last visit as giving 1 year at the POE is very very odd.

 

So I didn't have to fill anything in from memory, no form or extension - but I do have a record on the i94 website. Is this what you mean by online i94?