Impermissible B-1 Visa Activities
Ordinary employment: A B-1 Visa Business Visitor may not engage in ordinary employment, or perform skilled or unskilled labor, and may not be compensated by a U.S. source.
*** A U.S. source, however, may provide a B-1 Visa Business Visitor with an expense allowance or reimbursement for expenses incidental to the temporary stay.
Enrollment in a course of study: The B-1 Visa classification is not available for the purpose of study.
Foreign Press: B-1 Visa Business Visitors may not be representatives of foreign press, radio, film or other foreign information media coming to engage in such vocation.
Construction: The B-1 Visa classification is not available for the performance of building or construction work. However, B-1 Visa Business Visitors may enter for the purpose of supervision or training of others engaged in building or construction work, but not for the purpose of actually performing any building or construction work themselves.
Entertainment: B-1 visa status is generally not appropriate for professional entertainers who seek to enter the United States temporarily to perform services. Professional entertainers generally must seek admission under the P visa classification. Note that exceptions exist for Participants in Cultural Programs and Participants in International Competitions.
Also excluded from the B-1 visa classification are stage and movie actors, musicians, singers and dancers, and other personnel such as technicians, electricians, make-up specialists, and film crew members coming to the United States to produce films, etc.
