The U.S. offers two non-immigrant visas that will allow foreign national's to visit the U.S. These are the B1 and B2 visa. The B1 visa is for business visitors and the B2 visa is for tourists or visitors for pleasure.

Although the B1 allows the foreign national to engage in some types of commercial activities, it does not allow the foreign national to work in the U.S. It is limited to engaging in commercial transactions not involving gainful employment, such as negotiating contracts, investigating business deals, litigation, etc.

The B2 visa is for visitors who desire to come to the U.S.: to visit a friend or family member; for health reasons; tourism; participation in conventions or meetings for social organizations; and other similar activities.

Many people wonder how they can help their friend or family member obtain a visa to visit the U.S. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to help because these visas are issued only by the U.S. Embassy or Consular post abroad--you cannot apply for your friend or relative. What you can do is provide your friend or relative with some information about how to apply for a visa on their own.

The first thing your friend or family member should do is visit the website of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that is closest to their home. The State Department has very good consular websites that provide detailed instructions on the visitor visa process. To locate the website for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest your relative go to:

http://usembassy.state.gov/

At most embassies, your friend or relative will have to contact the embassy and schedule an appointment, complete forms DS-156 (and DS-157 for men between the ages of 16 and 45), pay a fee, and then attend an interview. In most cases the forms can be submitted electronically through the U.S. Embassy or Consulate's website.

However, the procedures vary from country to country so the best practice is to visit the website of the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate and follow the instructs carefully.