More Information on NIV

Persons traveling for business reasons as well as students and exchange visitors may receive expedited appointments. Please advise the call center operator if you are traveling for these purposes.

Doing Business - Using Your Visitors (B1) Visa

Certain kinds of "business" related travel, is permitted using a B-1 visitor visa. The definition of "business" under immigration law is limited, and does not generally allow for gainful employment, labor for hire or productive activity such as operating a business or consultancy work. Specifically, in the applicable U.S. law the term "business" is limited to the negotiation of contracts, consultation with business associates, litigation, and participation in scientific, educational, professional or business conventions, conferences or seminars and other legitimate activities of a commercial or professional nature.

Persons entering the U.S. on a visitor visa, for business or tourism (B-1/B-2), or without a visa on the Visa Waiver Program are not permitted to work. If you are planning to work, or to attend certain training in the U.S., you cannot enter the U.S. with a visitor visa. Instead, you will need a visa in one of the employment categories for temporary workers.

Representatives of the foreign press, radio, film, journalists or other information media, engaging in that vocation while in the U.S., require a nonimmigrant Media (I) visa and cannot travel to the U.S. using a business visa.

Persons traveling to the United States for business purposes such as a business meeting, conference, symposium, training course, or temporary work incidental to their work in Poland must make an appointment for an interview (this includes seamen). Appointments for business applicants are scheduled Monday through Friday beginning 7:30 a.m. except Polish and American holidays and the last working Friday of the month. Business applicants must submit the electronic application form DS-156 with a bar-code. Visas for business applicants are returned by the DHL courier service. Visas can be issued on the same or next day only in emergency situations.

Apart from the documents described in Basic documents and photographs travelers for business reasons must present the following:

• a letter of invitation from an American company listing the name of the person being invited, the purpose of the trip and the dates of the visit;
  
• a statement from the Polish delegating institution on official letterhead listing the applicant’s position, duties and length of employment and the purpose of travel to the U.S.;
  

Applicants traveling to the U.S. for a scientific conference or symposium or to visit an American university or a scientific organization should present the documents described in Basic documents and photographs and the following:

• an invitation on the letterhead of the inviting American institution or a written confirmation of participation in a conference;
  
• a reference letter from the delegating Polish scientific institution (e.g., university, research institute) listing the applicant's position, duties, length of employment and the purpose of his/her travel to the U.S.

Participants in sporting events, apart from the documents described in Basic documents and photographs, must also present the following:

1. Letter of invitation from the event organizers that lists the names of all travelers
   
2. Letter from the relevant Polish sports association that lists the names of all travelers and their role in the event;
   
3. Documentation showing individual and/or group participation in similar events in Poland and abroad, for example press clips, awards and old passports with visas.