B1 Visitor
When a department invites a foreign professional to visit WSU for a short duration (usually several days to several weeks), the immigration status of B-1 (Visitor for Business) might be appropriate and will simply necessitate a letter of invitation from the Department Chair/Director/Dean.
Eligibility
A foreign professional should be eligible for B-l status under the following circumstances:
- He/she is a professor, scientist, university president, business executive, etc.;
- The purpose of the professional’s visit is (a) to participate “in scientific, educational, professional, or business conventions or conferences” or (b) to “undertake independent (not collaborative) research”;
- WSU, or any U.S. funding source, will provide “only ‘reasonable’ reimbursement for incidental expenses--including accommodations, meals, and travel expenses...” The term “reasonable” is a critical factor which lends itself to a variety of interpretations. It would be advisable to assume that the interpretations of that term by the U.S. Consular and Immigration officers will be very conservative;
- The professional will not be employed in the U.S.
A foreigner is not eligible for B-1 status if the individual:
- is a student or other non-professional, in most cases;
- will engage in collaborative research and/or teaching efforts;
- will be employed in the U.S. ;
- will receive from WSU, or some other U.S. funding source, “any salary, wage, honorarium, stipend, or other form of compensation for services rendered”.
If your department determines, based on the above information, that the visitor appears to qualify for B-1 status, the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) recommends that the Chair/Director of the host unit issue a letter of invitation to the prospective visitor.
Please contact the OISS office by email at oiss@wsu.edu or by phone at 509-335-4508 to request a sample invitation letter.
If the B-1 status does not seem applicable, please contact OISS for information regarding a different immigration status.
It is very important to realize that the B-2 visa category (Visitor for Pleasure), is not suitable for official visits to the university and precludes the visitor from any type of remuneration.
Honorarium Payments to a B-1 Visitor
Payment of an honorarium to a B-1 visitor may be permitted under the following circumstances:
WSU or any other U.S. funding source, will provide honorarium payment and associated incidental expenses for usual academic activity or activities only;
- The visit will last no longer than 9 days at any single institution;
- An honorarium can be provided to the international visitor if such payment is offered by WSU and is made for activities conducted for the benefit of WSU and the international visitor has not accepted such payment or expenses from more than 5 institutions or organizations in the previous 6-month period; and
- The international professional visitor will not be employed in the U.S.
Page Updated: February 15, 2008