Duraion of continuous stay on multiple entry visitor visa (B1/B2) ?

Question

I have 10 year multiple entry visa of US. Usually how long stay do they issue at port of entry? I mean 6 month or how many days (180 days)? I want to buy return ticket based on that. Please share your experience how many days/months stay usually people get at one time if they have multiple entry visa?

Answer 1

Usually you get 6 months upon entry but it sometimes its less, depending on what country you are from. Having a multiple entry visa doesn't guarantee that you'll be admitted into the US. If the border people see a pattern of coming for the maximum time they may want to see proof that you can support yourself while "visiting." I've heard tell of B-2 visa holders even being denied entry after visiting many times and never overstaying their time.

Answer 2

The fact that you have a multiple entry visa has no bearing on the length of stay you will be granted upon arrival.  Currently, the usual length of stay is 6-months (other circumstances not withstanding).  If this will be your first time in the US, and you have a return ticket to show with a return date no more than 6-months after your inbound flight, you should not have any problems, as long as you can demonstrate that you have the means to support your visit without working.

Every time your enter and exit the US, it is logged into the computer system.  If you establish a pattern of repeated trips to the US, spending more time in the US than out of the US, it is very likely that you will be denied entry into the US, regardless of your visa.

Answer 3

The point is that you have a visa for short tourist visits to the United States.  Immigration will generally stamp permitted to land for six months in your passport, but even this is changing.  Six months is a really long stay, and if you do a few visits like that back to back, you'll start to look like you are living in the US illegally and get in trouble.  

Plan your tourist trip and purchase your return ticket based on when your trip will be done, not on what the maximum time will be that you can stay.