United States — B1/B2 Tourist Visa 180-Day Limit
Summary
- Usual stay
- 6 months per admission (B-2 tourists)
- Legal maximum
- 1 year per admission
- Per
- Each entry / visit
- Annual cap
- None (no rolling limit)
- Reset
- Each new entry starts fresh
- Set by
- Your I-94 admission record
On a US B1/B2 visa you can usually stay six months per visit as a tourist — the "180-day rule" people talk about. B-2 visitors are normally admitted for six months, and the regulations allow up to one year. There is no annual cap and no rolling window — the limit applies to each single admission, and the exact leave-by date is set by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer when you enter and recorded on your Form I-94. Always check the "admit until" date, because it can be shorter, especially on a business (B-1) trip.
Who it applies to
This rule matters most if you are:
- A tourist or business visitor entering the US on a B1, B2, or combined B1/B2 visa.
- A frequent visitor — someone with family, property, or business ties in the US who makes repeated or long stays as a non-immigrant.
- A remote worker or long-term traveler planning an extended stay and needing to know their real leave-by date.
It applies regardless of nationality to anyone admitted in B1/B2 status. Travelers entering visa-free under the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) are governed by different, shorter rules and are not covered here.
The rule — and why it exists
A B1/B2 visa lets you travel to a US port of entry; it does not by itself decide how long you may stay. Two things work together:
- The six-month standard. Under 8 CFR §214.2(b), a B-1 or B-2 visitor may be admitted for up to one year. Under §214.2(b)(2), a B-2 tourist who is otherwise admissible is admitted for a minimum of six months, provided any required passport is valid as the regulation requires; a shorter admission otherwise needs the district director's specific approval for good cause in an individual case. That minimum does not apply to B-1 business visitors, who can be given a shorter stay.
- The I-94 admit-until date. The officer at the border records the actual authorized period on your electronic I-94. That date — not the visa — is your legal deadline to depart.
Why it exists: the B1/B2 is a non-immigrant, temporary visa for visits, not residence. Capping each stay and putting the decision in an officer's hands on arrival lets the US admit genuine visitors while stopping people from using a tourist visa to live in the country indefinitely.
How your stay is set
Because the limit is per admission rather than per year, there is no rolling count of days across a 12-month window. The period is fixed at each entry:
- 1Enter the US on your valid B1/B2 visa and clear CBP inspection.
- 2Retrieve your electronic I-94 record at the CBP I-94 website after entry.
- 3Read the 'Admit Until Date' — that is your legal leave-by date, usually six months out for a tourist.
- 4Depart on or before that date, or file to extend before it passes.
- 5On a later trip, the allowance resets on the new admission — at the officer's discretion.
Examples
Example 1 — a standard six-month visit
You arrive on 1 March for a long holiday. The CBP officer admits you for six months, so your I-94 shows an admit-until date at the end of August. That date, not your multi-year visa, is your deadline — you must leave on or before it or file to extend.
Example 2 — a shorter authorized stay
You enter for a two-week business trip, and the officer grants you until 30 June — say 45 days. Even though tourists usually get six months, your actual limit is whatever the I-94 shows. Staying past 30 June is an overstay.
Example 3 — leaving and re-entering
You spend five months in the US, leave for a month, then return. A fresh period can be granted on re-entry. But because your stays are long and close together, the officer questions whether you are really just visiting and admits you for a shorter period this time.
Exceptions & edge cases
- Officer discretion. Six months is the norm for tourists, not a guarantee. Business (B-1) visitors are not covered by the six-month minimum, a tourist can be admitted for less in an individual case or where the passport does not meet the validity condition, and an officer can refuse entry if they believe you are effectively living in the US on a visitor visa.
- Extensions. You can request more time in B1/B2 status by filing Form I-539 with USCIS before your I-94 date expires. Extensions are discretionary and typically granted in increments of up to six months.
- Overstay consequences. Remaining past your I-94 date voids the visa. More than 180 days (but less than a year) of unlawful presence triggers a three-year re-entry bar once you depart; a year or more triggers a ten-year bar.
- Visa Waiver / ESTA travelers. Visa-free entry follows a separate, shorter (generally 90-day) framework and cannot be extended the same way — this page does not cover it.
Common misconceptions
- "My visa is valid for 10 years, so I can stay that long." False — the visa only controls when you may travel to the border. Each stay is capped and set by your I-94.
- "I always get six months." Not always — it is the usual tourist admission, not a guarantee, and business trips are often shorter. Always confirm the admit-until date on your I-94.
- "There's an annual day limit like Schengen." False — the B1/B2 rule has no rolling 12-month cap; the limit is per admission.
- "A quick border hop always resets the clock cleanly." Not reliably — re-entry is at the officer's discretion, and repeated long stays invite scrutiny.
Frequently asked questions
Per visit. The B1/B2 visa has no rolling annual cap. B-2 tourists are normally admitted for six months per entry (8 CFR §214.2(b) allows up to one year), and the clock resets when you leave and are readmitted. There is no fixed number of days you may spend in the US across a 12-month period.
On your electronic Form I-94 at the CBP I-94 website, in the field labeled 'Admit Until Date.' That date — set by the CBP officer at the port of entry — is your real legal deadline. It can be shorter than six months, especially for B-1 business visitors, who are not covered by the six-month minimum that applies to B-2 tourists, even though the visa itself is valid for years.
Legally the allowance resets on each new admission, but CBP has full discretion. Frequent, long, or back-to-back visits can lead an officer to shorten your stay or refuse entry if they believe you are effectively living in the US on a visitor visa.
Yes — you can file Form I-539 with USCIS before your current I-94 date expires to request more time in B1/B2 status. Extensions are not guaranteed and are typically granted in increments of up to six months.
Overstaying automatically voids your visa and you generally must reapply from your home country. More than 180 days (but less than a year) of unlawful presence triggers a three-year bar on returning once you leave, and a year or more triggers a ten-year bar, so track your exact admit-until date.
No. The visa's expiration date only limits when you may travel to a US port of entry. How long you can remain inside the country is set separately by the CBP officer and recorded on your I-94.
This rule is tracked automaticallyin
Bounded
- Automatically tracks your days for this rule
- Alerts you before you cross the limit
- Records border-crossing days in both countries
- Runs alongside your other visa, tax, and residency rules
Sources
Related rules
For information only. This page is a plain-English summary of publicly available rules, not tax, legal, or immigration advice. Rules change and depend on your personal circumstances — always confirm with the official source above and a qualified professional before acting.