Length of US Visa if not on Visa Waiver

[Annie456]

Hi,

A friend of mine was arrested but not charged a few years ago for not having a bus ticket on a london bus! She now works in London and may have to travel to NYC for work over the next few years on business and wants to go to the US on holiday this summer. She will obviously need to go down the visa route but how long will they grant a visa to her for, 6 months, 1 year, 10 years? From a business point of view she would want to be able to leave for NYC on a moments notice... so far as the holiday is concerned, would she simply apply for a visa that would be suitable for both holiday and business uses?

[dzug]

It varies how long but it's a maximum of 10 years - if they are happy with her they will probably give that if she explains she will need to travel regularly. If they have doubts it will be a shorter period.

It doesn't mean she can stay in the US for 10 years BTW - merely that she can make multiple trips in that 10 years. Typically a single trip will be limited to (an extendible) 90 days.

Tourist and business visas are separate - B1 and B2 - I would imagine she will need both.