Why some visas start with a personal consultation
For work visas, business trips and special cases, the details decide: what exactly you will do in the US, which company stands behind the trip, which nationality you hold and where you have been. We clarify this in a personal conversation – before you invest time and money in the wrong application.
Why there is no off-the-shelf flat price here
A visitor visa follows a largely standardised process. Work visas, business trips with special activities or a difficult history are different: which category applies at all, whether ESTA is enough, which evidence the consulate expects and whether a petition with the US immigration authority USCIS is needed first all depend on your personal situation.
A package you could simply book would promise a certainty that does not exist. In the consultation we therefore lay the groundwork together first – afterwards you know which route is realistic and, if you wish, receive an offer that fits your case.
The category has to fit
ESTA, business visa or work visa: B-1, E-1, E-2, L-1, O-1, P and I each have their own narrowly defined requirements. Applying for the wrong category risks a refusal – and that stays in your visa history for good.
Business trip or already work?
Meetings, negotiations and trade fairs are permitted with B-1 or ESTA. Hands-on work, installation or project work on site may require a work visa instead – the line is a fine one.
The company is part of the application
For work visas the consulate reviews ownership structure, the shareholders’ nationality, investments or group relationships just as thoroughly as your person.
Your history matters
A previous refusal, a denied ESTA application or an overstay fundamentally changes the starting point and calls for a strategy of its own.
The requirements we review in the consultation
An overview of the points that typically decide. Which of them are decisive in your case, we clarify together.
Purpose & activities on site
What counts is not the label of the trip but what you actually do in the US.
- Planned activities: meetings, contract negotiations, conferences, trade fairs, training or hands-on work
- Installation, maintenance or service work – only possible as a business trip under narrow conditions
- Planned start, length, frequency and pattern of your stays
- Combination of business and private elements (B-1/B-2)
Company & corporate constellation
Business trips and work visas are backed by a company – for work visas the company itself has to meet certain criteria.
- Who sends you and who pays your salary – for business trips usually still the company outside the US
- Legal form, seat and ownership structure of the entities in Germany and in the US
- Nationality of the shareholders – for E visas at least 50% must be held by nationals of the treaty country
- Relationship between the German and the US entity (parent, subsidiary, branch, customer or partner) – central to the L-1 visa
- Amount and source of an investment (E-2) or volume of trade with the US (E-1)
You & your qualifications
Besides the company, your role has to match the chosen category.
- Position and duties in the US: executive, manager, specialist or essential employee
- Prior employment with the company – for L-1 at least one continuous year within the last three years
- Education, experience, awards and evidence of special abilities (especially for O-1 and P)
- Accompanying family: spouse or partner and children under 21
Nationality & ESTA eligibility
Your nationality decides whether visa-free entry is possible at all – and, for E visas, the category itself.
- Your nationality (or nationalities) and whether you can use the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA)
- Dual nationalities – they can rule out ESTA and are reviewed separately for E visas
- Type and validity of your passport
- Residence and status if you do not live in your country of origin
Travel history & countries visited
Where you have been affects ESTA eligibility, the depth of the review and the processing time.
- Previous US stays, visas and ESTA approvals – including purpose and length of the trips
- Stays in certain countries (incl. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, North Korea, Cuba) that can rule out ESTA or trigger additional security checks
- Overstays or violations of previous terms of stay
History & special circumstances
Some points do not rule out a visa but call for a strategy of their own.
- Previous visa refusals or denied ESTA applications
- Criminal records, arrests or proceedings – even if expunged or long ago
- Previous or pending immigration petitions (e.g. green card) that can affect the required intent to return
- Ties to your home country (job, family, residence) and funding of the stay
What matters for each visa type
Each category has its own focus. If you came from a service page, your visa type is highlighted.
Business visa
- Distinguishing permitted business activity from work
- Checking whether ESTA is enough or a visa is required
- Evidence from employer and US business partner
- Planning for frequent or longer stays
Combined business & visitor visa
- A mix of business and private travel
- Stays beyond the 90 days of an ESTA entry
- Reasons why ESTA is not possible in your case
- Evidence of intent to return and funding
Treaty Trader
- Substantial, ongoing trade between the US and the treaty country
- More than half of the company’s international trade is with the US
- At least 50% ownership by nationals of the treaty country
- Executive or essential role with the same nationality
Treaty Investor
- Substantial investment that has been made or is irrevocably committed
- A real, operating enterprise – not a passive investment
- The business supports more than the investor’s own living (not “marginal”)
- Control of the business or an executive or essential role
Intracompany Transferee
- Qualifying relationship between the German and the US entity
- At least one year of continuous employment within the last three years
- Executive or managerial role (L-1A) or specialised knowledge (L-1B)
- Individual USCIS petition or blanket L approval of the group
Extraordinary Ability
- Evidence of national or international acclaim in your field
- Petition by a US employer or US agent with USCIS
- Advisory opinion from a suitable peer organisation
- A concrete itinerary or engagement plan in the US
Athletes, Artists & Entertainers
- International recognition (P-1), reciprocal exchange (P-2) or culturally unique programme (P-3)
- USCIS petition – often for entire groups including support staff
- Contracts, tour plans and evidence of the events
- Timing aligned with performance or competition dates
Representatives of Foreign Media
- Working for a foreign media organisation based outside the US
- Journalistic or informational nature of the assignment
- Distinction from advertising, entertainment or purely commercial productions
- Evidence from the employer or client and press credentials
New application after refusal & unclear cases
- Previous visa refusal or ESTA denial
- Stays in countries that rule out ESTA
- Dual nationality
- Unclear which visa type fits at all
What you know after the consultation
Not a sales pitch, but an honest assessment of your plans.
- Which entry option fits you – ESTA, business visa or work visa – and which does not
- The requirements and evidence that are decisive in your case
- Possible risks from travel history or prior issues and how to deal with them
- A realistic timeline up to your entry
- The right next step – as a directly bookable service or an individual offer
How your consultation works
- 1
Book the consultation
You book the consultation online and tell us your purpose of travel, nationality and preferred dates. Payment is only due once we have reviewed your request.
- 2
Assignment & confirmed appointment
Based on your details we assign your request to the right specialist team and confirm the appointment and your contact person.
- 3
Your consultation
By phone or internet call we go through your situation point by point and answer your questions.
- 4
Recommendation & next step
You receive a concrete recommendation – and, if you wish, the matching service or an individual offer for your application.
Because effort and prospects are only clear once purpose of travel, company and personal situation have been reviewed. A flat price would be too high for simple cases and would not cover complex ones. That is why work visas, the B-1 business visa and special cases start with a consultation.
Often not: for many business trips of up to 90 days, German nationals only need an ESTA approval. A visa is required if ESTA is not possible because of nationality, travel history or a previous refusal, or if the stay is longer.
Typically meetings, contract negotiations, attending conferences and trade fairs, and short training. Productive work for a US company or being paid from the US is generally not permitted. Special rules apply to installation and service work.
Helpful are details on your purpose of travel and planned activities, on your employer or the relationship between the German and US entity, your CV and information on previous US trips, visas and any refusals.
Stays in certain countries can rule out visa-free entry with ESTA; a visa is then required. In the consultation we review whether and how you are affected and what that means for your application.
Yes. With recurring assignments in particular, a structured look at the company constellation pays off – every subsequent application benefits from it.
No. Green card and other immigrant visa procedures are not part of our services. We focus on temporary visas for travel, study and work.
No. Visas and ESTA are decided solely by the competent US authorities. The consultation makes sure you choose the right route, spot risks early and enter the process well prepared.
Start with a personal consultation
In a personal conversation we review your situation and show you the realistic route to your visa.
Important: we are a private service provider, not a government body. Decisions on visas and ESTA are made solely by the responsible US authorities. No one can guarantee approval.