jameyjames

Could UK company use B1 Visa to operate Bus tours in USA and Canada using a B1 visa.
Selling tours only to UK and Europe residents. Would UK bus have to be used (ship it in for 8months at a time) ?
Pick up passengers at USA airport do tour 30 days or 60 and then drive them to CND airport. Tour could include flights price
Or could USA registered bus be used.

B1 visa allows bus tour operators to operate tours provided passengers don't leave the tour in the us or the operation doesn't go between 2 USA desnation. So a bus can drive to USA with passengers but then must return

Noorah101

No.

Rene

ian-mstm

No.

Ian

civilservant

Can't work on a B1 - so that idea is out.

Vimto

The diesel engine in your proposed temporarily European imported bus would not meet EPA & CARB requirements either hence you wouldn't be able to import it.

scrubbedexpat099

Buses go to Canada and Mexico, how do those English open top buses get in?

crg

Interesting premise. B-1 includes tractor trailer drivers who come from Canada to drop cargo in the US and return with different cargo, but I see many obstacles. Which state/province will issue a CDL to a nonresident without a social security number? I doubt they would get licensed without that, let alone a commercial license. What about insurance, and repairs? Any ground/support staff may need work authorization.

Vimto

The engines in the older Routemaster buses were retro fitted with a Cummins diesel engine and Allison automatic transmission which meets EPA & CARB emissions requirements

FlyingDutchman6666

Sounds like there's a nice bit of protectionism going on. The gigantic clouds of black smoke coming out of the trucks in the Greater Toronto Area are a sight to behold. Am I supposed to believe that they meet stricter standards than the UK's clean diesels?

jameyjames

"Tour Bus Operators- Tour bus operators are treated similarly to commercial truck drivers under IFM § 15.5(c)(1)(E). Passengers cannot be transported by a B-1 tour bus driver from one US destination to another. If passengers are dropped off in the US, the tour bus driver must either go back empty or pick up the passengers and transport them back out of the US."

Granted it this Mainly for Mexican and Canadian companies. But it doesn't mention Companies from other countries can't do this.

Noorah101

What is "it"? Please post the link to your quote.

Rene
Moderator

RICH

Paging Scouse Express.

jameyjames

Activities Allowed and Prohibited Under B-1 Visas - Zhang & Attorneys, L.P. in Silicon Valley, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Austin, and Seattle

Link to the quote

sir_eccles

IFM is Inspectors Field Manual, CBP's I believe.

A little poking around on Google suggests the wording comes up in relation to NAFTA, so Mexico, Canada and US tour buses. Quite possible it is only referring to the tourists sitting on the bus.

Scouse Express

I'm just reading this post, after three weeks of Touring through Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick, Canada.


Jim.