If you're looking for an answer, let me tell you there’s no official minimum bank balance required for a U.S. B1/B2 visa. Consular officers don’t approve you just because your account shows a big number, and they won’t deny you just because it’s modest. What they look for is whether you can pay for your trip and whether your overall situation (job, family, travel history, finances) shows you’ll return to your country after your visit. In this blog, we will help you understand the financial requirements to get a US tourist visa.

How much bank balance is required for a US tourist visa?

There’s no fixed “minimum bank balance” for a U.S. B-1/B-2 tourist visa. Consular officers look for credible proof that you can pay for your trip (and any dependents) and that you’ll return home. Apart from checking your bank account balance, the officer will also assess the following things:

• Ability to fund your stay (tickets, stay, daily costs, internal travel). There’s no fixed rupee/dollar threshold in U.S. rules.

• Ties to your country & intent to return: Employment, business, studies, family, property, prior travel. If you can’t overcome a large balance, it won’t save the case.

• Financial consistency: Steady inflows and regular spending over several months are preferable to a sudden top-up right before the interview.

A practical way to estimate your own “enough funds”

Use a trip budget, then add a buffer. Here’s a middle-of-the-road cost guide you can adapt to your itinerary:

• Flights: $800-$1,300 round-trip per person (varies by season/city)

• Daily spend (accommodation + food + local transport + activities): $150–$250/day per person in major cities

• Internal flights/trains (if any): $150–$400 per segment

• Visa + insurance + misc.: $150–$250.

Thumb rule: Show readily available funds that cover your total trip cost + a 25–30% buffer, reflected over the past 6 months of statements. Officers care more about plausibility and stability than a magic number.

Worked examples (per traveller)

• 10 days, one city (budget/mid)
  Daily $170 × 10 = $1,700
  Flights $1,000 + misc $200 = $2,900 total → aim to show $3,600–$3,800 available.
  

• 15 days, two cities (mid)
  Daily $200 × 15 = $3,000
  Flights $1,100 + one domestic $250 + misc $250 = $4,600–$4,800 → aim to show $5,800–$6,200 available.
  
  

What factors affect the minimum bank balance requirement for a US visa?

Here are the most common financial evidence pitfalls that can affect your US B-1/B-2 (tourist) visa application, plus why each can lead to refusal:

• Insufficient funds for the stated trip: If the money you show can’t realistically cover your flights, accommodation, daily costs, insurance, and a sensible buffer, plus any bills due at home, an officer may conclude you cannot support yourself without working or accessing public funds. Always build a line-item budget for your itinerary and make sure your recent bank statements clearly cover that total with room to spare.

• Unexplained large deposits or last-minute top-ups: Suddenly, big credits shortly before applying look like borrowed or temporary funds. Without a paper trail (e.g., asset sale receipt, matured deposit certificate, bonus letter), caseworkers may doubt the genuineness of your money and refuse on credibility grounds. If you must move funds, explain each large deposit with brief evidence.

• Thin or incomplete bank history: Submitting only a month or two of statements or screenshots that omit your name, account number, or running balance prevents caseworkers from assessing stability. Provide full, consecutive statements for 3–6 months in proper PDF form, not cropped images, so the balance trend and income pattern are clear.

• Relying on non-liquid assets or inaccessible funds: Property valuations, retirement accounts with penalties, locked term deposits, or joint accounts you can’t freely use don’t prove you can pay for the trip now. If you cite such assets, also show accessible cash or a clear path to liquidity (e.g., matured term certificate) well before travel.

• High liabilities without a plan to cover them: Rent/mortgage, EMIs/loans, tuition, or family support that continue while you travel can strain your budget. If your statements suggest these obligations would leave you short, refusal is likely. Include a simple obligations summary and demonstrate that your remaining funds and ongoing income still comfortably cover those bills.

• Weak or unevidenced sponsorship: A host or company can reduce your required balance only if they provide strong proof: 3–6 months of their bank statements, payslips/tax, status/ID, and a precise letter stating what they will pay (lodging, meals, local transport, etc.). Vague invitations or single-page balances without history aren’t persuasive, and officers may then judge the application against your funds alone.

• Claiming free accommodation without proof: Saying you’ll stay with friends/family but omitting their address, ID/status, and a dated host letter raises doubts and pushes officers to assume hotel costs. That immediately increases the funds you’re expected to show. Provide a clear invitation and recent proof of the host’s address to lock in the cost reduction.

• Messy documentation and contradictions: Totals on the application form that don’t match statements, mismatched names, missing pages, or conflicting information across documents create credibility concerns. Caseworkers may choose to avoid untangling errors. Triple-check that every number and name aligns, and add a one-paragraph note to explain any anomalies.

• Cash-heavy finances with no audit trail: Large cash deposits or “cash on hand” claims without receipts, tax returns, or business records don’t travel well in immigration contexts. Where possible, move to traceable banking, invoice-based business income, and documented salary transfers for at least a few months before applying.

• Purpose-budget mismatch: High-cost reasons for travel, such as conferences, private medical treatment, and long family stays, require correspondingly higher evidence. If your documentation doesn’t reflect those specific costs (e.g., registration invoices, medical estimates) and an appropriate cushion, officers may refuse for inadequate means.

• Dependants without proportional funds: If you’re paying for a spouse/children too, but your balance only covers a solo traveller’s costs, the application looks under-funded. Provide a per-person budget and ensure the single funding account (or each adult’s account) clearly covers their share.

• No residual balance after the trip: If your plan would drain the account to near zero, an officer may conclude the trip isn’t financially sustainable. Show that you’ll have money left over and that your regular income will continue; this signals you won’t need to work or seek public funds while visiting.

• Lack of ties amplifying financial doubts: Weak employment ties, no property/family responsibilities, or a history of long international stays can magnify any financial shortfall. In borderline cases, strengthen ties (employer letter with approved leave and return date, lease/mortgage statements, family documentation) so a reasonable balance looks sufficient.

What documents serve as financial proof for a US visitor visa?

Core personal evidence (most applicants)

• Bank statements: Last 3-6 months, with your name, account number, dates, and running balance in PDFs.

• Proof of income: Recent payslips (3–6) and an employer letter (role, salary, start date, approved leave).

• Tax filings: Latest 1040/W-2 or your country’s equivalent to corroborate income.

• Savings/investments: Statements for fixed deposits, CDs, brokerage/mutual funds showing ownership and current value.

If self-employed/ business owner

• Business registration/licence and recent tax returns.

• Invoices/contracts and business bank statements showing revenue that matches deposits.

• (Optional) Accountant/CPA letter summarising income.
  
  

If you have a sponsor (family/friend/company)

• Invitation/support letter explaining the relationship and exact costs covered (lodging, meals, local transport, etc.).

• Sponsor’s bank statements (3-6 months) and income/tax proof (pay stubs, 1040, employment letter).

• Proof of sponsor’s status (U.S. passport/green card/visa).

• (Sometimes) Form I-134 Affidavit of Support as supplemental evidence.

How can you strengthen your financial proof for a US visitor visa?

• Build a credible budget: Draft a one-page budget for flights, lodging, local transport, daily spend, insurance/fees, and a 10–20% buffer. Make sure your banked funds and ongoing income comfortably cover that total, plus your home bills due while you’re away (rent/loans/utilities).

• Submit rock-solid bank statements: Provide 3-6 months of complete, consecutive statements. Use your primary account where salary/business income lands.

• Make the income evidence match the deposits exactly:

Employees: 3–6 payslips + employer letter (role, salary, start date, approved leave); amounts/dates should mirror bank credits.

Self-employed: business registration, latest tax return, invoices/contracts, and business bank statements showing matching deposits (optional CPA letter).

Students/retirees: enrollment or pension letters, fee receipts, and proof of funding.

• Explain anomalies before they raise questions: Add a short cover note (5–7 lines) for large deposits, account switches, gaps, or unusual patterns. Attach proof of sale deed, dividend voucher, loan closure, or FD maturity.

• Use sponsorship correctly (if applicable):  Provide a precise support letter (relationship + exact costs covered), sponsor’s 3–6 months statements, income/tax proof, and status ID. (Optional) I-134 Affidavit of Support as supplemental evidence doesn’t replace your own ties. Still show personal access to funds for incidentals.

• Document in-kind savings: If you are staying with family/friends, include a host letter (address, dates), host ID/status, and proof of address (utility bill/lease). This legitimately reduces the cash you must show for lodging; keep proof tidy.

• Optimise your account setup: Keep travel funds in one or two traceable accounts; too many small accounts look messy. If you need to move money, do it weeks in advance and document the source and reason.

• Manage currency/FX risk: If funds aren’t in USD, maintain a 5–10% buffer for exchange-rate swings or park part of the money in a stable/USD-linked account.

• Strengthen ties alongside your finances: Add documents that show you’ll return: employer letter confirming approved leave + return date, lease/mortgage, family responsibilities, ongoing studies. Strong ties make a modest but well-documented balance more persuasive.

There’s no fixed minimum balance for a U.S. B1/B2 visa. What matters is a credible trip budget, readily available funds shown over 6 months, and strong ties to your home country. Keep documents consistent, avoid last-minute “show money,” and leave buffer time after the interview. Do that, and your finances will speak for themselves.