▶ The B1 B2 Visitor Visa and how to have a better chance of success – YouTube http://ow.ly/sDiO9
What you need to prove to get the B-2 Visitor Visa.
Also, get some information on allowable activities.
Filed under: B1/B2 Visas | Tagged: b1, B1 Visa, B1/B2 Visas, Immigration, Immigration Attorney, Immigration Lawyer, Visa | 1 Comment »
It is quickly approaching and you may not be able to come back to the U.S. for 3 or 10 years depending. You may qualify for the R-1 Visa (which is not the one you listed above). This is for the Religious Visa. However, because you are out of status, you would have to go back to your home country to get it. The exception would be if you were persecuted in your home country. In that case, you would have up to 1 year to apply for asylum after entering the U.S.
Filed under: B1/B2 Visas | Tagged: B1/B2 Visas, b2, B2 Visas, Immigration, Immigration Attorney, Immigration Lawyer | Leave a comment »
Question: I have been here for several months on a Visitor Visa and have found that I love the U.S. I do not want to return to my home country. I have a Visa that states it is a Multiple Entry Visitor Visa for the next ten years. However, when I entered the U.S., I was given a white card that states that I must leave by next month. Is there anything I can do?
Answer: First, while you get the Visa at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy, it is the INS who actually controls how long you will stay in the U.S. They are the organization that you must pass at any port of entry into the U.S. A port of entry can be by road (i.e., from Canada or Mexico), or by airport (anywhere in the world.) When you enter the U.S., the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) will issue what is known as an I-94. This is a white card that is stapled to your passport. It will state exactly when you are authorized to stay in the U.S. If the visa in your passport lasts longer than the I-94, that is irrelevant. Further, if your passport expires during your stay in the U.S. that is also irrelevant as long as the time on your I-94 is still available.
You can file for a change of status. What this means is that as long as the application to change your status is done PRIOR to the expiration of your current stay, you will be able to remain in the U.S. while that application for change of status is being ruled upon.
Question: I read somewhere that the INS wants these type of applications at least 45 days before the expiration of your status. Is that true?
Answer: Normally that is true. However, the law is very specific. As long as you are currently in status at the time the application is received by INS, it will be timely. As a matter of fact, there have been many occasion when my office gets someone in the day before expiration of their status. We prepare the application and actually have it hand delivered on the day of expiration. In that event, it is still timely.
Question: What are the possibilities for changing my status and what types of applications will work?
Answer: Actually, there is a variety of different applications you can do. There are many different kinds of work visas such as the H-1B, H-2B, O-1, P-1 and so on. You can also change to a Student Status such as F-1 or M-1. To change to a working status you would need an employer who would agree to sponsor you. To change to a Student Status, you would need to get the I-20 from a school and then have that submitted with the application for Change of Status.
Question: Once I file the application for Change of Status can I start working or going to school right away?
Answer: No. You must wait while INS rules on the matter. However, you are given an automatic extension of your current status while the Change of Status is pending. Therefore, if you want to stay in the U.S. and your current status is about to expire, there are many ways to change your status and you should take advantage of the appropriate one.
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Filed under: B-2 Visitor Visa Packet | Tagged: B1/B2 Visas, Change of Status, Immigration, Immigration Attorney, Immigration Lawyer, Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), Visitor Visa | 2 Comments »
Question: I know that the immigration laws now only allow me to come into the U.S. on a Visitor Visa for only 30 days. I was planning to go to the U.S. to visit, and then later, if I found a good job offer, to change my status to some type of working status. Additionally, if I later decided, I was going to change my status to that of a student. Can I still do this?
Answer: It appears that it will be much more difficult to change your status in this type of situation. Normally, when visitors came to the U.S. under the B1/B2 Visa, they had six months. At some later point after entering, they would be able to change their status. Please note that some rumors have been spreading that there is no more change of status applications being accepted. This is simply not true. Rather, it is the effect of applying for a change of status once you enter the U.S. that is the problem.
Question: Can you elaborate on what exactly is the problem?
Answer: Actually, when you come in on a Visitor Visa, you are supposed to be doing exactly that. VISITING! That means going to Disneyland, visiting relatives, and having a good time. It does not mean going to school, getting a job or applying for the Green Card. If you come to the U.S. and within 30 days apply for a change of status to some other type of status such as student or worker, the INS may not believe that you intended to ever really visit the U.S. They may assume that you used the Visitor Visa as a means to get into the U.S. so that you could do what you really wanted to do (such as work or go to school.)
Question: What if I come to the U.S. on a Visitor Visa and then marry my girlfriend in order to get the Green Card?
Answer: Again, the INS would look at this as fraud. In fact, if you get married within less than 60 days after entry to the U.S. on the Visitor Visa, you are presumed to have committed fraud. Not only will the application for Lawful Permanent Residency be denied, you could very well get deported because of the fraud.
Question: What are the consequences of doing the change of status right after entering the U.S.?
Answer: First, they could deny your change of status application and you could go out of status. Next, the INS may very well assume that you committed fraud. That is, when you got the Visitor Visa and entered the U.S. that you did not really intend to visit, but rather, intended to go to school or to work in the United States. If that happens, you could be deported because you committed misrepresentation and fraud. The fraud will stay with you forever and never goes away. If you ever want to reenter the U.S., you will need to get a Fraud Waiver. Those are not easy waivers to obtain.
Question: What is the best way to avoid these drastic consequences?
Answer: First, the way that people come into the U.S. is probably going to change. You must decide whether you want to go to school or work since these are the options you might be considering. If you are intending on going to school, then you should get the I-20 and apply for the Student Visa from your home country. Then, when you enter the U.S., you will be entering as a Student, not a Visitor. Alternatively, if you want to work in the U.S., you should have your sponsor file the petition prior to you getting to the U.S. Therefore, you will not have any allegations by INS that you committed fraud. You need to be very careful if you come to the U.S. with a Visitor Visa and then change your status right away. Obviously, since you only will be getting 30 days in the U.S., you must strongly consider not getting a change of status in the U.S.
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Filed under: Change of Status | Tagged: B1/B2 Visas, Change of Status, change of status to student visa, Changes, Immigration, Immigration Attorney, immigration changes, Immigration Lawyer, status | Leave a comment »
Question: I entered the United States on a Visitor Visa. I have been here for about 4 months and my status will expire in another two months. Can I simply extend my status without going back to my home country?
Answer: Prior to September 11, 2001, it would not have been a problem. These types of extensions were quite easy and were usually approved without any problems. However, after September 11, 2001, new regulations have come out regarding the B1/B2 Visitor Visa. These regulations first were issued to make it clear that persons entering the United States do not automatically get a Visitor Visa for six months. Rather, they could get the Visitor Visa for only a month, or the time required for the stay in the United States. Thus, you might have been able to get a Visitor Visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for six months, but when you entered the United States, the Immigration and Naturalization Service might have only given you a lawful stay of 30 days.
This has had the effect of decreasing the number of people who visit the United States. Realistically, when you are traveling from around the world or some distant country, it was not worth the risk for people to stay only a month (especially if this was a once or twice in lifetime type of vacation.) Also, the uncertainty of being issued a Visitor Visa at the Consulate for a certain period of time, only to have it reduced significantly at the border did not bode well with travelers.
Now, the Immigration and the Naturalization Service has denied many extensions for Visitor Visas. Additionally, many of the ones that have been granted have been granted for only 15 to 45 days. While some extensions are being granted, a large number of extensions are getting what is known as a Request for Evidence. This is a document whereby the Immigration and Naturalization Service does not yet deny the extension, but rather, asks for more information before making a decision. Some Requests for Evidence are intensive consisting of many pages. In some cases, by time you get the response to the Request for Evidence, either the extension is denied, or it was approved for a very small time which has already passed.
Question: What happens if the denial comes, or if your status is extended, but by time you get the approval notice, the approval date has already passed?
Answer: You will most likely be out of status. If this occurs, then you will not be able to change your status or adjust your status in the United States. You will have to leave the United States and go back to your home country in order to reapply for the Visitor Visa. Once they see that you have been out of status, it will be very difficult to get the Visitor Visa. Additionally, the Consulate or Embassy officers will see that you have just come back from the United States and may not believe you are intending on returning to your home country. Finally, depending on how long it has been since you were out of status, you might be barred from coming back into the United States for the next 10 years.
Question: Is there any other way to remain in the United States without having to go back to my home country?
Answer: Yes. Rather than an extension of your status, you would apply for a change of status to some other type of status. You can obtain a Student change of status. This will allow you after it is approved to go to a designated school. Alternatively, there are a myriad of different types of work visas to allow you to work legally and remain in the country. At this point, I would not recommend doing the extension of the Visitor Visa. Rather, I would recommend that you change your status to some other type of status such as student, exchange or work status.
Filed under: B1/B2 Visas, Immigration Law, immigration provisions, USCIS, Visa | Tagged: B1/B2 Visas, Visa | Leave a comment »
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