BI/B2 Visa status covid-19

Upvote:9

US Visas are a little different to those from many other countries.

You must enter the country before the expiry date on your visa - which is likely at least 1 year after the visa was issued (possibly 5 years or more).

When you enter the country you will be given a time period that you can stay for, which is generally 6 months from the date that you enter. This time is not related to the date on which your visa was issued, or even when it expires (ie, you can stay in the US after visa expiry - as long as you entered the country whilst it was still valid)

However expecting to visit the US as a tourist in August or even September of 2020 is simply crazy. There is ZERO chance that COVID-19 will be under control by then, and visiting puts you and others at risk. Stay home, and re-plan your holiday for (at least) the latter half of 2021.

Upvote:9

First, how long you were admitted for is determined by the I-94 granted to you when you entered the US. I-94s granted at entry are electronic these days, and you can look up yours at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/ . The date on your I-94 is usually also written below the entry stamp, but sometimes they forget to write it there, or write it wrong, so always check your I-94 to make sure. B2 are usually admitted for 6 months, but it can be shorter if the officer wants it to be, and even the "6 months" may be defined differently from officer to officer (sometimes it might be 180 days or something like that), so don't assume -- check to know what it is.

If you cannot leave by the date on your I-94, you need to apply for Extension of Stay by filing form I-539. You can file this online or by mail, but it needs to be received by USCIS by the date on your I-94. You can request up to 6 months of extension at a time. You can stay in the US while your I-539 is pending, even if your I-94 expires in the meantime. If you have any questions about the form you can post a new question on this site.

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