Extending non-immigrant stay for visitors

K

kalyanij

Registered Users (C)
I've got a question for you immigration guru's...

My parents are here in the US on a visitors visa (which was issued for 10 years), and they have been here for the past 5 months. When they entered the US 5 months ago, the immigration officer stamped thier passport and I-94 for a duration of stay of 6 months at the port of entry.

I am wondering if there is a way to get thier stay legally extended beyond the 6-months? I've heard people mail documents to department of state to get the extension of stay. Is there any truth to that. Is extension possible? If so how is it done?

Please advise.
Thanks.
-KJ
 
KJ said:
I've got a question for you immigration guru's...

My parents are here in the US on a visitors visa (which was issued for 10 years), and they have been here for the past 5 months. When they entered the US 5 months ago, the immigration officer stamped thier passport and I-94 for a duration of stay of 6 months at the port of entry.

I am wondering if there is a way to get thier stay legally extended beyond the 6-months? I've heard people mail documents to department of state to get the extension of stay. Is there any truth to that. Is extension possible? If so how is it done?

Please advise.
Thanks.
-KJ
Click to expand...

KJ:

sure, there is. You need to file form I-530 BEFORE their authorized stay expires. If decision is not made by the time their authorized stay expires, they are still in status while I-530 is being processed. Be sure to explain why they need a 6-month extension: for example, medical needs, you you haave a baby and they want to stay around to help, or your child needs special attention, or your parent's medical conditions do not aallow them to fly now, or something else. Also, you shouyld demonstrate thaat they made arragements for their departure at the end of the extension. I did it this way (by the attorney's advice) and it worked: I went to the travel agaency aand made reservations for my parents to fly baack in 6 months (did not paay anything!!!! just created an itenary). This itenary I aattaached to the documentation. You need to explain how they will supoort themselves during their stay: I just wrote that I'll support them and attached couple of my paysheets.
If thi is their first extension, it should work. second extension is more tricky.
Also, you do not need to file 2 forms I-530. File for one parent (who has better reasons to stay), and list another as dependant/joining person.
Finally, you can hire an attorney to do it. Prices vary, but should not be more expensive than $500.

Good luck,

ksy
 
"you you haave a baby and they want to stay around to help, or your child needs special attention" - don't ever use a reason like this when you apply for a visitor visa or an extension .....friends of mine told the above same reason and guess what ....they rejected visa or extensions....try to indicate that your parents were not able to visit all the places here and they really wanted to see some important places...that should be more than enough


Trust me, this kind of reasons worked for me twice!

Good Luck!
 
ManiG said:
"you you haave a baby and they want to stay around to help, or your child needs special attention" - don't ever use a reason like this when you apply for a visitor visa or an extension .....friends of mine told the above same reason and guess what ....they rejected visa or extensions....try to indicate that your parents were not able to visit all the places here and they really wanted to see some important places...that should be more than enough


Trust me, this kind of reasons worked for me twice!

Good Luck!
Click to expand...

Well,

I sure do not want to mislead anybody, but I extended my parent's stay twice. Once the reson was that my child needed special attention because he had a surgery when he was 6 months old. Another time my father went to a cardiologist and a cardiologist wrote that my father cannot travel at the moment (second extension). Both times I did it using attorney's recommendation (who said you need a reason).
May be it was overdoing it, who knows.
So, I guess, you never know how it'll work. That's why I mentioned asking the attorney. If just saying that they want to travel works, that's even better.
I think, for the first extension anything would work. For the second extension you may need a more solid reason (???).

Good luck,

ksy
 
Thanks ManiG and ksy. Where do I get the I-530 form? I tried uscis.gov, but couldn't find it.

Thanks.
-KJ.
 
KJ said:
Thanks ManiG and ksy. Where do I get the I-530 form? I tried uscis.gov, but couldn't find it.

Thanks.
-KJ.
Click to expand...

KJ: Sorry, it's form I-539 and you can get it on uscis.gov

ksy
 
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