Family Visa Time Less that Expected

[golferadam 0]

I am USC and my wife is LPR (with a pending N-400 citizenship interview). We invited my mother-in-law to come for a visit from China. She applied for a B1/B2 visa and received it. She cannot read English so we didn't know how long the visa was for. Based on other people's comments we assumed that it would be a 6-month family visa. Therefore, we purchased a round-trip ticket with a return trip about 6 months after her arrival.

She just arrived yesterday and we noticed that she was granted a 3-month family visa. The visa says "No Extensions or Change of Status".

My questions:

1) Is there anything we can do, despite the fact that it looks like we are out of luck?

2) Do all B1/B2 visas say "No Extensions or Change of Status"? Or was it done specifically in our case?

Thanks.

Edited January 22, 2010 by golferadam

[sachinky 465]

That means that she must leave at the end of her 3 month stay and those words are stamped on the visa to ensure that she doesn't try to extend or adjust her status while in the U.S.

You're going to have to prepone her ticket.

[payxibka 10,045]

I am USC and my wife is LPR (with a pending N-400 citizenship interview). We invited my mother-in-law to come for a visit from China. She applied for a B1/B2 visa and received it. She cannot read English so we didn't know how long the visa was for. Based on other people's comments we assumed that it would be a 6-month family visa. Therefore, we purchased a round-trip ticket with a return trip about 6 months after her arrival.

She just arrived yesterday and we noticed that she was granted a 3-month family visa. The visa says "No Extensions or Change of Status".

My questions:

1) Is there anything we can do, despite the fact that it looks like we are out of luck?

2) Do all B1/B2 visas say "No Extensions or Change of Status"? Or was it done specifically in our case?

Thanks.

What the actual visa says is not material. What does her I-94 say?

[Eric-Pris 1,606]

The way I understood it was... Visas are usually granted for 10 years. The CBP officer at POE determines whether to grant the immigrant up to 6 months.

Check her I-94 for the exact date.

Edited January 22, 2010 by Eric-Pris

[payxibka 10,045]

The way I understood it was... Visas are usually granted for 10 years. The CBP officer at POE determines whether to grant the immigrant up to 6 months.

Check her I-94 for the exact date.

Could be 3 mos. to 10 yrs. or just about anything in between. Could be single or multi use as well. Authorized stay period is determined by the CBP at the POE and I agree that is why the I-94 needs to be looked at to find the exact period she can stay.

Edited January 22, 2010 by payxibka

[Darnell 8,478]

i'm guessing this was a 1 year multi-entry. Yes? '3 month family visa' sounds a bit weird, IMO. Should be expiration date on the VISA STAMP.

you've got i-94 expiration date of 3 months, yes? no ?

anyway - if 1 year multi-entry visa - send Mum back on time, then (IMO ) wait 5 weeks, return to USA.

Can you re-examine the visa stamp, itself, then the I-94, let us know?

[golferadam 0]

I-94 says April 20, 2010.

1) Is there anything we can do, despite the fact that it looks like we are out of luck?

2) Do all B1/B2 visas say "No Extensions or Change of Status"? Or was it done specifically in our case?

[Darnell 8,478]

What does it say on the visa stamp, for dates?

[Darnell 8,478]

Of course, the 2nd option is to send Mom back on time, and then file the I-130 once yer wife receives her citizenship..

If you want some SPEED - check out NVC Electronic Filing at http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/...onic_Processing

It will shave off 2 to 4 months of 'dead zone wait time' .