leaving US for good

[Lexis300 0]

so long story short, a friend of mine overstayed her B visa for almost 5 yrs. now. She finally decides to go back to her native country.

Will the US custom give her a hard time when she goes back home?

What does she need to do to leave the US? Any steps she needs to take?

all I know is that she can just buy a ticket home and that's it?

help please.

[Scott and Mhay 57]

I dont think immigration cares about them leaving the country...it would just be a hard time getting another visa to the US for a long time

[Scott and Mhay 57]

I found this on travel.state.gov:

Staying Beyond Your Authorized Stay in the U.S. and Being Out of Status

You should carefully consider the dates of your authorized stay and make sure you are following the procedures under U.S. immigration laws. It is important that you depart the U.S. on or before the last day you are authorized to be in the U.S. on any given trip, based on the specified end date on your Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94. Failure to depart the U.S. will cause you to be out-of-status.

Staying beyond the period of time authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and being out-of-status in the United States is a violation of U.S. immigration laws, and may cause you to be ineligible for a visa in the future for return travel to the U.S. Select Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas to learn more.

Staying unlawfully in the United States beyond the date Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have authorized--even by one day--results in your visa being automatically voided, in accordance with INA 222(g). Under this provision of immigration law, if you overstay on your nonimmigrant authorized stay in the U.S., your visa will be automatically voided. In this situation, you are required to reapply for a new nonimmigrant visa, generally in your country of nationality.

For nonimmigrants in the U.S. who have an Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94 with the CBP admitting officer endorsement of Duration of Status or D/S, but who are no longer performing the same function in the U.S. that they were originally admitted to perform (e.g. you are no longer working for the same employer or you are no longer attending the same school), a DHS or an immigration judge makes a finding of status violation, resulting in the termination of the period of authorized stay.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1262.html

Edited February 14, 2010 by Scott and Mhay

[sachinky 465]

As long as your friend has a valid passport back to her country, he/she will have no problem.

Don't count on her being back anytime soon, though.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Nobody will even blink when she leaves, but on that very day her 10-year ban on re-entering the US will be triggered. She should keep her flight ticket and boarding passes to prove in 10 years when exactly she left the US.

[damilola 0]

so long story short, a friend of mine overstayed her B visa for almost 5 yrs. now. She finally decides to go back to her native country.

Will the US custom give her a hard time when she goes back home?

What does she need to do to leave the US? Any steps she needs to take?

all I know is that she can just buy a ticket home and that's it?

help please.

SINCE SHE HAS DECIDED TO LEAVE,ASK HER TO GO TO HER COUNTRYS HIGH COMMISSION(EMBASSY)TO REQUEST FOR TRAVELING CERTIFICATE BACK TO HER COUNTRY COS SHE MUST AT LEAST AV A TRAVEL DOCUMENT TO WHERE SHES TRAVELING TO WHICH IS HER COUNTRY AND SHE WONT HAVE ANY PROBLEM.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

SINCE SHE HAS DECIDED TO LEAVE,ASK HER TO GO TO HER COUNTRYS HIGH COMMISSION(EMBASSY)TO REQUEST FOR TRAVELING CERTIFICATE BACK TO HER COUNTRY COS SHE MUST AT LEAST AV A TRAVEL DOCUMENT TO WHERE SHES TRAVELING TO WHICH IS HER COUNTRY AND SHE WONT HAVE ANY PROBLEM.

unless she has her passport still. All she really needs to leave the country is her valid passport and a ticket. If she wishes to notify anyone that she has left the country she could contact the US Consulate in her home country and advise them of the fact. If she still has an I-94 from her first entry, she could also try turning that back in when she boards her flight.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Kathryn41