B2 visa given from Mumbai consulate with validity of 3 months only.

[aindian310 53]

Hello, this question is for my cousin who recently applied for tourist (B2) visa at Mumbai consulate in India. When he got his passport back he noticed that he only got single entry with 3 month visa validity (US visa expires in June). The thing is that he was not planning to travel until later this year as he has commitments in India in June (medical clearance exams, pending covid vaccine etc). What are his options at this point? If he doesn't come to US on this visa before June, is he eligible to apply again or renew it? How will that application go (what are his chances of approval or renewal at that point?)? I want to know if someone was in similar situation and can offer any inputs. Thank you for your help in advance. 

[milimelo 4,481]

Why apply so early if he’s not ready to travel in the near future? Let it expire and apply again. No guarantees they’ll give longer length visa next time- may even be shorter. 

[aindian310 53]

Thank you for your reply. He applied earlier as there are processing delays going on due to COVID and typically they give minimum 6 months validity sometime with multiple entries. He didn't have idea that he will only be given 3 months single entry. 
Another thing I just realized is that I-94 at POE, does anyone know how long they give you to stay in US on I-94? In his case lets say he enters US on June 25 (visa expires June 31), will they only allow him to stay till June 31 on I-94 stamp or will they give him 3 months or 6 months (I know 6 months is maximum) from June 25th? Thank you.

[aaron2020 11,651]

What dates did he put on his application that he intended to travel?

 

The visa expiration date is when he can enter the US by.  CBP will determine how long he can stay.  In your example, he can enter on June 25 and get up to 6 months.  

[Boiler 45,520]

Visa's are only valid for a certain duration and have to be renewed, reapplied, I think India allows you to apply to renew without interviewing?

 

Presumably when he applied his plans were different.

 

Duration of stay is determined on entry.

 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Usually if they give 3 months single entry there is some kind of flag on the case, but not big enough to deny the visa. If it expires without use he can apply for another one.  
 

The expiry date on the visa is the last date he can use the visa to enter the US, but it is up to CBP at entry to decide how long to allow him to enter for, up to 6 months. 6 months is still most common but I have seen reports of 1, 2 and 3 months being granted. I would say, with a short duration single entry visa he will almost certainly be asked about his stay by CBP so ensure he has proof of his ties to go back to India with him in case he needs to show them.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

26 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Visa's are only valid for a certain duration and have to be renewed, reapplied, I think India allows you to apply to renew without interviewing?

 

 

 

If certain circumstances are met, yes:

 

INTERVIEW WAIVER CHECKLIST

If you can answer “yes” to all of the following questions, you qualify for our Interview Waiver. You will need to schedule a date to drop off your application at a Visa Application Center. Please log in, create your profile, proceed with your application, and print one copy of the appointment confirmation page. Drop off your passport along with the listed documents mentioned on the submission letter at one of our 11 service centers on your scheduled date.

Eligibility Criteria for all applicants except child below 14 years of age and applicant above 80 years of age or older:

• I have a previous U.S. visa in the same class as the visa for which I wish to apply
• My most recent visa was issued in India
• I received my visa after January 1, 2008
• My prior visa is not annotated “Clearance Received” or “Department Authorization”.
• My most recent visa (in the same class for which I am applying) was issued on or after my 14th birthday
• My most recent visa (in the same class for which I am applying) was not lost/stolen or cancelled.
• I have no refusals for a visa in any class after my most recent visa issuance
• If I am applying for an H or L (individual) or R visa, my prior visa in the same class is still valid or expired within the last 12 months.

 

[aindian310 53]

29 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Usually if they give 3 months single entry there is some kind of flag on the case, but not big enough to deny the visa. If it expires without use he can apply for another one.  
 

The expiry date on the visa is the last date he can use the visa to enter the US, but it is up to CBP at entry to decide how long to allow him to enter for, up to 6 months. 6 months is still most common but I have seen reports of 1, 2 and 3 months being granted. I would say, with a short duration single entry visa he will almost certainly be asked about his stay by CBP so ensure he has proof of his ties to go back to India with him in case he needs to show them.

Okay, makes sense. I guess the only dilemma we have right now is that rather he should just re-apply for renewal in June and try his luck if he gets approved or not, or 2nd option is to come to US in June and see what CBP gives him in terms of time on I-94. Hopefully CBP doesn't give him only 5 days (till time his visa expires).

 

Thank you for your response. 

[African Zealot 1,455]

4 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Usually if they give 3 months single entry there is some kind of flag on the case, but not big enough to deny the visa. 

That statement is false. I know that from personal experience and data points from countless friends. My first B visa was for two months (?). There was no red flag with my application or profile. I was simply coming to represent my country at a tournament in Washington DC as a senior in college.

 

Similarly virtually all my friends who were first time applicants got about three months. We didn’t have any flags, we were simply young men/boys from developing economies with no travel experience to affluent western countries. I can even venture that the vast majority of first time applicants from Ghana (and most African countries) get three month visas. Doesn’t mean any flag.

 

And yes, I know what the Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual says 😊.

 

 

[African Zealot 1,455]

6 hours ago, aindian310 said:

Hello, this question is for my cousin who recently applied for tourist (B2) visa at Mumbai consulate in India. When he got his passport back he noticed that he only got single entry with 3 month visa validity (US visa expires in June). The thing is that he was not planning to travel until later this year as he has commitments in India in June (medical clearance exams, pending covid vaccine etc). What are his options at this point? If he doesn't come to US on this visa before June, is he eligible to apply again or renew it? How will that application go (what are his chances of approval or renewal at that point?)? I want to know if someone was in similar situation and can offer any inputs. Thank you for your help in advance. 

Hitherto there were anecdotal stories when I was younger (and using B visas) that not using an issued visa created a flag on your profile increasing your chances of denial subsequently. There’s no evidence to support that. What I suspect is that perhaps some applicants who lied/misrepresented in their first applications may have gotten caught in subsequent applications and denied leading them to think them think it was due to not activating (whatever that term means 😂) aka using the first visa they were granted.

 

Your cousin should do what works best with his schedule, noting that an approval in a subsequent application is not guaranteed whether he uses this visa or not.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

7 minutes ago, African Zealot said:

That statement is false. I know that from personal experience and data points from countless friends. My first B visa was for two months (?). There was no red flag with my application or profile. I was simply coming to represent my country at a tournament in Washington DC as a senior in college.

 

Similarly virtually all my friends who were first time applicants got about three months. We didn’t have any flags, we were simply young men/boys from developing economies with no travel experience to affluent western countries. I can even venture that the vast majority of first time applicants from Ghana (and most African countries) get three month visas. Doesn’t mean any flag.

 

And yes, I know what the Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual says 😊.

 

 

Yep, the fact that they only gave you a visa for a one time event counts.  You may give it different terminology than “flag” if that makes you feel more comfortable, but if you get given a short term visa, especially for a single entry or annotated for a specific event, then they are very clearly not happy enough with your profile to give you a longer term multiple entry. My first visa - I had no ties home, after I had just graduated college - was a one year multiple entry, and I knew even that was limited. And yes, I was also young and single from a developing country in Africa with no travel experience (not even to other African countries,  the US visa was the first thing in my first passport). I got one more like that then they started giving me 10 year multiple entry.

Edited April 3, 2021 by SusieQQQ

[Siggy 42]

5 hours ago, aindian310 said:

Thank you for your reply. He applied earlier as there are processing delays going on due to COVID and typically they give minimum 6 months validity sometime with multiple entries. He didn't have idea that he will only be given 3 months single entry. 
Another thing I just realized is that I-94 at POE, does anyone know how long they give you to stay in US on I-94? In his case lets say he enters US on June 25 (visa expires June 31), will they only allow him to stay till June 31 on I-94 stamp or will they give him 3 months or 6 months (I know 6 months is maximum) from June 25th? Thank you.

1)It's better he should apply for new visa before his present visa expires unless its necessary to travel on printed date 

2) i-94 will (should) be  sealed with 6 month validity once he enters ( again it depends on CBP officer)

3) usually b2 visa should be with multiple entries 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Siggy

[African Zealot 1,455]

3 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Yep, the fact that they only gave you a visa for a one time event counts.  You may give it different terminology than “flag” if that makes you feel more comfortable, but if you get given a short term visa, especially for a single entry or annotated for a specific event, then they are very clearly not happy enough with your profile to give you a longer term multiple entry. My first visa - I had no ties home, after I had just graduated college - was a one year multiple entry, and I knew even that was limited. And yes, I was also young and single from a developing country with no travel experience. I got one more like that then they started giving me 10 year multiple entry.

Sorry your statement is inaccurate (if that makes you feel better than saying it was false). So all the countless folks I know who got short duration visas first time around had flags? 😁

 

And just so you know, South Africans and particularly Caucasian South Africans  until maybe ten fifteen twenty years ago routinely got treated differently from other sub Saharan African countries for obvious reasons. Anyway I am not going to bother, you’re entitled to your opinion. I still maintain it’s false/inaccurate.

[Cathi 5,748]

11 minutes ago, African Zealot said:

Sorry your statement is inaccurate (if that makes you feel better than saying it was false). So all the countless folks I know who got short duration visas first time around had flags? 😁

 

And just so you know, South Africans and particularly Caucasian South Africans  until maybe ten fifteen twenty years ago routinely got treated differently from other sub Saharan African countries for obvious reasons. Anyway I am not going to bother, you’re entitled to your opinion. I still maintain it’s false/inaccurate.

Yes, the flags were the fact that you had little or no international travel under your belt. That in and of itself is a red flag. Not sure why you're arguing with everyone and not sure why you're not understanding that.

[African Zealot 1,455]

5 minutes ago, Cathi said:

Not sure why you're arguing with everyone and not sure why you're not understanding that.

Since when was one person everyone? If not having international travel is a red flag then every first time applicant has a red flag and the it becomes trivial. 

 

I won’t understand statements not backed by facts regardless of who it comes from, capiche?