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Thank you for the clarification. That helps a lot. 🙂

Thank you. I'll try to do that and see what the deal is. I guess I just struggle to see this as 'unauthorised work,' even if that's how it would be viewed by CBP. By that rationale every time a person in that scenario help's their partner by unpacking the groceries, or does housework, they're performing unauthorised work and potentially breaching the terms of their visa. That may be how it is. I just struggle to get my head around it.

No, I'm certainly not planning to lie. Personally I'm not seeing this as working, just helping my girlfriend, and I would endeavour to frame it as such in any interview. I wouldn't lie about what I'm intending to do. I don't want a denial or a ban. It's clear that I'm not thinking as a CBP officer would though, which is why I was suprised by your response. I very much appreciate the insight and your advice.

It could really be viewed as that? I'm not engaging in any employment, paid or otherwise, and am just supporting my girlfriend during her move. I guess I'll have to be very careful in how I present it.

Really? That's unsettling. How so? I'm not doing anything official, or paperwork. I'd just be trying to support her logistically with physically packing, moving boxes and stuff like that. Just staying with her and being an extra pair of hands. I'd then be then flying back with her to the UK.

I want to be able to assist my girlfriend in her move to the UK. I'm not looking to stay here beyond that as my life will be in the UK and I'll have no reason to be here. I know it's not a perfect scenario. We'd hoped that a Visa extension would have been a viable option. Is secondary where they take you off to a room for further investigation? I'm imagining that will happen and will prepare all of my documents accordingly. I was warned about remote working by the visa agent at the US embassy, and advised them that I wouldn't be working. I have no intention of breaking the terms of my visa and want to keep my nose clean. I've not been working at all during my time here, remotely or otherwise, and am living off my savings. I will have sufficient funds for any additional time that I'm granted. I'm on a 12 month sabbatical from my employer which ends in July and have evidence of this too. I guess the best I can do is prepare a ton of evidence for inspection, and hope that it sufficiently proves my case. I can certain understand any skepticism and will do the best I can to overcome it and show to them that my reasons are genuine.

I'm not sure. I thought, a show of good faith that I have no intention of trying to stay beyond the 90 days of ESTA and certainly not of trying to max out the visa again.

Okey dokey. Thank you for the responses. It's much appreciated. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best. I'm not intending to stay and will have evidence in support of that. I'll just have to try my best to show that and hope that I've been out of the country long enough to convinvce them I'm not trying to live here.

Just to clarify. I'd lose the ESTA if I'm denied and it'd be gone for good. I could still use the B2 but they'd be asking plenty of questions about it wheneve I try?

Thank you for the responses and advice. It's much appreciated. My partner and I have discussed the responses and decided that it's best to forget about the extension, as we don't want to lose the Visa Waiver or B2. I'm going to return home in March, before the expiry date, and try to return in May/June under the visa waiver. I don't need the 6 month allowance of the Tourist visa, and will just be here to help my girlfriend move to the UK. We'll try to put together as much evidence as possible of the situation and hope it's enough to convince CBP that I'm not trying to live here, quite the opposite. I'm just wondering about if I'm denied entry (I'm guessing it's the likeliest outcome, but I have to try). Would the visa or ESTA get cancelled? Do I have to pay for my own ticket back on the next flight?

Hi Many apologies for the long post. I'm a UK citizen and have previously travelled to the USA on an ESTA visa waiver. I've had multiple entries and have never overstayed. This time I entered the USA on a B2 visa in September 2022. I was granted a 6 month stay so my i94 shows I can stay until March 2023. I'm visiting my girlfriend here in the USA, who is a US citizen and permanently resident. I was completely transparent about this in the visa interview and, thankfully, was able to overcome the presumption of immigrant intent. We were hoping that we would be able to extend the tourist visa until May/June 2023, at which point we would both travel back to the UK together where she could holiday. Our initial research seems to have suggested that this would be an easier process than it actually may be. I've taken care not to breach any of the terms of my visa as I want to keep my nose clean for future visa or immigration applications. I haven't worked here. I have sufficient funds available to support my stay for the additional time and am actually on a 12 month sabbatical from my employer in the UK. My employer is not expecting me back until July 2023 and has provided me with a letter to evidence this. The additional time would therefore not have any impact on my employment or UK ties. I have a return flight already booked but I can change the date on this, etc. That was the initial plan and, without wanting to go into too much additional detail, my girlfriend and I are now looking into her moving to the UK, this summer, for a few years minimum. This is a significant undertaking if it can happen, and it's now even more important for me to remain in the US to support her in this endeavour. I don't know, however, if this will rise to the level of 'compelling' for the USCIS. My girlfiend and I are really hoping to get the best advice on how to achieve this. I've been looking at YouTube videos surrounding extensions and the advice they give is not the best and generic by design. I've started the I-539 application on the USCIS website to extend the visa. One recent video by an immigration attorney seems to suggest that submitting it is not worth the time or money as this route is now nigh on impossible with the wait times and endless requests for additional evidence. They also say that they now don't even submit the applications for clients as it never goes well. The USCIS website states to submit the application at least 45 days before the expiry date to allow for processing, but it looks like the estimated times would take me well past the i94 expiry date and even the date I would be staying until. I could file the application tomorrow, but one YouTube video suggested this could invite rejection if it's deemed 'too early.' My understanding is that if I've successfully submitted the application online and don't have my decision by the i94 expiry date, then I can stay in the US but it's a grey area and becomes a gamble. If the application is approved then I'm okay for the additional time. If it's denied then this additional time becomes unauthorised, resulting in a cancelled tourist visa, possible re-entry ban and guaranteed headaches for any future visa applications. This idea has the benefit of my definitely being here when needed and is fantastic if it works, but has serious drawbacks if it goes wrong. We're also considering the possibility of not submitting the I-539, with me leaving on the original flight ticket and returning on the ESTA visa waiver after an 'acceptable' period of time. This way I don't have any overstay but this could also look suspicious and re-entry is dependant on the airport customs agent. I guess my questions are - Are there any options which I'm not aware of? Is it possible to leave on the B2 visa and return on the ESTA and how quickly could I reasonably do this? Is the B2 extension likely at all and are the processing dates actually as horrendous as they seem? If I stay past the i94 expiry date, is my understanding correct in that it's 'allowed' but could potentially backfire? Do you have any insight or advice you can give. Thank you.