My friend's visa is due to expire in a couple of weeks. If he attends college can it be renewed? Can he register for classes for the upcoming fall semester 2007 or will he have to immediatly start school in order to stay in the country?
2007-03-25 05:12:09 · 2 answers · asked by jailbreak 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
What kind of visa he currently have now?
If he have student visa (F1) click here for info:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html#Add
2007-03-25 05:30:43 · answer #1 · answered by Lara Croft 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A US visa is for entry into the country, not for length of stay. Length of stay is decided by the CBP officer at the port of entry, and is indicated on the I-94 card that is stapled into the visitor's passport.
If your friend has an F1 student visa and if his I-94 says D/S, he has been admited for "Duration of Status" which means that he is in the US legally as long as he stays in status. To do that, he must be a full-time student.
If your friend has a tourist visa and his I-94 says he must leave in a few weeks, then he must leave. I have seen many would-be arrivals turned around and sent home because they stayed only a week longer than they were allowed on a previous visit.
Simply going to school won't help your friend either, if he entered as a tourist. He has to apply for, and be granted, a change of status using Form I-539, and there's no guarantee it will be granted. If it isn't, he is illegal. And he certainly can't wait until the fall semester.
2007-03-25 12:36:49 · answer #2 · answered by dognhorsemom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋