What happens When You Overstay Your Visa?

If you happen to overstay your visa, you are obviously in the US illegally. It is the same as entering the country illegally without a visa and immigration lawyers have seen both scenarios more than once. To overstay means becoming "out-of-status," in legal parlance.

How long can you stay

Your visa does not mention just how long you can remain in USA. Interestingly, a visa need not let you enter the country, as it merely lets you journey from your country of origin to any port of entry located in the US.  When you reach the port of entry, the immigration officer in charge determines whether to let you enter the nation, as well as for how long you could remain here. It is always possible that the immigration official might turn you back to where you came from in the first place, as he or she makes the ultimate decision.

The laws of America are finite. The power of the Internet is infinite. Both are intangible though. If you need an immigration lawyer you have an outlet: http://immigration.usattorneys.com/. This website streamlines the process to find appropriate legal help. Your friends may use the Internet to post useless pictures on Facebook but you can use the Internet for something far more constructive. You are in control of your destiny. Though it does help if you have an employer backing you up. 

Hopefully this bureaucrat did not just get done trying to figure out the tax code so they are not having a terrible day so they do not take this out on you. If you have something to add to America, then they should let you in. America has enough unskilled labor right now and that is why millions of people cannot find a job and of course the fact that America is impeding itself with high taxes and job killing regulations.

"Out-of-Status" date not mentioned on your visa

As soon as the immigration officer lets you enter the country, you will be given another item to complete, Form I-94, which must be kept together with the original visa. It is this Form I-94 that in fact decides just how long a person can legally live in America.

While the date stamped on your visa merely informs you as to just how long you can make use of it in order to arrive in the US, it is the date found on the Form I-94 that decides the date on which you have to leave the country. If you need further information on this aspect of the visa process, an immigration attorney can always be of valuable assistance. You can find some of the best in the arena right here: http://immigration.usattorneys.com/. The immigration process can be complicated but this website is not. It can lead you right to the legal help you need.

Your visa can be cancelled

If you remain in the country beyond the date mentioned on the Form I-94, your visa becomes automatically cancelled. And without a legal visa letting you to enter a port of entry in the United States, you are in effect in the country illegally. This can keep you from obtaining another visa in the future. Actually, if you want to apply for a green card again, you might need to wait for three to ten years, as it depends on just how long you outstayed your visa.

You have options

However, before your Form I-94 could expire, you can take certain steps if you realize that you aren’t in a position to leave the United States by that date. All you have to do is to contact the USCIS or US Citizenship and Immigration Services to request an extension.

For this you will have to provide a valid reason. It can take some to obtain approval so make sure to have a valid claim. If the Form I-94 is expired, you need the services of an immigration lawyer immediately. The quicker you act, the better your chances of remaining in the country, as the regulation concerning overstaying a visa can be very complicated. Then you would be gambling with your fate!