Posted by Josh Goldstein | Extension of stay
Boston Immigration Lawyer As an immigration lawyer, I often come across this problem. Someone enters the U.S. with a B-1/B-2 visitor visa. At the airport, they are given a 6 month stay in the U.S. But they want to stay in the U.S. longer than that. So they go on the internet, come across Form I-539, Application to Extend Stay. Without consulting with an immigration lawyer, they fill out the I-539 themselves and file it with USCIS. The I-539s are routinely denied and then the person is considered to be out of status and to have accrued unlawful presence. As a result, they are unable to get visas or green cards in the future all because they foolishly filed Form I-539. READ MORE