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
Stuck in the U.S. because of the Icelandic volcano? What to do if your immigration status is expiring
Extension of stay, visa waiver program, Visitor's Visa
As an immigration lawyer in Boston, my office has been inundated with calls from Europeans and others who can't return home because the Icelandic volcano has disrupted air travel or caused airport closure. If you are in the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and can't leave in a timely manner and are in danger of overstaying because of the volcano, here's what you can do: go in person to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office located in Terminal E at Boston Logan International Airport; or make an INFOPASS appointment to speak with an immigration officer at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Boston District Office. USCIS and CBP have trained their staff on how to handle visa waiver cases like these. How do you extend your stay if you are in the U.S. under a visa? READ MORE
