If you are a beneficiary of an O Visa in the USA, you probably have a maximum length of stay in the United States, which was established at the time you entered the country by the government official who reviewed your documents. What happens if you need to extend your stay in the country with an O Visa?
The Department of State, in addition to granting this type of visa to individuals who possess some type of extraordinary ability or achievement in areas such as science, acting, education, athletics, among others, it also allows you to apply for an extension of stay, which will allow you to spend more time legally in the country, if necessary.
Do you need to process the extension of stay of your O Visa in the USA? With the help of an immigration visa lawyer you will have the opportunity to go through the proper legal process to successfully extend your visit, in case you need to spend more than 90 days in the United States. Schedule an appointment now and learn more.
What is an O Visa in the USA?
The O Visa is one of the visa categories that are within the Non-immigrant visas, that is, of people who, for business and/or work issues, plan to be in the United States for a short period of time, which usually does not exceed 90 days.
These types of visas can be O-1 or O-2, and are generally granted to individuals who stand out in areas such as the arts, science, sports, education, film, television, among others and who have national or international recognition that endorses their merit in any of the aforementioned fields.
Requirements to extend my stay with an O Visa
Before you begin the legal process to extend your stay in the United States, it is important to make sure that you meet each of the requirements to begin the process.
If so, you will be able to apply for your extension without any problems, with the legal support of an immigration visa lawyer to guide you at all times.
The main requirements with which it must comply are:
- You must have been admitted to the United States as a Non-immigrant.
- Your Non-immigrant visa status (Form I-94) must still be valid.
- Not having committed any type of action or crime that would prevent him/her from receiving immigration benefits.
- Not having violated the conditions of admission to the country.
- Have a valid passport during your stay in the country.
If you meet each of these requirements, you can start the extension of the stay process without any problems. Remember that, in order to be sure that you are doing the right process without making mistakes that could prevent you from obtaining a satisfactory response, it is important that you have the advice of an immigration visa lawyer to guide you through the entire extension process.
How to extend your stay in the USA with an O Visa?
Now that you have all the requirements ready, you are probably wondering how to start the process to obtain your visa extension in the easiest and most effective way. Below, we tell you each of the steps you must follow to extend your stay with an O Visa in the USA.
- Submission of Form I-129.In order for your extension of stay to be approved, you must first ensure that your employer submits a Form I-129 (Application for Nonimmigrant Worker) before Form l-94 expires.
- Submission of Form I-539. If you are in the country with your spouse or unmarried children under the age of 21, and they also need to extend their stay, Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) must be filed in addition to the l-129.
- Send the documentation to USCIS. After you have the forms ready and correctly filled out, you must send them to the USCIS office by mail or online through the My USCIS system, approximately 45 days before your stay expires.
After you complete this process, USCIS officials will review your case to determine whether you have sufficient grounds to extend your stay and ultimately decide how long your extension of stay in the United States will be approved.
Contact an immigration visa lawyer in NY
Do you need to extend your stay with an O Visa in the USA? Don’t let ignorance of the immigration laws prevent you from obtaining a satisfactory result. Contact an immigration visa lawyer today and get the legal guidance you need.
Schedule an appointment with us and learn how to extend your stay with an O Visa without problems. We will see to it that your case gets the result you expect, so that you can continue your visit in the United States completely legally.