If you have a non-immigrant visa, you may only be allotted a limited stay in the United States. Once this imposed deadline arrives, your presence in the country may be deemed unlawful and unacceptable. You do not want to have such labels associated with you and your reputation, so please continue reading to learn what happens if your visa expires while you are still staying in the U.S. and how an experienced family immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI, at Sesini Law Group, S.C., can help you stay out of any potential legal trouble.
How can I prevent my visa from expiring during my stay?
Your duration of stay is not information that is kept secret or something that arises randomly. Rather, this is a date that you can adequately be informed about and prepare for. A United States Customs Border Protection (CBP) officer may issue you an electronic version or paper card of Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, when you show up at an air, sea, or land port of entry. This record should disclose your authorized period of stay in the U.S.
You must distinguish between your visa validity date on the visa itself and the authorized stay date on the I-94 record. The former addresses the date you are permitted to travel to a U.S. port of entry, while the latter states the period you are authorized to remain in the U.S. once admitted by a CBP officer. And so, you must make the proper arrangements to exit the country within 180 days of the latter date. Mistakes arise because a visa is often valid beyond the CBP officer’s given expiration date.
What happens if my visa expires while I’m still in the U.S.?
Understandably, it may not be easy to close the chapter of your life in the United States. However, you must fight back these emotions and do the right thing by abiding by what your I-94 record imposes. Otherwise, if your I-94 record is found to be expired while you are still in the country, you may be up against any or all of the following punishments:
- You may be detained, placed in removal proceedings, and eventually deported from the U.S.
- You may be banned from re-entering the U.S. for three to 10 years, or even permanently.
- You may be banned from or have great difficulty in petitioning for any other U.S. visa types in the future.
Of note, there are ways to extend your visa while you still have a legal presence in the U.S. Also, ways to adjust your visa status. All it takes is to be proactive about it. Before you find yourself in an even worse position, you must retain legal representation from Sesini Law Group, S.C. A skilled family immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI, from our law firm, will guide you on what to do.