B-2 Visa
If the international travel restrictions in place to battle the COVID-19 pandemic impacts your legal status in the U.S., a B-2 visa can extend your legal status in the U.S. Submit this form for a free consultation with an immigration lawyer.
B-2 Experiences
I was recently laid off. Not only my status was terminated, but also my family, who are on H-4. We couldn’t go back to our home country due to the travel restrictions. Attorney Praveen at ILBSG advised me that I have to file for a B-2 visa for me and my family within 60 days. This helped me maintain lawful status and does not ruin our chance of getting a green card in the future.
Laid Off on Worker Visa
When my husband and I had our baby boy in December of 2019, my parents came from India to visit us. They were given a six-month B-2 visa and were planning on returning at the beginning of April. Because of COVID-19, their flight was canceled with no other flights available. We were worried they might overstay their legal stay, but ILBSG helped us file for an extension of their B-2 visa.
No Flights Home
Right before I graduated from grad school in December 2019, I filed my OPT application. On April 15, 2020, amid the COVID-19 crisis, I got a letter from USCIS denying my application. I couldn’t return home because all flights were canceled. I reached out to the ILBSG team, and they explained my options to remain in the U.S. legally until the outbreak subsided and helped me file my B-2 application.
OPT Denied
B-2 Visa Eligibility
Laid Off Employees
If you are currently in the U.S. on a work visa (H-1B, L1, or TN) and have been laid off, you may not be unable to return to your home country because of the travel restrictions due to the COVID-19.
Expiring B-2
If your B-2 visa is coming to an end, and you can’t travel back to your home country because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions, you may be eligible to extend the visa.
Expired B-2
If your B-2 visa expires, USCIS may excuse you for not filing on time if it was due to a circumstance beyond your control, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here to Help
Praveen C. Medikundam, Esq.
Founding Partner and Attorney at Law – Praveen has extensive knowledge in immigration law, corporate transactions, and international litigation.
Julia Funke, Esq.
Attorney at Law – Julia specializes in H-1B petitions, B-1 applications, REFs, PERM, waivers, motions to reopen, and appeals with BALCA.
Sean Patrick, Esq
Attorney at Law – Sean has experience working with a variety of immigration cases, including B-1, H-1B, and status adjustments.
FAQs
Filing a B-2 application is a good option for you. In the current climate, traveling abroad is difficult for most people, so filing a B-2 visa on time can help you stay in the U.S. without accruing what the USCIS calls “unlawful presence.”
It is important to file for a B-2 visa extension for your family members before their current status expires. You may check when their current status expires by looking at the date stamped on their passport when they came into the U.S. If what is written on their passport, please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website here: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/recent-search
On April 13, 2020, USCIS put out a statement addressing flexibility for late applications. USCIS, at its discretion, may excuse the failure to file on time if it was due to a circumstance beyond your control, such as difficulty caused by COVID-19. The length of the delay in filing must commensurate with your circumstance. For example, if you are five months late in filing and cite COVID-19 as a reason, USCIS may not accept your reasoning because of the time it took you to file. However, if the five-month delay is caused by hospitalization and you have a doctor’s note and other documents detailing your overstay, USCIS may excuse your delay. The important thing in each situation is to submit credible evidence to support your request, and USCIS will evaluate on a case-by-case basis.
Once you file a B-2 application, you typically do not accrue unlawful presence while the timely-filed application is pending. This means you may stay, while the application is being adjudicated by USCIS.
Employment and full-time education are categorically prohibited while on B-2 status. In order to work or go to school in the U.S., a B-2 applicant must obtain a change of status in a category that permits employment or change to an F-1 visa. We recommend that you consult with an immigration lawyer.
The employer you found may file a change of status application on your behalf. You may provide the employer the receipt notice for your B-2 application allowing you to remain the U.S. and change status.
B-2 Visa
If the international travel restrictions in place to battle the COVID-19 pandemic impacts your legal status in the U.S., a B-2 visa can extend your legal status in the U.S. Submit this form for a free consultation with an immigration lawyer.
The information on this website is for general purposes only and should not be interpreted to indicate a certain result will occur in your specific legal situation. The information on this website is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.