Hello everyone!
I have a question about my mother's stay in the States. She has been visiting me in Florida since November 2019 on B/2 visa and was planing to leave in May 2020 as she can only stay for 6 months on this visa. However, with the current travel ban we are not sure if she will be able to leave the country or if it will be safe enough for her to travel because of the virus!
We are planning to extend her visa and see if everything goes well, she will still leave in May. However, if things are not that well, she will stay here for longer. What do you think about this?
Does immigration have any announcement on this current issue? I am sure we are not the only people who are afraid of overstaying their visas and authorities are aware of this issue. Should we wait a little bit longer to see how things are going? She has to leave in May 10,2020. I saw that immigration offices are closed. Can she even go in for her biometrics if we applied for visa extension online?
Any advice will be helpful and much appreciated! Thank you so much in advance!!
To be on the safe side, you can go ahead and file for the extension. Offices will eventually reopen for biometrics purposes. There is no official guidance on this issue as of yet.
USCIS is offering no specific guidance on this issue at this time, but none is really needed as your mother would be eligible to apply for an extension of her lawful stay anyway. COVID-19 just provides an additional reason. Consult with an experienced immigration attorney who can review your specific concerns and offer advice on the best way to proceed.
You can check the USCIS.gov website for announcements and updates. You should file for the extension at this time. While an extension application is pending your mother will not be accruing unlawful presence should she have to stay beyond the May date.
