Visa: How Long Can You Stay?

The question of how long one can stay in the US is often confusing. One of the reason for the misunderstanding is due to the confusion as to which document reflects the allowed period of stay in US. To travel to the US, most non-immigrants would need to apply for a visa. On the visa there would be an expiration date of the visa. Alot of travellers believe this date reflects the length of stay allowed for that particular visa. This is incorrect.

When a non-immigrant enter the US, s/he will have to fill out a I-94 form at the port of entry. The immigration officer at the port of entry will review the I-94 and the visa, and determine the length of stay. Therefore, to determine one’s legal length of stay in the US, one should review the date stamped on the I-94 given at the time of entry and not the visa itself.

On the same note, getting a visa DOES NOT guarantee entry into the US. Any visa only gives one the right to travel to the port of entry, the actual determination as to whether one is allowed to enter US or not is made by the immigration officer at the port of entry.