Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Visa Expiration Date and Duration of Stay

Many individuals have difficulty understanding the difference between the visa expiration date and the length of time you have permission to remain in the United States (U.S.). These are very different terms.

A U.S. visa indicates that your application has been reviewed by a consular officer at an American embassy or consulate, and that the officer determined you’re eligible to travel to a U.S. port-of-entry for a specific purpose.  a U.S. immigration officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decides whether to allow you to enter and how long you can stay for any particular visit.

The visa expiration date reflects the length of time you are permitted to travel to a port-of-entry in the U.S.
Duration of stay
Upon arriving at a port-of-entry and  when admitted, a CBP officer places a small white card, Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94 or a small green card, Form I-94W for VWP travelers, in your passport.  This card shows permission to be in the U.S.


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