Whether an individual plans to settle in Florida after arriving in the United States to work, get married, attend college or become a naturalized U.S. citizen, a visa application will be part of the process. There are numerous types of visas and it is important to clarify which one is needed before applying. There are also many legal issues that can place someone’s visa status at risk.
A foreign national is supposed to apply for a visa before entering the United States. If someone enters without paperwork in order and expects to be able to obtain a visa later, he or she may be disappointed. If a person has filed the proper application and obtained a visa before entering the United States, he or she must pay attention to the document’s expiration date.
There are circumstances where a visa holder may request an extension to stay in the United States longer than initially planned. The key factor here is that an application for an extension must be filed before the visa in question expires, not afterward. In fact, it is recommended that such an application be filed at least 40 or more days before the expiration of a visa.
For an extended stay to be granted, an applicant must have a passport that will remain valid throughout the extended stay. If a Florida visa holder has questions about the extended stay application process about the extended stay application process or other visa issues, he or she may seek answers by consulting an immigration law attorney. Staying in the United States with a visa that has expired places a person at risk for immediate removal.
