Bhoot Nath

My parents received 10-year, multiple entry B2 visas from the US consulate in New
Delhi. Upon entry to the USA in 12/2001 at San Francisco port of entry, they were
issued I-94s valid for 6 months.

They would like to stay here for another 6 months -- their airline tickets are good
for 1 year from the initial date of travel.

1. Can a single I-539 application be filed for both? I think the answer is yes, but
I want to be sure.

2. What is the correct fee for two people in the same application? $140? or $280?

3. Should we submit original I-94s, or photocopies? The I-539 instructions first
mention that original *OR* copy can be submitted (page 1, left column). But in
the right column, under "A B-1, Visitor..." section, it says "you must file your
application with original Form I-94".

4. Is it OK to print the I-539 one sided, or must it be printed two-sided (duplex)?
If duplex, should it be "flip form top" or "flip from side"?

5. What should be mentioned in the "written statement" from applicant? Is a
statement required from both parents, or is a single statement sufficient?

Thanks a lot for your assistance.

Bhoot Nath **PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP**

Ingo Pakleppa

On 5 Apr 2002 10:11:30 -0800, [email protected] (Bhoot Nath) wrote:

    >My parents received 10-year, multiple entry B2 visas from the US consulate in New
    >Delhi. Upon entry to the USA in 12/2001 at San Francisco port of entry, they were
    >issued I-94s valid for 6 months.
    >
    >They would like to stay here for another 6 months -- their airline tickets are good
    >for 1 year from the initial date of travel.
    >
    > 1. Can a single I-539 application be filed for both? I think the answer is yes,
    > but I want to be sure.

No. Even though they are married, immigration law treats them as independent cases.
It's even possible that INS approves one and denies the other extension, or that they
decide one after a month and the other after a year.

You can include both forms in the same envelope. This is a good idea because it
reduces - not eliminates - the risk that INS will separate their cases.

    > 2. What is the correct fee for two people in the same application? $140? or $280?

See above. You'll need two applications, and thus also two fees. I would recommend
including two separate checks, not one for the total.

    > 3. Should we submit original I-94s, or photocopies? The I-539 instructions first
    > mention that original *OR* copy can be submitted (page 1, left column). But in
    > the right column, under "A B-1, Visitor..." section, it says "you must file
    > your application with original Form I-94".

Submit copies. The forms aren't clear on this.

    > 4. Is it OK to print the I-539 one sided, or must it be printed two-sided
    > (duplex)? If duplex, should it be "flip form top" or "flip from side"?

I believe INS relaxed the rules about that a bit, it should be described somewhere on
their Web site. I do not know the answer to your question.

    > 5. What should be mentioned in the "written statement" from applicant? Is a
    > statement required from both parents, or is a single statement sufficient?

I'm not sure what written statement you are referring to (I don't have the form or
instructions in front of me), but I'm assuming it's an explanation about why they
want to stay longer. A single statement should suffice (although I would include a
second copy for the other case), but both parents should sign it. At least, that's
what I would do in this case.

Ingo

I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. For reliable advice, please consult
with a professional immigration attorney.

For further information, check the following frequently-requested links.

For many questions, you may find answers at
http://travel.state.gov/visa_services.html (Department of State)

or http://ins.usdoj.gov (INS).

For consular policies and visa reciprocity fees, find your consulate in
http://travel.state.gov/links.html

For DOL Online Labor Certification: http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/

For information on affidavit of support for marriage to US citizens (I-864), go to
http://travel.state.gov/i864gen.html and http://travel.state.gov/checklist.html

For information on entering the US as a K-1: http://www.k1poelist.com/

For poverty levels, see http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/poverty/00poverty.htm

For information on H/L/O/P visa extensions at Dept. of State in St. Louis, MO, see
http://travel.state.gov/revals.html

For non-official information, check:

(When using these sites, and any Web sites, please watch out for privacy, as I do not
know all site operators.)

http://www.visalaw.com http://www.shusterman.com http://www.immigration.com
http://members.aol.com/MDUdall http://www.murthy.com/ http://www.richw.org/dualcit/
(dual citizenship FAQ) http://www.ilw.com http://www.srs-usvisa.com
http://www.getusavisa.com http://greencard-lottery.virtualave.net/
http://www.jcvisa.com (H-1B) http://www.h1bresources.com (marriage and fiancee)
http://www.kamya.com/misc/ (marriage and fiancee)
http://www.mindspring.com/~docsteen/...o/visainfo.htm http://www.workpermit.com

This is not an endorsement of any of these Web sites. I am not affiliated with any of
the Web site owners and do not receive nor accept payment in return for listing them,
and typically don't even know them.

(if believe you have a good immigration-related Web site and want your Web site
listed here, please e-mail me).