dlake02

Well, following on from my EAD renewal debacle, I now have another issue coming up.

1) The EAD runs until November when our Visa's expire.

2) I've got business trips planned in September, October and November - our immigration consultant is telling me to cancel them as it could "impact" our visa renewal. These are conferences - I can't just cancel business committments !

3) I'm told that to actually get our Visa stamps, we have to physically GO to a US Consulate NOT IN THE US ?? Whilst I am travelling, neither my wife nor my son are, so how do they get theirs ?

4) I'm told there are no guaranteed times for the renewal process - how do I make plans if we have no idea if we have Visas or not ?

Am I being told a heap of horse by the immigration consultants ? Is it really this slow/bad/disorganised ?

Maybe I should just move out of this police state back to real freedom.

Orangepants

Can only help with your wife and son's visas. Our attorney is filing our renewal in the next couple of weeks using premium processing, our visas are up at the end of June. She offered to file a I-539 for me (I am the dependant) to extend my stay - this would have been $500 but I said I didn't need it as I would get stamped in London myself before the original visa expires.

Noorah101

If you are inside the USA when your L-1 expires, you are OK to stay in the USA as long as you have an unexpired I-94. If you are outside the USA when your L1 expires, then you will indeed need a new L1 visa in order to return to the USA, and you can only obtain a visa at a US Consulate/Embassy outside the USA. It seems like the Sept/Oct trips might be OK, since your visa doesn't expire until Nov. But if you are outside the USA at a conference in Nov and your visa expires, you'll need a new one.

If they are staying inside the USA, they won't need a visa.

The renewal process shouldn't take too long, pretty much just a matter of making the appointment and going in to the embassy, then waiting for them to return your passport/visa by courier. Just make a plan to be outside the USA for a couple of weeks to get this taken care of.

No.

No.

Rene

dlake02

OK - we will be spending two weeks on vacation in Cap d'agde in July 2014, but not planning on leaving the US other than maybe a pop-up to see family in Vancouver.

Do we need to plan to be in one place for 2 weeks outside the US ? What if we're not near a consulate ? There is an office in Nice, but the nearest true embassy is in Paris.

Can this be done in one-day ? We could stop at LHR rather than flying in to BCN....

It's all very confusing - at least to me....

Noorah101

I don't think you have to stay in that one place, no...but you need to have a local physical address (to whichever consulate you use), so they can return your passport/visa to you.

Then you'll need to make a trip to a consulate/embassy which processes L-1 visas, even if it's far away.

Not to my knowledge, because they will not process your visa and hand it back to you on the same day as your interview. You can book the interview date ahead of time, though, and then just go there on that day...attend the interview, and then hang around for a week or so to get your passport/visa sent back to you. They only do it via courier now. You cannot go back in person to pick it up.

Rene

ChocolateBabz

Ours had officially run out in March 2011 although they were in the renewal process by hubby's employers. Once we received our approval notices I-797A we were told that the next time we left the US we would have to go to a British Embassy to get our new Visa's before re-entering the states.

Hubby had to travel to Singapore and went to the British Embassy there to have his Visa issued. Bit risky as the originals were issued in London and I believe they prefer you to do it where they were originally issued.

Then in November we all travelled to the UK and my son and I went to the embassy there to have ours issued.

ChocolateBabz

No after we did ours in London we flew up to Aberdeen and arranged for our passports (with new Visa's) to be couriered up there. Took about a week.

I have read a couple of horror stories about people leaving the US to get their new Visa's (even after getting there approval notices) and then the Visa's not being issued for one reason or another and then being stuck outside the US until they get it sorted out. I am not trying to worry you just giving you a heads up.

dlake02

Ok - so we have a weekend booked in Vancouver in December. Our visa should be renewed in November, but we won't be going back to the UK until the following July.

What do we do then ? We have three days (Fri/Sat/Sun) in BC. What piece of paper do we show to get back in ?

dlake02

That's exactly what we're worried about. Why is this system so bloody convoluted ?

ChocolateBabz

I don't think there is anything else you can show to get back in. You will have to extend your trip and go to an embassy. I am sure some people have used the embassy in Canada to renew but as I said they prefer for you to do it in your home country. Your other option is to fly back to London before coming back to the US.

I am not an expert though so maybe someone else knows something I don't?

Our renewals all went completely smoothly so try not to worry, it's just a hassle having to go outside US to do it. Especially when you don't have to do the same for a Green Card.

ian-mstm

If you leave the US you must get a new visa at a US Consulate. You don't need to go to the UK. There's a US Consulate in Vancouver! Plan on spending some more time in Canada... work it into a holiday and enjoy your time there.

Ian

dlake02

Flights are already booked - leave on a Thursday evening as there is a Furlough day at school on the Friday. Back on the Sunday.

Sounds like we'd better cancel it as we can't add to it (school on the Monday).

This is so F-ing stupid ! Why can't they just issue a US government document from one of the US government offices that litter the place....

Noorah101

If you are outside the USA after your L-1/L-2 visas expire, you will need a new L-1/L-2 visa to get back in the USA. There is no other piece of paper you can show.

You can get the new visa done in Canada, but you'll have to extend your stay in order to get it done.

It's not difficult to understand. If you remain inside the USA, you are OK to stay as long as you have an unexpired I-94. If you are outside the USA, and your visa has expired, you will need a new visa to enter the USA. A visa can only be obtained at a US consulate/embassy outside the USA (there aren't any inside the USA).

Yes, it's inconvenient if you need to get back to work or the kids back to school. But your employer (and maybe the school) should be aware that this is the case, and should allow you the time off to get it done.

Rene

Noorah101

Because you'll have an expired visa. The ONLY way to get into the USA (except as a visitor on the VWP) is to have an unexpired visa in hand. It's your choice to leave the USA with an expired visa. If you choose to do that, then you have to follow the law and obtain a new visa. If your employer is sending you outside the USA for work, he is most likely aware that you'll need a new visa in order to return, and will give you the time off to get it done.

Rene

Noorah101

When you made the plans to go to Canada in December, knowing your visas will expire in November, what was your original plan? What were you thinking of using to get back into the USA from the trip to Canada?

Rene