sherry9oct

My relative is stuck in USA due to corona virus (flights cancellation issue). My relative's student visa expires on 15 July and his/her flight is on 9th July out of USA. In case if the flight is canceled again what are the options.
1. Should she/he apply in advance for visa extension. Is there a way to apply for extension? Can someone please guide me in the right direction if there is a way to apply.
2.Apply for us visit visa?
3. My relative has a valid visit visa for Canada if USA rejects his/her extension visa and the flight is canceled. Should he/she try to travel to Canada by road? I am in Canada and can help with any stay issue or completing quarantine requirements in Canada.
4.If option 1,2 and 3 will not work then is there any other option. Please suggest..

scrubbedexpat099

Quite a few people I know have been able to fly home since this all started.

Begs the question why your relative has left matters so late, have they contacted the Consulate?

christmasoompa

Not possible, s/he can't enter Canada, visitors aren't permitted in to Canada at the moment unless they have an essential reason to travel (medical reasons, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, etc).

There are flights leaving daily from some US cities, whereabouts is s/he?

civilservant

I agree with the others there really is no valid reason for your 'relative' not to be able to leave the US. Even if she had to rent a car and drive a good distance to an airport, this is still 100x better than overstaying a visa - even if she asks for an extension.

petitefrancaise

where is she flying to ? We're all assuming Canada but is that correct?
what advice is her student services giving her?

she could file an extension - information here https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-response-covid-19

file online here https://www.uscis.gov/visit-united-s...tend-your-stay

Pulaski

I'm not assuming that, as she wouldn't help "help with any stay issue" (per post #1) if Canada was her primary destination, would she?

My first thought was the UK, with this being British expats, but now I think it is probably some other "more exotic" destination, perhaps in Asia or Africa, which doesn't currently have direct flights from the US, or perhaps only from one or two airports such as JFK or LAX.

newacct

I think there must be some confusion here. US "visas" are solely for entry and the visa's expiration date just means the last date you can use it to enter. The visa's validity has no relevance to one's stay inside the US. One can enter the US on the day that the visa expires and stay legally for months or years afterwards, if they remain in status.

What matters for one's stay inside the US is the person's status. F1 are admitted for "D/S" on their I-94s, which means they remain in status indefinitely, as long as they remain in their program of study with a valid I-20 (and they can transfer to other institutions which give a new I-20, or start OPT which gives a new I-20, etc.), and they remain in F1 status for 60 days after completing their program. They cannot apply for Extension of Status for F1 because F1 I-94s already last indefinitely; one simply remains longer in F1 status by having valid I-20s. So I am not clear on what exactly is "expiring" on July 15.

If they cannot maintain F1 status by continuing to study or going on OPT, etc., they can apply for Change of Status to B2 visitor status.

The Canadian border is closed to entry of foreign nationals for "non-essential travel". And their purpose for visit does not fall under any of the categories of essential travel.

petitefrancaise

Not quite right.
https://ca.usembassy.gov/travel-rest...ns-fact-sheet/

newacct

This is talking about entry into the US.