Automatic visa revalidation

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Automatic visa revalidation is one of a handful of exceptions to the general rule that a person who is not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident can only lawfully enter the United States if he/she has a valid visa. According to automatic visa revalidation, people on some non-immigrant visa statuses who visit Canada, Mexico or some adjacent islands close to the United States for a period of less than 30 days can re-enter the United States based on a valid Form I-94 even if their visa has expired. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Rules

A person is eligible for automatic visa revalidation provided the following conditions are met: [4]

Similar exceptions

Relation with change of status

Automatic visa revalidation also applies to cases where the applicant never acquired a visa for his or her current non-immigrant status but rather transitioned through it by filing the appropriate form to change non-immigrant status (such as Form I-129 or Form I-539). Instead of the "visa", what gets revalidated is the change of status, and therefore in lieu of the visa the applicant must carry the Form I-797 Approval Notice in addition to all the other supporting documentation. In particular, it does not matter if the applicant has never acquired a visa for the new status. [10]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Automatic Revalidation". United States Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs . Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Automatic revalidation for certain temporary visitors". United States Customs and Border Protection . Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Important Update - Automatic Revalidation of Visas" (PDF). United States Customs and Border Protection. May 23, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Returning to the U.S. from Canada or Mexico". Cornell University International Students and Scholars Office. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Automatic Visa Revalidation". Office of International Affairs, University of Chicago . Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Visa & Passport Renewal". International Center, Winthrop University . Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Travel to Canada and Mexico". Berkeley International Office. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Travel to Canada, Mexico, or Adjacent Islands". Harvard International Office. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "State Sponsors of Terrorism". United States Department of State . Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Automatic Visa Re-Validation". VirginiaTech. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
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