No matter how well a person plans out the future, he or she can almost certainly count on change. For some immigrants in Louisiana, this means wanting to stay in the United States for longer than they are officially authorized. Individuals who are in this situation have options for staying in the country while also complying with U.S. immigration law.
Individuals who are in the country on nonimmigrant visas often end up in situations where they either want or need to stay longer than first anticipated. Rather than simply overstaying their visas and hoping for the best, these individuals should instead request stay extensions. Stay extensions are only intended for people who want to remain in the country to continue the same activities that their visas were originally approved for.
Requesting stay extensions is even easier than it used to be. New technology from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services makes it both faster and easier for these visitors to request extensions. The digital platform eProcessing expands online filing and will be better equipped to handle these applications. The improved application system is expected to be used by many immigrants who are in the country on business or student visas.
However, improved technology does not always mean that a previously difficult process will become instantly easy. Individuals who struggle with online literacy or who do not fully understand the application process or questions may still struggle to fulfill the requirements for an extension. In such cases, speaking with a Louisiana attorney who understands U.S. immigration law can be an extremely beneficial first step.