In order to stay legally in the USA a person has to maintain legal status all the time. If you came to the USA with a B1/B2, J1, H2B, H2R, F1 etc.. visa we can change your status or request an extension of stay for maximum of six months in order to stay legally in the country. Overstaying the legal term allowed in the USA can jeopardize the person's next visit into the USA and can have as serious consequences as the person could be barred to enter into the USA from three to ten years. In order to avoid overstaying the legal term the individual has to file a request for extension of stay or change of status not sooner than 45 days prior to the expiration of the I-94 Departure Record or the USA visa in some visa categories (H2B, J-1 etc.). Our office has a history of reliability, credibility and accuracy and we are ready to help you all the way in the process of extension or change of status.
| Starting from July 30, 2007 the fee for extension of stay or change of status in the above-mentioned categories has been increased to $300 by the USCIS ! Every time a person files for an extension of stay or change of status to the USCIS the person always has to receive within 30 days a notice from the USCIS with a case number in which the USCIS informs the person about the ongoing and pending case. If you do not have a case number within 30 days of filing your case to the USCIS be suspicious and start asking question and get to the bottom of the issue! |
| Just because someone has been denied in one status category like H2B it does not mean that the person cannot request a status change or an extension in another status category like B2. The B2 status is very flexible and the person can change back again to H2B, F1 etc. status or request another extension in B2. Let us know your situation so we can advise you a solution and most of all maintain or get you back into a valid and legal status. |
| Our advise to everybody is not to overstay the legal term of I-94 Card ( Departure Record) and do not be out of legal status, because if a person leaves the USA without a valid status (out of legal status by not maintaining a valid status) then the person would be barred to enter in the USA next time, and would not be able to come back again for for 3 to 10 years. |
ATTENTION (!): please make sure you send all the data, documents, fee we request from you and if you have any question call us. Lately, we have been hearing about cases where the I-94 card has already expired due to fraudulent activities of some rogue agencies or phony individuals. Despite of the expired I-94 card, it is not all lost. We can still help all these customers (who are basically victims here and trapped in the situation) if their I-94 card expired within three months by providing an official explanation to the USCIS. |
| FIRST TIME EXTENSION OR CHANGE OF STATUS |
In order to file a request for extension of stay or change of status we need only the copies of the following documents: - passport (the last page where the passport photo and all the vital data are) - visa - I-94 Departure Record - * bank statement (ending balance min. $3000/person) - for H2B or J-1 visa holders the bank statement can be replaced with the last two pay-stubs (recent payment check) - in order to prove to the USCIS that you have the money to stay in the USA *- recently the USCIS requests this piece of evidence to prove that the person has the financial means to stay in the USA - $500/month - airplane ticket (optional) - if you still have it, even if it has expired - if you have a working visa (H-2B, J-1, H2R) we need the copy of SSN card - if you have been issued one in the past - if you have J-1 visa make a copy of the SEVIS Form DS-2019 also - residential/mailing address in your native country and in the USA - your phone number in the USA - and e-mail address - if you have one - $100 money order filled out for Pataki Center (in case of a family - husband and wife with or without kids - our processing fee is altogether $150). |
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| SECOND OR THIRD TIME EXTENSION |
In case of a second or third time extension (each time six month) we need again the above-mentioned copies in the section of "First Time Extension Or Change Of Status", plus the copy of the USCIS Approval Notice for the previous or current extension or change of status. |
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| IN CASE OF EMERGENCY WHEN TIME IS A MAJOR FACTOR |
In case of emergency (when the filing deadline is too close and there is simply no time to mail you back the prepared case of your extension of stay or change of status, because by doing that you will go over the expiration date of your valid I-94 Departure Record or your USA visa in some cases - USCIS is very sensitive to the terms and datelines). To make sure that your mail gets to the USCIS in time, please send us the fee of the USCIS ($300) in form of a check of yours or a money order filled out for the USCIS and the fee for the overnight/express mail ($15) plus the $100 processing fee (altogether $115 money order filled out for Pataki Center). We will send your case of extension or change of status directly to the USCIS this way we make sure that your application gets to the USCIS in time. We do the above procedure of extension or change of status only in cases when the time to file your case to the USCIS is really tight. |
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Just to have the peace of mind we contact you and confirm the reception of your mail. We process your application as soon as we get it and within 3-4 days you will get your case of extension of stay or change of status fully prepared by us. The fee for the USCIS is currently $300. A few lines of self-obvious explanation will be added from our part concerning where to sign the prepared USCIS forms. The extension of stay or change of status will be fully prepared (we even address the envelope for you) and after signing the forms and adding the USCIS fee ($300) you can send it straight to the USCIS.
If you have any question please e-mail or call us.