When I was last admitted to the United States in nonimmigrant status, I was issued an I-94 validity that exceeded the validity of the visa foil in my passport. Am I authorized to stay and work in the United States pursuant to my I-94 validity or am I limited by the validity dates listed in my visa foil?

Answer

The validity of the visa foil in your passport does not necessarily control the validity of your stay and authorized activities (work, travel) in the United States. It is possible that an I-94 can exceed the validity of a visa foil. Furthermore, different nonimmigrant status have different admission validity periods which do not necessarily correspond to visa validity dates. However, mistakes also happen at ports of entry. You should compare the I-94 end date with the petition end date, if applicable, or correspond with your immigration attorney about other situations in which your validity period may appropriately exceed the validity date of your visa. (28.Jan.2019)

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