If you’re a foreign national who is a citizen of a nation that doesn’t participated in the Visa Waiver Program and wish to travel to the United States for a short time, you’ll be needing a nonimmigrant visa for this purpose. Application can be made online with the U.S. Department of State by completing and signing off on a Form DS-160 along with supporting documentation. Some common reasons for nonimmigrant travel to the U.S. are for tourism, business, education or even temporary employment. These are mere temporary visas with a limited time span for the purpose that they are issued. Nonimmigrant visas don’t allow holder to apply for permanent residency. The California Central Valley lawyers at Maison Law Immigration Lawyers can be of great help to you in obtaining a nonimmigrant visa.
Nonimmigrant Visa Intent
There is a legal presumption that any foreign national who wants to come to the United States is an intending immigrant. An applicant for a nonimmigrant visa must convince the U.S. Department of State that he or she intends on returning to their home country within the time that their visa remains valid. At the time of an applicant’s embassy or consulate interview, he or she must present evidence of the fact that he or she has no intention of abandoning their foreign residence and that the applicant has substantial economic, personal or professional reasons to return to their home country before the expiration of their nonimmigrant visa. Embassy and consular employees have broad discretion for purposes of weighing such evidence. Applicants are encouraged to gather supporting documents that show the following:
- Home ownership and ownership of any other real estate.
- Financial investments and other assets in their home country.
- Strong family and other social relationships in their home country.
- A bona fide job or business in the applicant’s home country.
- Any offer of temporary future employment in the United States.
Dual Intent
The concept of an applicant’s dual intent is recognized in some situations. Temporary status might be granted while he or she engages in the process of applying for lawful permanent residence in the U.S. Several types of visas contemplate dual intent, especially in the employment and intracompany transfer classifications. You’ll be needing our help if you plan on changing your intent sometime in the future.
Changing Nonimmigrant Status
The general rule is that one nonimmigrant status might be changed to another nonimmigrant status. For example, you may have come to the United States on a tourist visa, but now, you want to study here. An application for change of status must be submitted before your expiration date. In most cases, changing a person’s immigration status isn’t a problem, so long as you haven’t been convicted of committing any crimes here. Don’t start school before the government gives you permission to do so though. You don’t want to jeopardize your immigration status or even be deported.
Our objective as immigration lawyers is to assist you in obtaining entry into the United States without delays or refusal. If we can help you further once you get here, we’ll be pleased to do so. One way or another, foreign nationals will be in need of a qualified and experienced immigration lawyer You can contact the Central Valley immigration lawyers at Maison Law Immigration Lawyers to arrange for a consultation.