COVID-19 and Visa Expiration: Oliver-Zhang Law is Urgently Helping to File Non-Immigrant Extend/Change Applications

By Julie Oliver-Zhang, Esq. and Yang Yang

Is your flight back to your home country cancelled due to COVID-19 and you are now unexpectedly stuck in the United States with an expiring visa? Three months ago, no one would ever have dreamt our world would be facing such volatile times, but we remain confident that we will prevail. We understand the concern and uncertainty you may be experiencing around the evolving situation of the global coronavirus public health crisis, and we are committed to being responsive to our clients’ needs.

Amid ongoing concerns about the coronavirus, USCIS’s closure to public has now been extended to May 3rd, 2020. The closure is only for in-person services, such as interviews. USCIS is still accepting and processing paper and online applications. To support you and our communities, Oliver-Zhang Law is actively helping people with nonimmigrant status extension or status change applications as more and more international flights are being canceled. If you currently hold a nonimmigrant visa, including:

  • B-1/B-2: Visitor Visa
  • F-1: Student Visa
  • J-1: Exchange Visitor
  • H-4: Dependents of an H Temporary Worker
  •  L-2: Dependents of an L Intracompany Transferee
  • M-1: Vocational or Non-Academic Student
  • A & A-3: Ambassador, Public Minister, or Career Diplomatic or Consular Officer and Their Immediate Family Members
  • CW-2: Dependents of a CW-1 Transitional Worker
  • O-3: Dependent of an O, Alien of Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
  • P-4: Dependents of a P, Artist, Athlete, or Entertainer
  • R-2: Dependents of an R, Religious Worker
  • TD: Dependents of a TN, Canadian or Mexican Professional
  • E-1, E-2 &E-3: Dependents of a Principal E Nonimmigrant
  • T Nonimmigrants and Derivative Nonimmigrants
  • U Nonimmigrants and Derivative Nonimmigrants
  • V visa

and you are experiencing delayed returns because of coronavirus, we encourage you to contact us to learn about your options. The non-immigrant visa extension or change applications should be filed at least 45 days before your visa due date expires or as soon as you determine your need to change or extend status, as USCIS may have expected delays in processing.

In addition, the Public Charge Grounds final rule has been applied to application to extend/change nonimmigrant states since February 24, 2020.  Please kindly note that the application can be complicated and follow-ups will be challenging due to the Public Charge Grounds final rule and coronavirus impacted processing. 

At Oliver-Zhang Law, we remain committed to taking care of you, our clients. We will do everything possible to make sure your needs are met promptly. As always, thank you for your loyalty, trust, and understanding. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this pandemic. We look forward to assisting you, and we will get through this together!

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