{"id":29105,"date":"2018-01-22T09:57:29","date_gmt":"2018-01-22T17:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.us-immigration.com\/blog\/?p=29105"},"modified":"2024-11-28T04:13:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T12:13:51","slug":"overstayed-visa-and-getting-married","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/overstayed-visa-and-getting-married\/","title":{"rendered":"Overstayed Visa and Getting Married"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/iStock_000015341200XSmall.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-29175\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/iStock_000015341200XSmall.jpg\" alt=\"Overstayed Visa and Getting Married\" width=\"264\" height=\"175\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/iStock_000015341200XSmall.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/iStock_000015341200XSmall-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 264px) 100vw, 264px\" \/><\/a>Nonimmigrant visitors who remain in the United States past their approved duration of stay typically are unable to file for extensions, changes or adjustments to their status. If they leave the U.S., they may find themselves barred from re-entry for 3 to 10 years. However, certain immediate relatives may be eligible for an exemption, or waiver, that allows for an adjustment of status. Spouses are included in those immediate relatives eligible for the exemption.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Overstaying a Visa<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lawful duration of a nonimmigrant traveler\u2019s visit to the U.S. depends on the information indicated on their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbp.gov\/travel\/international-visitors\/i-94\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arrival\/Departure Record<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This may be a<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbp.gov\/document\/forms\/form-i-94-arrivaldeparture-record\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Form I-94<\/a>, Arrival\/Departure Record, or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbp.gov\/document\/forms\/form-i-94w-visa-waiver-arrivaldeparture-record\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Form I-94W<\/a>, Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival\/Departure Record.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the I-94, U.S. Customs and Border Protection records each visitor\u2019s admission number, their admission date, their class of admission and an end date for that visit. The end date is referred to as a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">duration of status<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remaining in the U.S. past the end date indicated on the I-94 is commonly referred to as overstaying a visa. This is because the end date associated with the traveler\u2019s Arrival\/Departure Record supersedes the expiration date on the traveler\u2019s visa. The visa gives permission for a traveler to request entry to the U.S., but the Arrival\/Departure Record documents the entry and specifies the acceptable, lawful duration for each visit.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Consequences of Overstaying a Visa<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nonimmigrant travelers who remain in the U.S. past the end or duration date associated with their Arrival\/Departure Record become <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unlawfully present<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and face legal consequences. U.S. Immigration and Enforcement has the authority to remove individuals who overstay and do not leave of their own volition. In addition, individuals who overstay but then later voluntarily leave the U.S. may find themselves barred from re-entry to the U.S. for years:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those who overstay and remain in the U.S. more than 180 days but less than 1 year may be barred from the U.S. for 3 years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those who overstay and remain in the U.S. 1 year or more may be barred from the U.S. for 10 years.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exceptions to these barring rules of unlawful presence due to a visa overstay and future inadmissibility, however, are available to certain individuals who qualify.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Eligibility To Adjust Status Despite Visa Overstay<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Department of Homeland Security Policy Manual<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> recognizes that \u201csome or all of the adjustment bars do not apply to certain categories of adjustment applicants.\u201d Specifically, individuals who qualify as a U.S. citizen\u2019s immediate family are exempt and are still considered admissible and eligible to apply for an adjustment of status: that is, Permanent Resident Status and a Green Card. This includes<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the spouse of a U.S. citizen,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">children under age 21 of a U.S. citizen and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">parents of a U.S. citizen if the U.S. citizen is 21 or older.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, the manual states that these individuals may be able to adjust status even if they <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">worked without authorization,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are not in \u201clawful immigration status\u201d on the date they file their application,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have failed to maintain continuous lawful status since entering the U.S.,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">were admitted to Guam or the Mariana Islands under the Visa Waiver Program and are not Canadian,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">were admitted to the U.S. as a nonimmigrant visitor without a Visa under the Visa Waiver Program or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have ever violated the terms of their nonimmigrant status.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Additional Bars to Overstaying a Visa and Getting Married<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spouses and immediate relatives who exceed their duration of stay may be able to benefit from exemptions to adjust status, apply for permanent resident status and receive a Green Card. However, these exemptions do not excuse individuals from other bars, eligibility requirements or grounds for inadmissibility. For example,<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The individual must have entered the U.S. legally. Undocumented individuals do not qualify.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The individual must obey U.S. laws and refrain from criminal activity. Background checks are a standard part of the processing for requests for permanent resident status.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The marriage must be a bona fide, legitimate union based on a personal relationship. USCIS considers marriages of convenience arranged to gain immigration benefits as fraudulent, illegal and subject to prosecution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To adjust status for a spouse who has overstayed their visa, couples must concurrently file three applications\u00a0or petitions:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/I-130-immigrant-petition-green-card.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Form I-130<\/a>, Petition for Alien Relative;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/i-864\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Form I-864<\/a>, Affidavit of Support; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/Adjustment-of-Status-Form-I-485.html\">Form I-485<\/a>, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nonimmigrant visitors who remain in the United States past their approved duration of stay typically are unable to file for extensions, changes or adjustments to their status. If they leave the U.S., they may find themselves barred from re-entry for 3 to 10 years. However, certain immediate relatives may be eligible for an exemption, or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29105"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44709,"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29105\/revisions\/44709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.us-immigration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}