Extended Visitorsvisa???
Q: In March last year I came to USA. In May I went back to The Netherlands for 2 weeks and applied for a 6-months visa. In November this expired and I applied for an extension for another 6 months. I only received a message from INS that it will take 350 days untill I will get the approval. I wonder what to do in May, apply for another extension or just stay here and wait? I would like to stay in USA, but chances are small to get a greencard, I am almost 50 years old, worked as a secretary in the Netherlands, and don't think America is really 'waiting' for me. I filled out the form for the Lottery, and think this will be my only chance, or are there other possibilities? I was told that you can only stay maximum one year on a visitorsvisa and after that you have to go back to your own country. Can you tell me if this is true? Or can I just keep going applying for extensions and will they be satisfied with the 120 dollar every 6 months? Reason for my wanting to stay in USA is to stay together with my partner Deanna. Marriage is out of the question, because it is not allowed in USA for 2 women to get married. I do hope you can answer a little bit of my question.
A: -Your best bet is to consult a lawyer about all your options. My thoughts: I believe that you can stay legally till the time your extension petition is decided either way. If it is rejected, you must leave immediately. If it is approved, you will be able to stay till May. If you do not get an INS decision till May, I believe you can continue to stay legally, although you must consult a lawyer if that happens. Even if you do get an approval, the approval will be valid only till May-which means it doesn't benefit you much. By the time you get the approval till May, it might already be May or even later. So you must leave shortly after you get the approval. You *might* apply for another extension (if the extension till May is approved), but it might be risky because: 1. You've already stayed for a year (and maybe a little over by the time you apply). Normally, tourists are not allowed to stay beyond that time. So your second extension might be denied. 2. Techncially, you've been in the USA since March last year and went back to your home country only for 2 weeks, the purpose of which can be construed to be to apply for the visa. INS can easily smell "immigration