I just got to the US, normally I use my ESTA but this time I asked and was granted the B1B2 visa. When I got to the airport in customs the officer was chatting with me, didn't stamp my passport. So I got home went to see my I 94 and says I can only stay the 90. What can I do to stay the 6 months? I do have the B1 B2 visa but it's like the officer didn't count it or saw it. What can I do
123918
My dilemma is that I was admitted to the US under my B2 visa on October 27 2017, my passport was stamped with a end of stay of April 26, 2018. (see first picture).  I then went to Iceland for 10 days and when I re-entered my passport was stamped again, but this time it was stamped with 'WT' not 'B2'. The departure date on this stamp was April 6, 2018 (he only gave me 90 days as he admitted me under the VWP and not my B2 visa). (see second picture)  My issue now is that my ESTA will expire at the start of March but I plan to stay in the US until mid April. Am I allowed to stay? Do I need to extend my ESTA or is my B2 visa enough? Can I depart on April 26th like my first stamp says, or do I have to depart before April 6th?  I hope this makes sense. Please help. Thank you.
56994
I am a Canadian citizen and I have been denied from the USA in the past 2 years and last year I entered illegally and was caught and given voluntary departure, but I do not have a criminal record in the USA or Canada.   NOW - I am currently in Costa Rica and looking to fly back to Canada, and it would be ideally priced with a stop in the USA. I am not banned from entering the USA for any amount of time but CBP has said I need to present 12 consecutive months worth of pay stubs and rent receipts proving my ties to Canada. Is there any way I can take a flight from Costa Rica with a stop in the USA? Is my onward flight ticket proof enough? Or will I be turned back before boarding in the airport in Costa Rica? Is there a number I can call to ask US customs about my legal situation?
36271
I'm a US citizen traveling through Europe visa-free. I started my trip in Spain and got an entry stamp there. Later, I took the IDBUS from France to the UK and got an exit stamp from France and an entry stamp from the UK. (They made us all get out and go through two separate passport checkpoints.) Yesterday I took the night IDBUS bus back from the UK to Amsterdam. This time, we didn't have to get off the bus for passport checks: a UK official and a French official got on the bus and quickly checked everyone's passports, but no stamps were given. The last stamp in my passport is now my entry stamp into the UK, even though I'm in the Schengen Area again.  I'm confused: at the very least, shouldn't I have gotten an entry stamp from the French official? Is this common? What does this mean in practice? Will the burden of proof be on me to show that I haven't overstayed my 6-month period in the UK or my 3-month period in the Schengen region whenever I go through another border checkpoint?
92564
Last time I entered USA, the border officer asked me a lot of questions. Some of them were quite personal and others were about my destination in the USA. For example, he asked me where I would stay. I knew the address and since it was a private host, he asked me if I know the profession of my host. I couldn't answer this question and the border officer seemed a little bit surprised about that.  So my question is: What questions should I be able to answer when I want to enter the USA?
55210
As a US citizen, when I re-enter the US, I am often asked where I was, how long I was there, and the reason for my visit.  Why am I asked these things?  Am I required to answer? Don't I have a legal right to enter the US (as long as I'm not doing or carrying anything illegal)?  If I were to refuse to answer these questions, would I be permitted entry?  Note: I'm not really bothered by the questions (except when the agent asking them is especially rude), I'm just curious.
107619
I am an Australian citizen, currently studying in Canada.   I entered the United States In July 22nd for 3 days, where I stayed in Seattle before leaving to return to Vancouver. I then again entered the states on 11th of October and returned on the 18th of October.  On October 19th my original and first Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), expired. I was under the impression that if I was to travel into the United States again I would have to apply for another ESTA and start the 90 days again, which I was planning on around December the 10th. In addition to this I am flying into Los Angeles on the 17th of December 2014 (where I plan to travel around the USA until flying out of Los Angeles again on 18th of January back to Australia).  However, after speaking to friends and looking at the website I have become confused on what my next course of action should be.  I am told that I cannot apply for another ESTA and be granted another 90 days visit into the USA, whilst I am in Canada and thus not be able to take any of my flights.  What would be the most appropriate action so that I can take my flights leaving North America and also travel the United States?
25917
Note: This is NOT a duplicate of  Difference: In both other questions, the posters traveled once to the US for the original purpose for which the B1 visa was obtained. Their question is about visiting again using the same visa. However, I've not traveled to the US yet, and I'm planning my visit. What I want to understand whether I can use this visa for a visit whose purpose is not the same as what was submitted along with the application.  Can I use a B1/B2 visa for tourism that was originally obtained for business purposes BEFORE I actually visit the US even once? I had applied for a business visitor visa for a valid business reason but by the time I got it stamped, my plan changed. So I've not visited the US even once. Can I now use this visa to visit as a tourist without having used that visa for its original intended purpose? PS: I live in India.
44948
I applied for a B1 visa to attend a conference in the USA in 2013. I had another nationality (Non- VWP) at the time and my B1 application rejected under section 306 of border security. I now can apply for ESTA under my new nationality. Can my ESTA application get approved? If not and I need to apply for visa is it every time I need to travel to stated or is it just the first time?
78321
I want to travel to the USA (I am UK Citizen) and I am only allowed 90 days.  Is it possible for me to stay longer - say 6 months to a year, and how?
34442
I hope someone can help me.  I am currently on holiday for 3 months in America under the Visa Waiver Program and would like to stay an extra 2 or 3 weeks. I know I will have to leave the country, renew my visa waiver and then reenter and so wanted to know if I will have an issue reentering.  I will only be out of the country for about 24 to 48 hours, just enough to renew the visa and get on a plane. I understand it is up to the border control person on the day, but does anyone think I will have an issue??
91370
I am writing because I have a question regarding my ESTA application and because I could not find a similar case online that would help me at this stage. I have never been to the U.S. so this would be my first visit.    I am a German citizen, hence eligible for the Waiver Program. I applied for an ESTA in June 2014 and got approved. After further research on the Internet I learned that the passport should be valid until 6 months after the planned return date. My passport was due to run out in Feb 2015 - which still should have been fine but because I didn't want to take chances I applied for a new passport which was issued August 2014 and is now valid until August 2024. My passport number has been changed also.    After I received my new passport I was advised by a friend to apply for a B-1/B-2 visa as it would allow me to extend my stay and it seemed like a good idea at first. On the day of my interview I also applied for a new ESTA with my new passport number (just in case) which again was granted.   Unfortunately for me the interview for the B-1/B-2 visa was unsuccessful and I got rejected. I was not aware then that after a rejected interview one could not travel with ESTA, otherwise I would have never risked it!  Now I am very concerned, can I still use my ESTA and enter the U.S.? as I read everywhere that once you get rejected the chances of getting through are very slim and any visa rejection will result in not being able to use the waiver program.  It might be important to note that both the B-1/B-2 interview and the waiver application were on the same day, 21st of August 2014, so depending on how one might look at it that might present a problem too I suppose.  I guess the frustration lies in the fact that I did not need to apply for a B-1/B-2 visa to begin with, and had I not I would now not have these problems. I would like to know how likely it is that I can still travel under the waiver program, if at all, and what my options are at this point.
120433
I have been to the UK 12 times and I also had a 2 year visa. My boyfriend lives in England and we have been together 8 years. Last time I visited I was refused entry because I didn't have a return ticket. I also had an old resume I forgot. (It was 1 resume and it was 3 years old from when I first stayed the 2 years I just forgot it in the pocket I know it's really stupid) The officer didn't say he thought I'd work illegally but he did say he thought I might OVER stay. (I haven't over stayed the last 12 times, and he knew that.)  They took my photo and fingerprints even before I was refused. What will happen now? If I apply for a partner visa will I get refused? Before I was seeking entry as a visitor when I got refused and I want to visit again before getting this partner visa.  How hard will it be to get a visa for "join your partner in the UK" for me? I was honest the whole time and even when he was trying hard to find lies (it seemed) the immigration officer seemed pleased I didn't lie about anything.  How will having an X in my passport affect me?  I'm Canadian and he is British.
52357
I was wondering if someone could help me out with the following question. I bought a ticket New York - Zurich - Vienna - Lviv (Ukraine). I read online on Swiss immigration website the following information (actually your website states the same):  If you a a permanent resident of the United States (which is my case), you can travel through Schengen airports (I read specifically about Swiss airports) without transit visa, regardless of your citizenship.  I am a Ukranian but I have the old non-biometric passport, which still should have been fine, since as a US permanent resident, I can travel through Swiss airports without a transfer visa (I don't have to leave the Schengen zone inside the airport.  In New York airport, I was denied boarding. I spoke with 2 supervisors and they all said the same: if you are doing 2 transfers in the Schengen zone, you have to have a transit visa, with no exemptions. I showed them 2 websites including the Swiss immigration and was told it's not the information they would acknowledge.  I still think I was right and that exemption rules should apply to me. I ended up buying another ticket and missing Christmas dinner with my family. Anyone with any suggestions, please help!
48248
I'm travelling on the ESTA visa waiver, I'm now in the States but would like to go to Costa Rica for a bit (say three weeks) then come back to the States. All will be within my 90 day limit.  Is that allowed?  (I have my onward ticket home.)
93838
In April 2015, I traveled from Brussels to New York (tourism) after successfully applying for ESTA. Today, my ESTA is still valid (I checked via the official website). On 22 February 2016 I will be traveling from Amsterdam to Cancún, with a transit in Houston. When I applied last year, I was staying in New York, so I answered the question Is your travel to the US occurring in transit to another country? with a "no". For my trip to Cancún, however, this question should be answered with a "yes", since I will not be staying in the US for more than two hours during my transit in Houston.  Is there some way I can change the answer to the question Is your travel to the US occurring in transit to another country? from "no" to "yes"?    Or, do I have to apply for a new ESTA?    I ask this because the ESTA FAQ specifically mentions you should answer "yes" if you're in transit - the point is that I cannot change the answer to this question. The only thing I can do is change the NY address I stayed last year into "In Transit", but I'm not sure whether that's sufficient.  My doubts only grow by reading the explanation from the official  (see bold text):     Each approved ESTA application generally is valid for two years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes first. A new travel authorization is required if: (1) the traveler is issued a new passport; (2) the traveler changes his or her name; (3) the traveler changes his or her gender; (4) the traveler’s country of citizenship changes; or (5) the circumstances underlying the traveler’s previous responses to any of the ESTA application questions requiring a “yes” or “no” response have changed. The associated fee will be charged for each new application submitted.   I don't mind that much about the $14, but if it's not really necessary, I prefer to leave all the hassle aside.
83206
My old passport is in my maiden name and has already expired. My B1/B2 visa to travel to United States is still valid but is stamped in my old passport with my maiden name.   My new passport has my new name (old name got changed after marriage) but has details (like old passport number, father and mother's name) related to my old passport.    Will I be allowed to travel to US as long as I carry the my old as well as new passport?  Or Do I need to again get the visa stamped on my new passport?
90537
I recently discovered that I will be over-staying my 90 day visa waiver by 2 days. My question is about leaving the country as I fly from NYC to LA before flying home to Australia and I'm wondering that if because the Visa has technically expired will I be allowed to fly from one US state to another or will I be forced to fly directly out of the US from NYC?