B1/B2 Visa Question

[thoudx]

- I have a B1/B2 visa

- Been accepted to unpaid post graduate dental residency in Miami, FL

- Clinic is not associated with a university or hospital, so they cannot provide F1 or J1 visa, so I have to go on my B1/B2

- Program goes from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010

- I have to get in FL a few days early to find a place to live, so will need to be in country more than 365 days.


Has anyone ever of 1 year limit for the B1/B2 being extended for special circumstances? I have letters from the clinic, a congresswoman in the area, and hopefully from my embassy.

I know it's hard to know what will happen, but I'm just wondering if anyone has ever encountered an issue where they've heard of an extra extension or amount of time given.

I've researched every other visa I can find, but nothing seems to cover this type of situation. Thank you for your time.

- Mike

[bkwld]

B-1/B-2/ is for short visit only without any other intent. You cannot come in with your B1/B2 even if you intend to change your status to a work visa, etc. later.

[thoudx]

I don't intend to work in the U.S., I will not get paid for anything, nor do I intend to live here illegally or petition to become a citizen.

I am coming for specific training at a non-profit dental clinic. Limited finances mean they are unable to afford the application fee to become SEVIS approved. So they'd never be able to offer me a DS-2019 or J1 visa like many would in a similar situation. As far as I can tell, my situation doesn't fall under any of the other visa categories.

I have a documentation showing finances to support myself, ties to a job back in Thailand, property back in Thailand, and family back in Thailand. I'm just wondering if I'm getting my hopes up for something that is 100% set in stone.

[orion]

This purpose is not covered under a B visa classification.

[bkwld]

Looks like you're going to be a doctor. DO NOT mess with immigration purpose considering your future is bright. You're looking for a particular visa category for your situation, but what really you should be doing is finding a clinic that meet a particular category or have the non-profit dental clinic meet the particular category by offering you something like J1 like you described.

[thoudx]

This purpose is not covered under a B visa classification.

This is for training purposes listed under the travel.state.gov pdf document titled "Business Travel to the United States - What Type of U.S. Visa Will You Need?".

Training: Participating in a training program that is not designed primarily to provide employment. Will receive no payment or income from a U.S. based company/entity, other than an expense allowance or expense reimbursement related to traveler’s stay.

Called to speak with a visa specialist at the U.S. State Department today, and she said entry would be granted since it is an unpaid training position not offered by a university or hospital.

[thoudx]

Looks like you're going to be a doctor. DO NOT mess with immigration purpose considering your future is bright. You're looking for a particular visa category for your situation, but what really you should be doing is finding a clinic that meet a particular category or have the non-profit dental clinic meet the particular category by offering you something like J1 like you described.

I do not plan on messing with anyone. This clinic offered me a tuition free residency, which normally costs $20,000 to attend, so I'm doing my best to find legal ways to attend. Please forgive me for sounding disrespectful, but I refuse to just throw away an opportunity like this because I know I could never afford to pay cost of other dental residency programs. I will close this thread now though and seek out other visas on my own. Thank you for your time.

[bkwld]

No disrespect. Just make sure to go with proper status doing your residency. Who knows, you might need to explain this later when you decide to immigrate or work in the U.S. It sounds like a great opportunity. Best of luck to you.