Multiple Entries on Visitor Visa

[otter986]

Hi,

My mother plans to visit me from India this year and stay with me in US for about 5 months. She already has a 10 year multiple entry visa. She plans to request for 5 month stay when she arrives.

In about a month after she arrives here, she needs to go to Singapore for work and come back to US. Will the duration of her visa (based on initial 5 month request) be affected when she comes back again?

Do you recommend her asking for a month when she comes in first, later ask for 4 months when she comes in from Singapore?

Thanks in advance.

[skk538]

Hello otter986,

You CANNOT request a specific period of stay when you arrive at the
port of entry in the US. Inspectors anyway grant a period
of 6 month stay to visitors and stamp it on their I-94 card.

So she can stay a month with you and when she re-enters after
her Singapore visit, she will again get a 6 month stay.

More qs welcome.
--------

[otter986]

Re: Multiple entries on visitor visa

Hi skk538,

Thanks for the quick reply. I gather from speaking to others that inspectors at the port of entry can choose to change the length of stay from 6 months to some shorter period if they have some reason to do so. My concern is that my mother may receive the 6 month duration on her first entry, but then on returning from Singapore, perhaps encounter an inspector who decides her visa duration should be shortened to a few weeks, for example. I would like to avoid having her vacation cut short just because a second inspector decides that he/she doesn't like the "look" of her! Is this a legitimate concern or can we assume that in general the duration alloted will be 6 months?

Thanks again!

[skk538]

You do not need to worry about it. It does not happen like you think.
Even if (assuming only for your concern ) the inspector on the second visit
tries to cut her visit down, your mother can explain why she had to
break her US stay with a trip to singapore and she would like a 6 month
stay.

A more important thing is that your mother should have an
explanation ready for two US visits only a month apart when
arriving for the second time.
Nothing to panic about, but in case the inspector asks, she must
explain.

Good luck.