UPDATE ON EXTENDING B2 VISA (I539)

[TonyL]

Just to advise that as of December 18th, our application to extend our Visa, (I539) was approved.?
Now at least we know that once the borders re-open and we have had our vaccinations, we should be allowed back into the USA.
Merry Christmas to everyone on this great forum.

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the follow-up Tony. Good to know that you eventually received a response.

Merry Christmas & happy new year to you and your family.

 

[Boat Addict]

Great news, we are looking foward to getting up with you folks  again. We have been spending some time on the road down south all by ourselves without any problems for sevices ..

 

[Tom]

[quote author=Tony]Now at least we know that once the borders re-open and we have had our vaccinations, we should be allowed back into the USA.[/quote]

Since you followed the rules, and previously received the acknowledgement letter, there was no danger of not being allowed back in on your next visit.

 

[TonyL]

Tom, whilst I have no doubt that our lack of any criminal record and that we did everything by the book as any visitor to another country should, was conducive to the outcome. We both know that when dealing with any government department, nothing should be taken for granted.
We never did.

 

[Tom]

When I first started visiting the US in the '70s, the agents at US airports had a stack of large (6" thick) hard cover books listing all the undesirables. They'd painstakingly flip through the pages to see if you were listed before stamping your I-94 and allowing entry. As you can imagine, the lines (queues) were long and slow  :

Never had an issue gaining entry.

I still find it mind boggling that there was no outbound check, and nothing like "passport control" seen at UK airports; The (paper) I-94 was removed from your passport by the airline check-in person, you flew out, and the I-94s were forwarded to Customs & Immigration (or whatever they were called in those days).