Quote:
Originally Posted by Wing-nut2
This may be an old post, but it may apply to many here in TV.
My wife and i retired from CBP. CBP is now INS & Customs combined. The very limit on a B2 visa is 180 days. Then you have to make a "meaningful departure". That means you can't go to Canada for a week and then return that doesn't work. If you stay longer than 180 days, or have stayed longer than 180 days, you are considered an "overstay" and may be deported after the 180 days or refused entry on your next visit if you don't get caught at the A/P. This applies to all our Canadian friends also.
gjbl8114, your on borrowed time. Get you husband a "green card" Then you can go back and forth with no problem. CBP computers and getting better and better. They are now doing departure control. Sooner or later it will catch up to you. You will be considered a immigrant without an immigrant visa and your visa cancelled on the spot. As for your question "when does the year start, if you enter in November 1 the you get 180 days. You would leave 180 days after entry. (About 1 May. Some Months have 30 days some 31 and Feb 29 or 29. You must count the 180 days ) So after departure you cannot re-enter until 1 November. That's your year. The year starts the day you enter.
My daughter is an Enforcement Officer with CBP in Orlando. If any of you overstays would like to meet her, send me your address.
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Wing-nut2, I think the "meaningful departure" is what most visitors do not understand. What is the length of time required to stop or reset the clock on 180 days for a B-2 Visa. In your example of a visitor entered the USA on November 1 and if they departed December 1 and then returned December 31, is that 30 days deducted from the 180 B-2 Visa and the visitor could stay until about June 1 or does the 180 days reset and a new B-2 Visa start from December 31.
Thanks in advance for your input. This is a very stressful issue for visitors, especially one who own homes in The Villages and want to maximize the time we are legally allowed to visit the USA with a B-2 Visa. No one wants to have their Visa cancelled because they do not understand the rules.