Pongamos un ejemplo, practico. Jose es peruano y tiene una visa B1-B2 en su pasaporte. Su visa se vence el 8 de Agosto del presente año. Aprovechando sus vacaciones, Jose decide viajar a EE.UU. el 1ro de Julio del presente año. Jose llega al aerpuerto de Miami y despues de su corta entrevista con el oficial de immigracion, el oficial le sella su pasaporte y le entrega un papel blanco (la famosa forma I-94). Esta forma tiene escrita la fecha: 27 de Diciembre, 2011.
Hasta cuando se puede quedar legalmente en EE.UU. Jose? Hasta el 8 de Agosto? O hasta el 27 de Diciembre?
La respuesta corta es: Hasta el 27 de Diciembre.
La respuesta larga:
Tu periodo autorizado de estadia en EE.UU.vence la fecha que aparece escrita (o sellada) en tu forma I-94 que recibiste la ultima vez que ingresaste legalmente a EE.UU.
La visa de tu pasaporte puede haber expirado, eso solo significa que la siguiente vez que quieras viajar vas a tener que solcitar una visa en el consulado americano en Lima (o en el pais de tu residencia permanente). Por supuesto, una estadia larga en EE.UU. como turista siempre va ser examinada mas detenidamente la siguiente vez que solicites una visa de turista (B1-B2). Esto a su vez podria resultar en que la solicitud sea denegada.
Esta la informacion oficial del Departamento de Estado de EE.UU.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/info/info_1298.html
- A U.S. visa in his/her passport gives a foreign citizen permission to apply to enter the U.S. A visa by itself doesn’t authorize entry to the U.S. A visa simply indicates that your application has been reviewed by a consular officer at an American embassy or consulate, and that the officer determined you’re eligible to travel to a U.S. port-of-entry for a specific purpose. The port of entry can be an international airport, a seaport or a land border crossing.
- At the port-of-entry, a U.S. immigration officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decides whether to allow you to enter and how long you can stay for any particular visit, as part of the Admission process. Only the U.S. immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter the U.S.
What the Visa Expiration Date Means
The visa expiration date is shown on the visa along with the visa issuance date. The time between visa issuance and expiration dates is called your visa validity. The visa validity is the length of time you are permitted to travel to a port-of-entry in the U.S.
Admission to the U.S. and your Duration of Stay
Upon arriving at a port-of-entry and when admitted, a CBP officer places a small white card, Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94 or a small green card, Form I-94W for VWP travelers, in your passport. This card is very important as it shows permission to be in the U.S. On this card, the CBP officer records either a date or duration of status (D/S) in the lower right hand corner. If your I-94 or I-94W contains a specific date that signifies the date you must exit the U.S. Some students, exchange program participants, and temporary workers (e.g., foreign diplomats) will be admitted for D/S. If you have D/S on your Form I-94, you may remain in the U.S. as long as you continue your course of studies, remain in your exchange program, or qualifying employment. The date or D/S notation, shown on your Arrival-Departure Record, I-94 or I-94W is the official record of your authorized length of stay in the U.S. You cannot use the visa expiration date in determining or referring to your permitted length of stay in the U.S