NEW YORK: The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has allowed non-immigrants to “unexpectedly remain” beyond their authorized period of stay due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The agency said that amid such conditions, most non-immigrants can timely file an application for the extension of their stay or change in status.
The agency stated that application forms and petitions are available on its online website.
“Where applicable, employment authorization with the same employer, subject to the same terms and conditions of the prior approval, is automatically extended for up to 240 days after I-94 expiration when an extension of stay request is filed on time,” the agency said.
The USCIS has granted the flexibility to non-immigrant workers for filing late applications as the spread of the virus continues to keep daily lives at a standstill.
The agency has also issued new guidelines for entrants under the ambit of flexibility for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and temporarily provided an additional 30-day period of satisfactory departure to those unable to leave the US because of COVID-19 related issues.
(with inputs from Agencies)
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