How does a non-immigrant in the U.S. extend or change his or her visa status?
U.S. immigration law authorizes changes of status when a foreign national is in the U.S. Usually, Form I-539 or I-129 has to be filed to extend one’s status in the same non-immigrant visa category or to change one’s status from one non-immigrant visa category to another. In most cases, the applicant must still be in status as of the date U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receives the change or extension of status application. The applicant is considered “in status” while the application is pending. The local USCIS District Office should be contacted for filing procedures. You can also consult the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.
