HI,

My mother in law is visiting us in the US, we're concerned about her on the 20+ hour flight home when her I-94 expires and since we intend to file for her to become a permenent resident relatively soon I had a thought and wanted to make sure it would not represent a problem.

Instead of flying all the way to the other side of the world, could we feasibly get her a tourist visa for say Canada, then let her fly to Totonto (we'd go with her and make a nice weekend out of it). Then fly back home and thereby reset the I-94?

I don't see where it says she must return to her home country, and her tourist visa is good for several years, would this be in violation of any law? and could it effect her (our) eventual application for permenant resident status?

Thanks

If she has not used up her 180 days in the previous 12 months then she can just go to Canada and get a new I-94. If she has then unless she plans to reside in Canada for the next 6 months before making her next entry, going back home would be her best bet

Doesn''t work like that.

They will re-admit her to the US but only for the duration of the original I-94.
This is true whenever you go to an adjacent country or to the Caribbean.

Now if she went to Central America, then she would receive a new I-94 - IF immigration would let her re-enter the US. Good possibility she would be denied.

I think you will find this either on the CBP site or the DOS site...doint remember exactly.

Avoid the issue. file now.