Hi everyone:)

We are starting the process to have my wife's mother visit here from Thailand on a B2. I understand the process and requirements but if anyone from Thailand has any tips, I would very much appreciate it.

My question is this. Upon entry, how long with her mother be allowed to stay? Do the POE people ask questions to help determine length of stay? Is it a standard amount of time like 6 months? I cannot find any real info on the Visa website about this. Question 2 is....When I lived overseas, I knew people who would leave the country for 2 days and then re-enter and get another 6 months. Is this the same in the US. If my mother in law were here for 6 months and then wanted to stay longer, could she go to say....Canada and then re-enter and get another six months? It seems tricky and I'm guessing that the POE would have nothing to do with letting this go on, but I'd just like to find out.

We just had our first baby and my wife desperately wants her mother here to care for her. If she is here, then we may have another one ASAP, hence the curiosity about extending the visa.

Thanks all,

-B

B2 is for Visitors not to stay here or to unertake child care.

B2 is usually given for 6 months, bt it is up the POE.

6 months in and 6 months out would be a good as any, but do it too often and you may well be refused entry.

Yes, I'm aware that a B2 is for visitors. My wife is not yet a citizen so we can't bring her mother permanantly at this time. Is it really so difficutl to understand that my wife would like her mother to be here, to help her care for her child, even if only for a short time?

I thinkyour answer is rather rude and thoughtless. You confirmed my thought that 6 months was the standard DOS, but the rest of your 'information' I could have done without.

I hope you don't talk to everyone on here like that. How come you don't have a timeline? Maybe you have'nt even immigrated someone to the US. Otherwise, I think you would be more understanding.

No need to reply!

Whenever I came on B2 I had exact time I wanted to be in proved by the return ticket - normally a month - so that's what they gave me as D/S - a month.

I know people who were coming to see their new grandchild(ren) would get between 3 to 6 months (and make sure they don't say they are coming to baby-sit - they are there to meet the new baby and help the new parents). My great aunt (whose daughters have been USC for 5 years now) is still coming on B2 and normally staying 3-5 months and will never get GC since she is not interested in it.

Good luck to your mother-in-law - I am sure the POE officer will determine the length of time he finds appropriate to let her stay.

I believe the maximum stay is 6 months, but her actual length of visit will be whatever the CBP stamps on her I-94 when she arrives.

You have your answer and it is accurate, but I wanted to support your wife's desire for her mother to be with her. My mother went to Greece when my sister had her baby, just as she went to New York, Vermont, Mississippi, and Georgia when others of her grandchildren were born. Just as no one would expect my sisters and brothers to pay taxes for her or to pay social security for her because she helped care for the children, even when my brothers and sisters have left the children with her and my father for a week at a time while they have gone on second honeymoons, etc., I don't think your mother-in-law would be working illegally in the US by caring for her grandchild during her stay.

You might want to clarify if your mother-in-law needs a visitor permit to enter Canada for two days. I think if she is from Thailand, she will need to apply for a visa first.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

As far as leaving and reentering...

If it is a single entry B2, she could leave and expect to reenter without a problem.

If they did let her reenter (which I expect they would do), the clock on the original B2 would still be running. The US does not allow anyone to go to adjacent country or the caribbean and reenter with a new period of stay. In these cases, the original clock would still be running. You could go in theory to a non-adjacent country (e.g. Costa Rica) and reenter and the clock would start again, but Im sure they would require a new visa before she could be readmited. VWP ppl have done this, but are cautioned by immigration that they will not allow it again. You need to stay out of the US more than be here with a B2.

I do know somebody who did the run to the border several times on a B2 and got 6 months every time.

Lucky perhaps. Not something I would want to try, and if you do this, have a back up plan if you are refused entry.

As far as child care is concerned, US classifies that as work, and if you apply for a Visitor visa to do work, then a refusal is most likely. There have been several posts on this site from those who have tried this, unsuccesfully. Visiting grandchildren is quite a valid reason.

Thank you everyone for your input. It seems like the best thing to do is set up her flights for 5 months apart. And no attempts to jump th border and re-enter. Better to be short than push the immigration people to the limit. And I will be sure to call it visiting her new grandchildren and not caring for our child.

I really appreciate all the constructive feedback. I always get the answer's I need here and I have told alot of people about this site and how great everyone is.

Thanks Again.