Revolving Visitors Visa

[jan22 2,898]

It seems there might be a bit of confusion over timing on visa vs visit. Just to try to clarify (I hope!) -- the duration of the visa and the duration of the authorized stay in the US are two completely different things. The duration of the visa is a decision of the visa officer, up to a maximum number of months/years that is determined by reciprocity with the country of the applicant. Whatever that country would grant in a specific visa category to a US citizen, that is what the US will grant to the citizens of that country. The reciprocity for Kazakhstan is 5 years for a visitor visa (i.e., that's the maximum they would give to a US citizen applying for a visa to visit Kazakhstan), so that is the maximum validity for a US visitor visa.

Once the visa is issued, it is really nothing more than permission to travel to the US and request approval to enter. That's the point where a decision is made regarding how long you can stay in the US. The usual maximum granted at the port of entry os 6 months -- but it could be shorter, depending on the decision of the immigration officer.

I know most people on VJ know this, but hope people don't mind if I repeat it here, as it is often confusing to people who are new to the visa "game". There are many countries where the validity of the visa and the length of stay in the country are the same, which can cause great confusion.

[Dave&Roza 748]

The US usually does what the country you are a resident in does as far as visa go. If your country does a multi-year multi-entry visa then the US will do the same. If ,like in Kazakhstan, the only visitor visa available is a single entry visa valid for 30 days then the US will issue a single entry visa typically valid for 90 days--that is what my MIL got a couple of years ago when she applied for her tourist visa.

Now that Kazakhstan is trying a multi-year--up to five years--and it is multi-entry, the US may begin issuing multi-year, multi-entry visas to citizens of Kazakhstan. They may not as this is a trial in Kazakhstan and will go until July of 2015. I applied and receive a three year visa due to the expiration of my passport--the visa expires 90 days before my passport as the visa now allows for a 90 day visit instead of the old 30 day visit per trip.

You might want to have your MIL try for another tourist visa and see if she gets a multi-year one, but do not apply until she is ready to return to the US encase it is a single entry again.

Good luck,

Dave

[GurkenSalat 48]

Using her to watch the baby instead of hiring someone is totally illegal and can get you both in trouble. It is OK for her to come and play with the child while you are home but she should never be used while you both are working. If that happens every non USC can end up outside the US ( her for working on a visitors visa and you for violating labor laws )

Wait, whut?! The baby's grandmother comes to visit and watches the child, does NOT get paid (as I understand it), and this is ILLEGAL?! Seriously? I would like to think better of the US government, but you tell me if I can't and shouldn't, and I won't.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Wait, whut?! The baby's grandmother comes to visit and watches the child, does NOT get paid (as I understand it), and this is ILLEGAL?! Seriously? I would like to think better of the US government, but you tell me if I can't and shouldn't, and I won't.

The grandmother is working as a babysitter on a visa that doesn't allow her to work and depriving some unemployed US resident of the money for baby sitting. Watching the child before she leave for an evening is probably ok. But watching the child while either of you return to work is a huge NO NO and can earn a lifetime ban