I want to switch from G4 visa (during the 30 days grace period) to B1/B2 by going to Canada for a few days. Is this realistic?

[Alinoutzaa 0]

Hello!

I entered the US on 10 August 2011 as a visitor. In December 2011 I got a consultancy contract with the United Nations and had to change my visa into G4 - for this, I went to Canada and came back. I am currently in the 30 days grace period. I want to stay longer in the US, after the end of this grace period, in order to visit more, attend a few conferences and, if possible, also use this time to look for longer-term employment. I would like to be able to stay for another 6 months .... I was wondering if switching to the B1/B2 visa again might be a solution. I was thinking to go to Canada for a few days and then come back to the US with the B1/B2 visa (still valid in my passport).

My questions are:

1. Is this possible? Is this realistic? What are the chances to not be allowed to enter back the US?

2. What is the best way to do this? What documents should I provide at the border? Proofs that I am registered at conferences? Also, is a return ticket to my citizenship country (Romania) absolutely necessary when I want to enter back the US? I want to attend a conference end of March and I still don't know exactly when I would leave the US for Romania - it is too early for me right now to decide on this and I also want to stay as long as possible.

3. Also, another question is: if I enter with the B1/B2 visa again, will I be granted 3 or 6 months of stay in the US? As far as I have been told, there is a slight difference between B1 status and B2 status (B1 status is granted for up to 3 months, while B2 is granted for up to 6 months ????).

Thank you very much in advance!

[Little_My 464]

1. Yes, it's possible. Whether it is realistic is another matter, and a question no one can really answer. CBP officers have evry right to not allow you back in, if they suspect you might be attempting to immigrate or stay longer than allowed. Since you have already been here for quite a while, there is a good chance you'd face trouble at POE. This relates to question 2..

2. You should have proof that you are planning to return to your home country - which, it seems, you would not be able to provide. You obviously do not have a job back home since you have been working here in the past months, I doubt you have an apartment, and you also don't have a return ticket. I would say that those things conbined equal a bright red flag to CBP. You have absolutely no reason to return to Romania, and since you want to stay in the US even though you've been here for 6 months already, it is quite clear you are looking into ways to stay here longer.

3. B1 is for business, B2 is tourist. The length of your authorized stay is entirely in the hadns of the CBP officer. They have the right to decide how many months of authorized stay you are granted upon entry. Your visa validity is irrelevant for this - it is merely an entry pass. The stamp in your passport tells you how long you can stay, and that can be anything from a few weeks up to 6 monts.