In this video, I'm going to address a very common question presented by one of our subscribers.
And this applies to many, many people, especially during this pandemic. This is related to how
do you extend your non-immigrant status from inside the United States without leaving?
Watch this video? And I'll see you on the other side. In this video, I'm going to address
a very common question that we're getting from quite a few of our subscribers. And this
pertains to how do you extend the status of your non-immigrant visa inside the United
States without leaving because consulates and embassies are still closed in most of
the world? This question pertains to an E2 investor visa. How do you extend your investor
visa without leaving the United States? So, make sure you stay and watch this video because
I'm going to explain to you a few tricks. And also, a few things to be aware of especially
in these crazy times. Before we start, if you’re here for the first time, make sure
to subscribe to our channel. Click the bell to be notified of any new videos that we release.
And also, click that big like so YouTube will share the video with people just like you.
My name is Jacob Sapochnik. And I'm an immigration attorney located in San Diego, California.
We help clients all over the world and all over the United States to achieve their American
dream. So, let's talk about visa extensions. “Hi, Jacob. I'm an E2 visa holder. And I
usually go back to Germany to extend my visa. Because of COVID-19, the travel bans, and
all these other restrictions, I'm scared and I don't want to go back. How do I extend my
immigration status from inside the United States, and for how long will this extension
be good for? This is an excellent question. And again, we get quite a few of these similar
questions. And whether, in this case, the person is on an investor visa and typically
those investor visas, as you know, when you apply for an E2 visa, typically you need to
apply for the visa directly at the US Embassy in your home country. The E2 visa is a great
visa for people that are looking to start a small business as an investor. Specifically,
coming from a treaty country. There's a list of treaty countries that qualify for the visa.
We've done quite a few E2 visa YouTube videos. I'm going to link a few of them in the description
of this video. But in this particular video, we'll talk about the purpose of how you actually
extend it. Remember, right now, E2 visas are very, very popular because of the economy…
because of the shifts in the economy. They have a lot of opportunities for real estate,
getting leases, cheap leases, and a lot of landlords are eagerly waiting for foreign
investors who are coming to the United States. So, in the past, of course, it was quite difficult
for investors who don't have US credit to apply and get lease and spaces to be able
to start businesses. But right now, it's definitely much easier, and they're accommodating. And
we definitely encourage people that are watching this video. If you're looking to start your
E2 visa, if you want to start a business in the United States, now is a great time to
do so. But what if you're already in the United States like in this question, you already
have your E2 visa. And typically, you can only extend it in two years increments. So,
if you apply for the E2 visa in the US Embassy, typically they're going to give you a visa
for three, up to five years. But when you come to the United States, your permit to
stay, also known as the I-94, is only issued for two years at a time. You can only stay
for two years at a time. So, even if you have a five-year visa, and your permit to stay,
your status to stay expires after two years, you have to file for your extension from inside
the United States. So, how do you do this? So, typically, you will have to obviously
prepare all the documents to show that your E2 visa is still working. So, you have to
have your tax returns, updated business plan, your bank accounts, your list of employees,
all the documents that you need to show that the business continues to run, that it's still
going forward, and make sure that the business plan is updated once again for five years
in the future. Even though you're going to get your extension for two years, you still
have to have all the documents to show that you have a viable business and that you're
able to extend your E2 visa. Now, remember, some E2 visa applicants tried to apply for
the EIDL loan from inside the United States at the beginning of March and April. In the
beginning, when the EIDL loans were variable they will also… some banks issued them to
E2 visa holders. Now, remember, this is still considered to be a loan. And so, it's not
a pure investment. So, even if you got your EIDL loan as an E2 visa holder, that alone
is not considered to be an extra investment. We can show that you're using it to build
your business but they still want to see that you have the actual funds or some sort of
income or business growth to be able to show that your business is doing good. And you're
able to stay in the United States. As of late May to this day right now, I think that EIDL
loans are no longer available for E2 visa holders. Quite a few of our clients who tried
to apply were declined. But in the early days of this loan, a few E2 visa holders were actually
able to get it. So, be careful how you use that loan in the calculation of your business
as you apply for an extension. But once you have all your docs, everything is ready, you
need to file Form I-129 just like how you file any other work visa with the USCIS. We'll
be able to put all the information on that form, the specific rider for an E2, with the
I-129, make sure you complete that as well. And you file this with the appropriate service
center depending on where you live. And as you know, right now, visas are available for
premium processing. So, you can pay an additional $1,400, and you'll be able to get your results
in two weeks or less. And the idea behind it is that if you expedite your case, then
you’ll know for sure if you have your extension, and will give you the peace of mind that you
need to be able to stay in the US for another two years. Remember, if you have dependents,
those dependents will also need to be joined in this application. We have quite a few people
that filed their extensions, but they forgot to add their dependents. Because when you
apply for the visa at the US Embassy, it's all coming in one package. But if you do it
from inside the US, you have to make sure you add the I-539, the petition for change
of extension of status for your dependents, as well. They need to be included. Therefore,
there's an extra fee for them as well. Some of these petitions require biometrics but
now, due to the pandemic, USCIS will reuse previous fingerprints or if they need fingerprints,
they'll let you know as well. So, make sure not to forget your dependents as well when
you file for the extension of status inside the United States. Once you file your E2,
even if you file for a premium processing, they may, unlike the US Embassy, they may
request more evidence. It's very common to request for more evidence, and they usually
give you a deadline. Right now, during the pandemic days, this deadline is extended by
60 days. So, that's good, you have extra time to respond. Typically, a lot of these cases
do get Requests For Evidence just because the government is more strict. So, make sure
that you file the application correctly from the beginning to try to avoid getting the
Request For Evidence or minimize the amount of evidence that may be required from you.
But if you do everything correctly, you should be getting your approval within two weeks.
And then that approval will carry you on for two years. It's an I-94, allows you to continue
to work and grow your business in the United States. Our recommendation is that when things
get back to normal and you can travel again, you should go back to your home country and
get a proper visa in your passport so it allows you to go back and forth and travel when,
of course, the borders will be open. So, hopefully, this information was helpful. If you have
any questions, post them in the comments below. If you're here for the first time, subscribe
to our channel. Give us a big like so YouTube also will share this video with more people
just like you. Don't forget, in the description of this video, we have a link to a private
membership, Immigration Inner Circle. Make sure you join that membership. This is a place
where you can continue to follow immigration trends, get questions answered, get second
opinions, and seriously go through the immigration process confidently knowing you have a trusted
guide with you. So, I encourage you to check out our inner circle private membership. Thanks
for watching, and I'll see you in our next video.