anyone successful on flying back to USA using AVR ?
- Thread starter Mm81
- Start date
Quite similar to my case.....did you got new i94 ...whats the validity of same....
Me:
Existing H1B :06/06/2016 - 04/10/2019
Did travel outside India and got Visa Stamped for same employer
Visa Expiry 10 April 2019.
Got new Extension H1B (6+yr based on 140):04/11/2019 - 04/30/2020
Thinking if it is safe to travel before 10April2019...what if they issue 194 with 10Apr2019 expiry...will it void my extension
They rarely issue a new I-94 if you are returning from Canada/Mexico within 30 days.
On the forum have heard many people given i94....even when its not really required......
You can give them the new petition approval notice and ask that the new I-94 match it.
Got new Extension H1B (6+yr based on 140):04/11/2019 - 04/30/2020
this gives me doubt ...what if they dnt consider that extension is activated...on/before April 10,2019
The CBP AVR link only mentions that you need to be in possession of a valid I-94, which you are after a change of status. There is no mention of the last Visa being of the same class as the one you are currently in.
Sorry for the delay in response.
We had absolutely no issues with AVR process.
1) You will need to mention that you will be using AVR at the ticketing counter while getting the boarding pass. We booked american airlines on the return trip and they were familiar with it.
2) After we got the boarding pass and security check was done, we went through the US immigration at Canada and again there we showed the valid I797 and told the officer that we would be using AVR and he asked us how long were we there in canada and if we went out of canada and then he stamped our passports with the travel date.
At US side we just collected the baggages and came out.
Better to carry printout of AVR from the official travel gov site just in case the person at the ticketing counter is unaware of AVR.
Hello All,
Has anyone recently entered US via land border using AVR ? Are there any restrictions or because of COVID19 ?
Any information would be of great help.
Thank you !
Has anyone recently entered US via land border using AVR ? Are there any restrictions or because of COVID19 ?
Any information would be of great help.
Thank you !
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Hello,
I stumbled upon your response from 2018. I am currently is a situation where I will need to land in Canada by July 1st week, and I have an approved H1b with i797. I could not get a visa stamping appointment in Canada. I will be traveling back within a week to US. How can I utilize AVR? Can you please let me know the process of using AVR for Land and/or air travel from vancouver to seattle. Specifically, if I take amtrack train ticket to travel back to seattle from vancouver, how should I let the US immigration officer know that I want to utilize the AVR? I have never used this program, and highly appreciate your input on it.
Best Regards.
There is nothing you need to do, I would suggest carry all documents that you would for stamping. Keep all your I94 with you, as you approach the CBP tell the officer you want to use AVR. Now if you take the train, may get tricky. Most likely you will go into secondary, they are under no obligation to clear you before train departs. One my friend took the train few years back, he boarded the train at Pacific station. Then at the border the CBP officer come onboard and do the immigration. Since most likely they may send you to secondary in other words grab your stuff and deboard. If that happens you will most likely miss the train. Now there was talks going on of doing the preclearance at the Pacific station itself. If that's how it works now then it's very good for you.
Thanks a lot for your response. My sister took the train from pacific station just a few months back on B1/B2 visa. She said her immigration was before she boarded the train, and at the border, the CBP officer just took her customs form and checked the front page of her passport. However, like you mention, my case is different as its a completely different visa and my immigration request is based on a completely different program, and there is a possibility of a secondary evaluation.