CASE: Change of Status / I-539
NATIONALITY: Filipina
LOCATION: North Dakota
Our client is from the Philippines who came to the U.S. on a J-1 exchange visitors visa to work in the United States. She consulted with our firm a few weeks before the expiration of her J-1 status. She wanted to continue her stay in the United States for six more months to spend more time here for her medical treatment. We explained to her that CIS has been more stringent on Visitor status changes.
Upon retention, we asked her to prepare a statement on her plans if her change of status request is granted. We asked her to provide as much detail as possible as we reviewed her drafts several times. We made sure all addresses, contact information, and dates on her statements were complete and accurate. We made sure all her plans were supported by corroborating evidence as exhibits to the application to avoid a possible Request for Evidence by the CIS. Our office submitted financial documents as well. We filed the I-539 Change of Status Application on February 1, 2016.
However, on November 29, 2016, the USCIS California Service Center issued Request for Evidence and requested our client to submit more evidence to demonstrate her intention to go home (Philippines), reasons for her change of status, and her financial ability to stay in the United States if her change of status is granted. Our office prepared the Response to RFE and filed the response to USCIS on December 27, 2016. Eventually, on January 9, 2017, her change of status request (from J-1 to B-2) was granted and she can stay in the United States until July 2017.