I’ve heard that if you entered on a B-1 and then applied for an O-1, you can stay in the US while it’s under review even if your B-1 has already expired. Has anyone encountered this? Is it true you can legally remain in the States that way until a decision is made on the O-1 visa?
You can change status to an O (O visa) from B1/B2 inside the country without leaving. But an important nuance — if you entered under the visa waiver (when no visa is required), that won’t work. It only works if you entered on a B visa. And you should check your I-94 — it shows the date until which you can legally stay; that’s separate from the passport stamp.
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