10 Year Visa?

Please can someone tell me how long does one get to stay in the U.S. if they have a 10 year visa???

Please can someone tell me how long does one get to stay in the U.S. if they have a 10 year visa???

Visa is issued by the State Department but the permission to stay in the country is given by the INS at the time of entry in this country. Visa and Stay are two different things. You can check on your I-94, which was given to you at the Airport or Port of Entry, it specifies for how long you can live in this country. It is upto the INS officer at the port of entry to give you permission for how long you can stay. It can be from couple of weeks to couple of months.

Okay thanks for the information. I thought it's when you go to the embassy there the one's that tell you how long of a stay you have in the United States.

Okay I have another question that I need to know if can happen. Suppose my friend's husband comes up and he is only given 2 weeks how can he be able to stay longer and is there any paper work they would have to apply for to make his stay longer. I am trying to find as much information that I can. My friend applied for her citizenship but they are lonely without each other and I want to give her the best advice that I can.

Before the period of stay expires, as allowed by the INS. The person has to apply for extension of stay to the INS by filing prescribed Form and paying a Fee. The person also has to give the reason as to why s/he wants to stay more. Furthermore, the person has to show how much money s/he has in her/his possession and the Return Ticket. But one can not say that I want to stay little more with my wife. If s/he is beneficiary of a already sponsored petition the person cannot get Visit Visa (Nonimmigrant Visa).

Okay I think I understand what your telling me now. So the best thing to do is to obtain a nonimmigrant visa is that what your telling me? Where can I find out more information on nonimmigrant visa's?

Nonimmigrant Visa is also called Visit Visa. The person has to go to the U.S.Embassy and apply for visit visa in his own country. If the person is married, he will have to disclose where the spouse lives. When they know that the spouse is in the United States, usually they don't issue Visas.

Okay I'm sorry I got confussed. Now the process for a immigrant visa how long does that process usually take?

As you could see I really don't know what to do or even where to start but I am greatful for your advice.

Thanks.

If your friend has already sponsored her husband, then she should wait till she gets her Naturalization Certificate. Thereafter, she will have to write to the INS or NVC whereever the file is, that she is now Citizen and the petition should be reclassified as Immediate Relative and send a photocopy of the Approval Letter and Naturalization Certificate.
In case she has not sponsored her husband yet, then after getting her Citizenship, she should go back to her country and sponsor her husband at the US Embassy, which usually takes 2-3 months.
If she will sponsor from within the United States then it will take long time depending on the country.