What are the rules regarding travel after the completion of an M1-visa program?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What are the rules regarding travel after the completion of an M1-visa program?
I am currently studying in the US on an M-1 visa. My course will end next month and I have the usual 30 day grace period afterwards to make arrangements to leave the country. Friends have invited me on 2 Caribbean cruises and I wonder how I can ensure that taking those trips will be in accordance with visa/immigration regulations. Both cruises are considered closed-loop: they start from and end at the same US port and visit destinations defined as “adjacent islands” to the US. The first 1 is a 3 week trip (during the month after next).
Asked on October 24, 2011 under Immigration Law, New York
Answers:
SB, Member, California / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The question is not really whether you can travel to the Caribbean (you can, provided you either don't need a visa to go to those islands or have a visa to go there). The question is whether you can return to the US after the end of the trip, given that you are basically done with the course of study for which your visa was issued. You may not be permitted to reenter if you have no more "study" time left. I would strongly suggest that you either reconsider your travel plans or plan to extend your stay in the US first so that you have a legitimate reason for returning to the US after the travel, based on the extension.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.