US gave me Visa Waiver stamp rather than stamp on Visa
When arriving in the US, the passport control gave me an "Admitted" stamp with class "WT until 04 may 2017". However I have a (J-1) visa until June.
Can this become a problem, or is the stamp unimportant as long as I have the visa?
Update: I emailed the cbphoui94@cbp.dhs.gov address from the 'DEFERRED INSPECTION SITES' list. They asked me for
- Copy of the Passport biographical page
- Copy of the United States Visa
- Copy of the Admission stamp in your passport
- Boarding pass or flight information
- Address in the United States
- Copy of your DS 2019
I sent that to them, and today they replied that
After further review, our records indicate that you were admitted properly. This was not an error, therefore no correction can be made.
I'm not sure if they mean that I was actually J1 admitted, or that admitting me with WB status was the proper thing to do. The i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/ website still tells me that my status is WB and I have to exit in May. I have written back for clarifications, so that is all very exciting.
Update 2: I received the following clarification:
The class of admission and admit until date indicated on your electronic I-94 record is correct.
You presented yourself as a Visa Waiver Program applicant and utilized the Automated Passport Control kiosk on your last entry into the United States.
I suppose this means, that the admission is not considered 'a mistake' on the part of the inspection site, and thus it cannot be corrected.
I wonder if there is a better word to use. For now I have replied if they can help me with "changing" i94 status.
Update 3: Houston never replied to my last email, but I got in contact with my host organization (University of Texas), which perhaps is where my focus should have been from the beginning. The University called up Austin-Bergstrom Airport and arranged for me to see an officer there. The officer quickly changed my status and gave me a new stamp. But! Paranoid as I have learned to be, I checked the electronical i94 record, and it wrongly still had "Admitted until may" rather than (as in the stamp) "Status until D/s". So I went back to the officer and she corrected it again.
Thus, I believe everything to be good now, but I'll still see the international office of the University again this afternoon, so they can double check.
I'll probably take away the following lessons: Don't use the kiosk if you have a visa; Don't trust anything before you have found wifi in the airport and checked your i94; Get in contact with your host organization; and Stack Exchange is great. Thanks everyone!
Best Answer
It is important what status you were admitted in, regardless of what valid visas you have in your passport. This becomes vital IF you are apprehended for some reason or accused of violating status or maybe need to extend duration of stay.
Being admitted under VWP gives you fewer immigration rights if something happens. You forfeit the right to an immigration judge if something happens and they decide to deport you. Also it is annotated in your immigration record.
What should I do if I was admitted incorrectly to the United States?
If you were admitted incorrectly to the United States, you should visit a local Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Deferred Inspection Site or Port of Entry (POE) that has a Deferred Inspection office to have his or her admission corrected. See list of Deferred Inspection Site locations and list of Port of Entry locations.
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Is visa the same as a visa stamp?
What is a Visa? A visa, or visa stamp, is a physical stamp or sticker in your passport that is issued by a U.S. embassy or consulate outside of the U.S. It indicates that you are eligible to apply for entry to the U.S. in a specific immigration category such as F-1 or J-1 student.Is a visa waiver considered a visa?
No. An approved ESTA is not a visa. It does not meet the legal or regulatory requirements to serve in lieu of a U.S. visa when a visa is required under U.S. law. Individuals who possess a valid visa will still be able to travel to the United States on that visa for the purpose for which it was issued.Is visa stamping necessary?
If you are already in possession of an F1, L1, H4, or any other temporary visa and you have been successful with an application for an H1B visa (including the H1B visa stamping), you will need to have your visa stamped if you wish to leave and re-enter the country at any time while your visa is valid.Is visa a document or stamp?
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport.What is a Visa Overstay? Consequences and Solutions to Over staying a Visa
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