Mexico (Cancun) Travel Experience for I-94 Extension - IMP Please read - Bumpy ride - Happy ending

USA H1B
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I am trying to decide between flying and land border. As you mentioned that someone you know got her I94 extended at Laredo land border. Could you please confirm that she also had expired visa or valid stamped visa? This information will help me to decide which avenue to take. Thank you!

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Also is there any max limit of using AVR(ex can use AVR 1 time, 2 times etc)?

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If you don’t have a valid visa stamp in the passport, then i suggest to plan and get it in Mexico.

You can try without the visa stamp but then you will need Mexican visa to travel by air.

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It works all the time if you have a valid visa stamp in the passport. If you don’t have the valid visa, then it is CBP officer’s discretion.

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There is no limit for AVR as I know.

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Thank you! Really appreciate how you take time to suggest and support through this difficult time.

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50

Please advise
I am in the same boat.
H1+H4+H4EAD expiring in June 2022 (US VISA stamped till June 2022).
My employer is filing H1B in 1st week of March.
To obtain the new H4 & H4 EAD, these are the steps I will follow -
Step 1 - Get the approved H1B Copy (while applying H1B, I am not applying for H4 Extension and H4 EAD)
Step 2 - Once I have the hard copy of I-797 for H1B, I will plan a Mexico (Cancun) travel to get my spouse H4 I-94 updated to latest H1B I-797 dates
Step 3 - Use the updated H4 i94 dates to apply for H4 EAD and get 180-day automatic H4 EAD extension

Question -
a) Am I missing any steps?
b) As my spouse will not apply for H4 Extension, would there be any problem? Updated H4 I-94 will be the document to stay in US?
c) Or do I need to apply for both H4 + H4 EAD when H4 I-94 is updated after Mexico travel.

Sahil

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Seems good.

I-94 issued by CBP will govern the lawful status, no need to applying extension of status until within 180 days of I-94 expiry.

Answered above.

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Thanks Kalpesh for your inputs :slight_smile:

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Please suggest.
Visa expires in 4/4/2022
We applied for H1,h4 and h4 EAD concurrently in December and got H1 approval until 2025.

H4+EAD is still pending. For H4 i94 extension, Can only h4 holder go to cancun and comeback and gets i94 extended or H1 holder also must accompany to get h4 i94 extended?

Thanks
Shylaja

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@Sahil_Sharma1 - Did you already visit Mexico as per your above message? How was the experience? If not already visited, are you planning to just go to US Mexico land border and come back to US immediately or planning to fly to Mexico, stay couple of days for example and come back via air?

Thanks!

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Kaplesh - QQ - Do I need to ask the CBP officer at Port of Entry to update my I-94 or will he/she do it by default extend my H4 I94 based on H1B copy (approved till 2025)? Please advise

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I am planning to do it this month, will share my experience here.

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You will need to specifically request the I-94 extension. Below is a great and very detailed article from @anil_am22 with experiences from forum users.

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Kaplesh - change of plans due to COVID testing at Cancun airport… planning for Laredo TX, crossing by land and try updating i-94… Any inputs? Any recent successful i-94 updated at Laredo, TX

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Below may help.

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Thanks Kaplesh. I was able to do I-94 ext. based on the blog you shared at Laredo, TX border for both H1 & H4.

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I extended my I-94 at Laredo, TX for both H1 & H4. Next step - file H4 EAD based on new I-94 dates.

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@Sahil_Sharma1 - did you apply for your wife’s H4 (using I539 in USCIS) before you went to Laredo? If so, did you carry the H4 extension receipt (i.e just filing receipt, not approval) and did the CBP officer ask this? Can you please explain what did you tell the CBP officer and what questions did they ask? Lastly, did your and your wife’s i94 both get updated upto same date which is mentioned in your approved H-1B extension I-797?

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My responses below -

did you apply for your wife’s H4 (using I539 in USCIS) before you went to Laredo?
— No, only applied for H1B Ext and didn’t apply for H4 Ext.

If so, did you carry the H4 extension receipt (i.e just filing receipt, not approval) and did the CBP officer ask this?
— Asked the CBP officer to extend both H1B and H4 based H1B I797

Can you please explain what did you tell the CBP officer and what questions did they ask?
— Told the officer that with no I94 Ext, H4 will be OutOfStatus and will also loose the job

Lastly, did your and your wife’s i94 both get updated upto same date which is mentioned in your approved H-1B extension I-797?
— Yes, for both I94 extended to match the dates in latest I797 till March 2025