Form I-539: For B-1 and B-2 visitors
Extend your tourist visa stay in the USA
To extend a tourist visa stay, you file Form I-539 before the date on your I-94. It extends how long you may stay, not the visa stamp in your passport. You answer plain questions. We fill in the form and write the statement USCIS asks a visitor for.
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- 10 pre-filing checks
- Statement letter included
- Money-back guarantee
Last updated
- $99Preparation price
- PaperPrinted, signed, mailed
- $470USCIS filing fee
- 100%Money-back guarantee
FOR VISITORS
This extends your stay as a visitor. It does not change your status. Visa Waiver Program visitors (WT and WB) cannot file Form I-539. Students (F-1, M-1) and exchange visitors (J-1) are not covered here. Moving to a different status is a different request, and we do not prepare it.
Who can extend
Which visitors can extend their stay?
Visitors in B-1 or B-2 status can file Form I-539 before the authorized stay on their I-94 ends.
- 01
B-2 tourists
Visiting family, travel, or medical care. You can ask for up to 6 months at a time. A B-2 visitor may not work.
B-2Start your I-539 - 02
B-1 business visitors
Meetings, conferences, and other short business trips. You can ask for up to 6 months at a time. Some B-1 visitors may be authorized to work, and we ask which category you hold.
B-1Start your I-539 - 03
Visa Waiver visitors
If you came on ESTA (WT or WB), you cannot file Form I-539 and your stay cannot be extended. In an emergency, CBP or USCIS may grant up to 30 days of satisfactory departure instead. Our free check tells you if this is you.
CANNOT EXTEND
What you get
A visitor extension packet, with the statement written
Your answers decide what goes on the form, the fee, the mailing address, and the statement.
A statement in support, written for you
USCIS asks a visitor four things: the reason for the request, why the stay is temporary and how you will leave, the effect on your work or home abroad, and how you pay for the stay. You answer each in plain words. We turn them into a letter ready to sign.
A date USCIS can approve
A visitor can ask for up to 6 months at a time. We flag a date that is too far out before you print.
The USCIS fee and the mailing address
The USCIS fee is $470 when you file on paper, per the G-1055 fee schedule (edition 10/26/26). Your instructions name the USCIS address for where you live.
A document list for a visitor
Your I-94, a copy of your passport, and the evidence that supports your statement, listed before you print.
How it works
Extend your tourist visa stay in four steps
Start with the date on your I-94. Your answers save as you go.
Tell us about your visit
Give your visa category, the end date on your I-94, and the date you want to stay until. No account is needed.
Write your statement
Answer four plain questions about why you need more time and how you will leave. We write the letter.
Review your packet
Look over the filled form, the statement, the fee, and the documents you will send, then pay.
Mail it to USCIS
Print and sign the form and the letter. Mail the packet with the fee so USCIS receives it before your I-94 date.
Pre-filing checks
What we check on a visitor extension
Your answers go through 10 checks that matter to a B-1 or B-2 visitor. The report is yours to read before you pay.
Your status
- Your current status is one that this application can extend
- Your current status has not already ended
- Status violations, J-1 or J-2 history, removal proceedings, and unauthorized work are flagged
- One applicant only, with no family members on the same form
Your dates
- The date you want to stay until is after your current end date
- Your passport is valid for the whole stay you ask for
- A visitor asks for no more than 6 months at a time
Work
- A visitor who is not authorized to work has not worked
Form integrity
- Required fields complete
- Field content validation
Compare your options
Ways to ask for more time as a visitor
What each route covers for a B-1 or B-2 visitor, and what it costs.
Swipe to compare all three
| Feature | Do it yourself | Immiva | Traditional immigration attorney |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay to prepare it | Free | $99 | Varies by firm |
| Request for more time | YesYou fill in the blank form yourself | YesFilled from your I-94 date and your answers | YesPrepared by the firm |
| The 6 month limit | NoYou count the months and pick the date | YesWe flag a date that is too far out | YesYour lawyer sets the date |
| Your statement to USCIS | NoYou write it from scratch | YesA few plain questions, then a letter to sign | YesDrafted with you |
| Visitor checks | NoYou read the rules and look for problems | YesRun on your answers before you pay | PartlyReviewed in a consultation |
| Preparation price | Free | $99 after you see your forms | Varies by firm |
Your visitor extension
Form I-539, the statement in support, your document list, and instructions to print and mail it.
$99The USCIS fee is paid to the government and is not part of our price.
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Common questions
Extending a tourist visa stay, answered
How long, how much, when to file, and what to send.
You file Form I-539 with USCIS before the authorized stay on your I-94 ends. The form extends how long you may stay. The visa stamp in your passport is only for entering the country. USCIS accepts the form by mail or online. Immiva prepares a paper packet you print, sign and mail with the fee, the statement and your documents. USCIS Form I-539 page
USCIS extends a visitor's stay by up to 6 months at a time. One year is allowed only for missionary work (8 CFR 214.2(b)(1)). If you need more time later, you file again.
Before the authorized stay on your I-94 ends, and while you are still keeping the rules of your status (8 CFR 214.1(c)(4)). Your passport must also stay valid for the whole stay you ask for, as the Form I-539 instructions require. 8 CFR 214.1
Two charges apply. USCIS charges $470 for a paper filing, per the G-1055 fee schedule (edition 10/26/26). Immiva charges $99 to prepare the packet, and you pay it only after you see your completed forms.
A B-2 visitor may not work, and unauthorized work can lead USCIS to deny the extension. Some B-1 visitors may be authorized to work (8 CFR 274a.12(c)(17)). We ask which B-1 category you hold and flag work that was not authorized.
Four points: the reasons for your request, why the extended stay is temporary and how you will leave, any effect on your foreign employment or residency, and how you will support yourself. We write the letter from your answers.
A visitor who files late can ask USCIS to excuse it, but it is not automatic. USCIS looks at five things: extraordinary circumstances beyond your control caused the delay, the delay was reasonable, you broke no other rule of your visitor status, you are still a genuine temporary visitor, and you are not in removal proceedings. Your report flags a passed I-94 date, and that is when to talk to a lawyer.
Processing times change often and depend on the office that handles your case. Check the current estimate before you file. USCIS processing times
Not through Immiva. We prepare a paper packet for one applicant. If family members extend with us, each files their own application.
Talk to one if you are in removal proceedings, if you worked without authorization, or if the date on your I-94 has already passed. Your report names any of these when your answers point to it.
Guides
More on extending a stay
The parent guide covers every status that can extend.
Related applications
If an extension is not what you need
Other routes for a visitor, depending on your plans.