US Embassy warns against overstaying on US visa

Mar 26, 2025 News

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…Threatens  criminal prosecution, permanent ban

Kaieteur News- On Tuesday, the United States of America Embassy in Guyana warned travelers about the consequences of overstaying on a US visa, noting that such actions can result in severe penalties, including permanent ban on re-entry and criminal prosecution.

A press statement by the US Embassy noted that overstaying a visa is not only a violation of US immigration, but also a serious offence that can have long-lasting effects on an individual’s ability to travel to the United States in the future.

“If you overstay your U.S. visa, you could face a permanent ban on traveling to the United States. Consular officers have full access to your immigration history and will know about past violations,” the Embassy said. The US Embassy added, “There is no such thing as an “honest mistake” – it is your responsibility to use your visa correctly.”

The US Embassy said that if a traveler overstays the end date of their authorised stay set by the Customs and Border Protection Officer at the port of entry, their visa will automatically be canceled or voided. However, this will not happen if the traveler applies for an extension of stay before leaving the United States. “Please note that non-immigrants who overstayed their admission period by 181 to 364 days may be barred from seeking admission to the United States for a period of 3 years; those who overstayed for 365 days or more may be barred from seeking admission for a period of 10 years,” the website stated.

This warning comes as the US grapples with ongoing immigration issues, further complicated by a series of recent political changes. Last Friday, the Trump administration announced plans to revoke the legal status of hundreds of thousands of Latin American and Haitian migrants welcomed into the US under a Biden-era sponsorship process, urging them to self-deport or face arrest and removal by deportation agents.

The termination of their work permits and deportation protections under an immigration authority, known as parole, will take effect in late April, 30 days after March 25, according to a notice posted by the federal government. The move will affect immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who flew to the US under a Biden administration program, known as CHNV, that was designed to reduce illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border by giving would-be migrants legal migration avenues.

A total of 532,000 migrants entered the US under that policy, which was paused soon after President Trump took office, though it is unclear how many have been able to secure another status that will allow them to stay in the country legally.

CBS News first reported in early February that the Trump administration was planning to revoke the legal status of individuals who entered the US under the CHNV process. The Department of Homeland Security said it will seek the arrest and deportation of those, subject to the policy change, if they fail to depart the US in the next 30 days. Officials are urging migrants to use the newly repurposed CBP Home smartphone app to register for self-deportation.

But DHS said it retains the authority to target migrants who arrived under this program before the 30-day period lapses. Officials say that those prioritized for arrest will include migrants who have failed to apply for another immigration benefit like asylum or a green card. In a statement, DHS spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, said the migrants allowed into the U.S. under the CHNV process were “loosely vetted” and argued that the program undercut American workers.

“The termination of the CHNV parole programs, and the termination of parole for those who exploited it, is a return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First,” McLaughlin added. Friday’s announcement is the latest effort by the Trump administration to discontinue humanitarian-based immigration programs that allow migrants to enter or stay in the country with the government’s permission.

The CHNV programme in question was hailed by the Biden administration as a successful policy that reduced illegal border crossings by migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and, to a lesser extent, Venezuela. But Republicans denounced it as an effort to circumvent the limits Congress placed on legal immigration, and noted that the program had some recorded instances of fraud.

The Biden administration, last fall, made a decision not to allow CHNV beneficiaries to renew their two-year work permits under the program, saying they could apply for other benefits, like asylum and Temporary Protected Status. That prospect, however, changed dramatically when Mr. Trump took office. His administration has already announced plans to phase out the TPS programs for Haitians and Venezuelans. It also suspended all pending immigration benefit applications filed by those who arrived under CHNV, citing concerns about fraud and vetting. To read more; https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/03/23/trump-revokes-legal-status-for-530000-immigrants-in-the-us/

(US Embassy warns against overstaying on US visa)

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• criminal prosecution, overstay, permanent ban, travelers, US Embassy, visa

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