Extending your stay in USA...?

billy few mates

Does anyone know if it's possible to extend your stay in the USA beyond the 90 days allowed on an ESTA...?

Say for example if you go out there on business for six or seven weeks but need to extend it to stay a bit longer than the 90 days, is there a way to extend the ESTA without having to go home or apply for a visa or something, or would a quick trip across the border to Mexico or somewhere be enough to reset it...?

DM addict

billy few mates wrote: »

Does anyone know if it's possible to extend your stay in the USA beyond the 90 days allowed on an ESTA...?

Say for example if you go out there on business for six or seven weeks but need to extend it to stay a bit longer than the 90 days, is there a way to extend the ESTA without having to go home or apply for a visa or something, or would a quick trip across the border to Mexico or somewhere be enough to reset it...?

I don't believe so, no. Short trips across the border don't reset the 90 days, they are included within it.

If you need a longer than 3month trip, you're going to need to apply for a visa, as far as I know.

billy few mates

Thanks for that, do you know if you can apply for a visa while you're already in the States half way through an ESTA...?

iusedtoknow

billy few mates wrote: »

Thanks for that, do you know if you can apply for a visa while you're already in the States half way through an ESTA...?

No you can't - you are pretty much set at the 90 day limit, unless you fall ill etc. Then you can apply for compassionate leave to remain.

However, the 90 day limit is pretty solid. Leaving to go to canada/mexico/puerto rico etc won't work

spideog7

iusedtoknow wrote: »

No you can't - you are pretty much set at the 90 day limit, unless you fall ill etc. Then you can apply for compassionate leave to remain.

However, the 90 day limit is pretty solid. Leaving to go to canada/mexico/puerto rico etc won't work

Isn't Puerto Rico a US territory anyway? That's no different to traveling to another part of the US.

iusedtoknow

spideog7 wrote: »

Isn't Puerto Rico a US territory anyway? That's no different to traveling to another part of the US.

you're right - cheerfully withdrawn!

Dave1442397

You can travel outside the country to somewhere like Belize and reset the visa. You don't have to fly all the way back to Ireland, but, as stated above, US territories, Canada and Mexico don't count.

coylemj

Dave1442397 wrote: »

You can travel outside the country to somewhere like Belize and reset the visa. You don't have to fly all the way back to Ireland, but, as stated above, US territories, Canada and Mexico don't count.

True but a quick trip to Belize and then back to the US would raise questions about your bona fides and there's always a risk that they only give you a 30 day permit if they think your trip was simply to reset the clock. There's no guarantee that they even let you enter the country so nipping out and back will carry certain risks.

Just to clarify on a trip to Canada, Mexico, US territories and the 'adjacent islands' (effectively the Caribbean) - the clock keeps running on your original 90-day permit so the time you spend outside the country in one of those places will be less time you can spend in the US.

iusedtoknow

coylemj wrote: »

True but a quick trip to Belize and then back to the US would raise questions about your bona fides and there's always a risk that they only give you a 30 day permit if they think your trip was simply to reset the clock. There's no guarantee that they even let you enter the country so nipping out and back will carry certain risks.

Just to clarify on a trip to Canada, Mexico, US territories and the 'adjacent islands' (effectively the Caribbean) - the clock keeps running on your original 90-day permit so the time you spend outside the country in one of those places will be less time you can spend in the US.

The general rule of thumb is to be out of the US for as long you were in, so as not to raise any suspicions or be blacklisted by the CBP.

billy few mates

iusedtoknow wrote: »

The general rule of thumb is to be out of the US for as long you were in, so as not to raise any suspicions or be blacklisted by the CBP.

Just a quick update for all who offered advice thanks, I spoke with the local CBP out there about extending my ESTA or switching to a Visa while I was out there but I was told it was impossible, initially they suggested I take a quick trip to Mexico or the Bahamas to reset the ESTA but when I queried it they made a couple of phone calls and discovered (to their surprise) that you couldn't do that either, they also confirmed that there is no limit on the amount of time you have to be out before you can go back so I went back to Ireland for four days and travelled back out here again with another ninety days on the clock without any hassle at all.