L-1 Renewal - record breaker?

[kebab king]

Hi to all - just wanted to share my good news.

Applied to renew my L-1 visa on July 12 - premium processed.

Visa attorney received the e-mail yesterday that my visa has been renewed for a further two years.

Even I didn't expect it this fast, is it a record?

What's even better is that my visa guy is in town on vacation at the moment with his family, so we're all off out tonight to celebrate!:D

Andy

[Bobby]

Congratulations Andy!

Good news that someone posting on the boards has been successful.

Good for you!

Bobby

[charliesmum]

Congratulations. Really pleased for you.

We have got our I94s renewed for another 2 years today, so that's our good news.

Just the visa renewal to go now.

Zoe

[lorraine]

Congratulations really pleased for you. We have ours in vermont keeping our fingers crossed.... Kind regards Lorraine:)

[lorraine]

Hi Zoe was yours at Vermont also, how long did it take. Are you going to UK to get Visa stamped at London?? Thanks Lorraine

[JulieC]

Can I ask what you do and how many staff under you and do you have a manager under you as well as staff, Kebab King??

[charliesmum]

Lorraine

We are on E2s, so this is only the I94. Can't leave to go to London to get the visa stamped until it is approved by the Embassy there.

Zoe

[lorraine]

Hi Zoe we are only getting renewal of I94 also even though it L1 if we want the visa stamped we have to go back to London also. Kind regards Lorraine

[fllion]

well done Bubller ,That Donna i had last week wasnt as good as Toms at the green ,but worth the trip anyways . Will catch up with you both next week sometime ,Dinner on us

Pie & mash was the Dogs LOL ,Again well done Mate

Paul & Dawn

[charliesmum]

Lorraine - it was sent to California and took about 2 months. We will go to London to have our visas stamped when we - eventually - get our approval. Hoping to go the week of Thanksgiving if possible, so we don't have to let our kids miss too much school.

Zoe

[Kriz1]

I'm going to ask a silly question...can you stay without renewing your E2..if you don't want to leave the country...?

[charliesmum]

Yes, you can stay and just renew your I94, but obviously can't travel outside the US. The only thing I would worry about is are they going to eventually say you have to have a visa to renew the I94.

Zoe

[Kriz1]

It was just someone on a villa site seemed to be planning to just renew their 194 through Tx..and never go to London to get a E2 stamp...I wondered how safe that was...would you need to go to London to get that first E2 stamp..or could you again just stay here and never leave...?

They had a B1 and changed to a E2 status here...

[chris]

If they have successfully changed their status from B2 to E2 with the USCIS, then so long as they continue to meet the USCIS rules, they should be able to 'maintain their E2 Status' by continually renewing the I-94 with USCIS every 2 years. It does mean however, that they are landlocked and can't leave the US, because on leaving they hand in their I-94 and hence give up their E2 status in the eyes of the USCIS. The only way they could return would be E2 Visa approval by the Embassy or B2 and change status again. On the latter, I've heard (another one of these whispers!) that USCIS are not being as easy on allowing it, as they have wised up to folks bypassing the Embassy.
If you look at the I-129 form which is the petition to extend status, they don't specifically ask for any State Dept Visa details, other than do you want a Consulate notifying of the decision. That's because as 2 depts, they've never really worked together and in this situation that arrangement works for us!
Some people are worrying that USCIS might move the goalposts and demand sight of a current Visa when consider extensions, but if you think the rules through you only need a Visa to allow entry/exit at Port of Entry. If your Visa is current on first entry and USCIS agree to let you in, then it should not matter that your Visa subsequently expires if you do not intend to leave until you are good and ready and continue to meet the USCIS criteria.
Unless the London Embassy improves its level of service and starts giving better approval levels for fresh and renewal applicants, I can see landlocking and just extending status becoming an increasingly common practise.

[JulieC]

Know two people who have had parents just die and not been able to go back, it is things like that which are difficult in this situation,

[kebab king]

Cheers Bobby, Zoe Lorraine, Paul & Dawn!

Zoe, that's good news about your I-94's. Really hope that your approval follows through soon.

Paul & Dawn, will speak to you later this week to arrange a time. What are we having? Pie & Mash or a good greasy Doner?

Andy

[kebab king]

JulieC

The business that the petition is based on is property investment and/or development.

No staff - I use sub-contractors. No commercial premises or virtual office space - I work from home.

This is my second renewal - no further information was requested. There has been no deviation since the original application. Substantial UK company. Excellent tax returns. A visa attorney that is second to none.

Andy

[Kriz1]

I don't think I'd like to be stuck in the USA...
My parents visited the falls a few years ago and drove out of the USA without know it...that would be the kind of thing I would do...:(