[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 8, Volume 1]

[Revised as of January 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 8CFR214.1]



[Page 229-235]

 

                     TITLE 8--ALIENS AND NATIONALITY

 

               CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

 

PART 214_NONIMMIGRANT CLASSES--Table of Contents

 

Sec. 214.1  Requirements for admission, extension, and maintenance of 

status.









Sec.

214.1 Requirements for admission, extension, and maintenance of status.

214.2 Special requirements for admission, extension, and maintenance of 

          status.



[[Page 230]]



214.3 Approval of schools for enrollment of F and M nonimmigrants.

214.4 Withdrawal of school approval.

214.5 Libyan and third country nationals acting on behalf of Libyan 

          entities.

214.6 Canadian and Mexican citizens seeking temporary entry to engage in 

          business activities at a professional level.

214.7 What is habitual residence in the territories and possessions of 

          the United States and what are the consequences thereof?

214.8-214.10 [Reserved]

214.11 Alien victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons.

214.12 Preliminary enrollment of schools in the Student and Exchange 

          Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

214.13 SEVIS for certain F, J, and M nonimmigrants.

214.14 [Reserved]

214.15 Certain spouses and children of lawful permanent residents.



    Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1101, 1102, 1103, 1182, 1184, 1185 (pursuant to 

E.O. 13323, 69 FR 241, 3 CFR, 2003 Comp., p. 278), 1186a, 1187, 1221, 

1281, 1282, 1301-1305, 1372, 1379, 1731-32; section 643, Pub. L. 104-

208, 110 Stat. 3009-708; section 141 of the Compacts of Free Association 

with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall 

Islands, and with the Government of Palau, 48 U.S.C. 1901 note, and 1931 

note, respectively, 8 CFR part 2.





    (a) General--(1) Nonimmigrant classes. For the purpose of 

administering the nonimmigrant provisions of the Act, the following 

administrative subclassifications of nonimmigrant classifications as 

defined in section 101(a)(15) of the Act are established:

    (i) Section 101(a)(15)(B) is divided into (B)(i) for visitors for 

business and (B)(ii) for visitors for pleasure;

    (ii) Section 101(a)(15)(C) is divided into (C)(i) for aliens who are 

not diplomats and are in transit through the United States; (C)(ii) for 

aliens in transit to and from the United Nations Headquarters District; 

and (C)(iii) for alien diplomats in transit through the United States;

    (iii) Section 101(a)(15)(H) is divided to create an (H)(iv) 

subclassification for the spouse and children of a nonimmigrant 

classified under section 101(a)(15) (H) (i), (ii), or (iii);

    (iv) Section 101(a)(15)(J) is divided into (J)(i) for principal 

aliens and (J)(ii) for such alien's spouse and children;

    (v) Section 101(a)(15)(K) is divided into (K)(i) for the 

fiance[eacute](e), (K)(ii) for the spouse, and (K)(iii) for the children 

of either;

    (vi) Section 101(a)(15)(L) is divided into (L)(i) for principal 

aliens and (L)(ii) for such alien's spouse and children;

    (vii) Section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) is divided to create a (Q)(iii) for 

subclassification for the spouse and children of a nonimmigrant 

classified under section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) of the Act;

    (viii) Section 101(a)(15)(T)(ii) is divided into (T)(ii), (T)(iii) 

and (T)(iv) for the spouse, child, and parent, respectively, of a 

nonimmigrant classified under section 101(a)(15)(T)(i); and

    (2) Classification designations. For the purpose of this chapter the 

following nonimmigrant designations are established. The designation in 

the second column may be used to refer to the appropriate nonimmigrant 

classification.



------------------------------------------------------------------------

                 Section                            Designation

------------------------------------------------------------------------

101(a)(15)(A)(i).........................  A-1.

101(a)(15)(A)(ii)........................  A-2.

101(a)(15)(A)(iii).......................  A-3.

101(a)(15)(B)(i).........................  B-1.

101(a)(15)(B)(ii)........................  B-2.

101(a)(15)(C)(i).........................  C-1.

101(a)(15)(C)(ii)........................  C-2.

101(a)(15)(C)(iii).......................  C-3.

101(a)(15)(D)(i).........................  D-1.

101(a)(15)(D)(ii)........................  D-2.

101(a)(15)(E)(i).........................  E-1.

101(a)(15)(E)(ii)........................  E-2.

101(a)(15)(F)(i).........................  F-1.

101(a)(15)(F)(ii)........................  F-2.

101(a)(15)(G)(i).........................  G-1.

101(a)(15)(G)(ii)........................  G-2.

101(a)(15)(G)(iii).......................  G-3.

101(a)(15)(G)(iv)........................  G-4.

101(a)(15)(g)(v).........................  G-5.

101(a)(15)(H)(i)(B)......................  H-1B.

101(a)(15)(H)(i)(C)......................  H-1C.

101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(A).....................  H-2A.

101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(B).....................  H-2B.

101(a)(15)(H)(iii).......................  H-3.

101(a)(15)(H)(iv)........................  H-4.

101(a)(15)(I)............................  I.

101(a)(15)(J)(i).........................  J-1.

101(a)(15)(J)(ii)........................  J-2.

101(a)(15)(K)(i).........................  K-1.

101(a)(15)(K)(ii)........................  K-3.

101(a)(15)(K)(iii).......................  K-2; K-4.

101(a)(15)(L)(i).........................  L-1.

101(a)(15)(L)(ii)........................  L-2.

101(a)(15)(M)(i).........................  M-1.

101(a)(15)(M)(ii)........................  M-2.

101(a)(15)(N)(i).........................  N-8.

101(a)(15)(N)(ii)........................  N-9.

101(a)(15)(O)(i).........................  O-1.

101(a)(15)(O)(ii)........................  O-2.

101(a)(15)(O)(iii).......................  O-3.



[[Page 231]]





101(a)(15)(P)(i).........................  P-1.

101(a)(15)(P)(ii)........................  P-2.

101(a)(15)(P)(iii).......................  P-3.

101(a)(15)(P)(iv)........................  P-4.

101(a)(15)(Q)(i).........................  Q-1.

101(a)(15)(Q)(ii)........................  Q-2.

101(a)(15)(Q)(iii).......................  Q-3.

101(a)(15)(R)(i).........................  R-1.

101(a)(15)(R)(ii)........................  R-2.

101(a)(15)(S)(i).........................  S-5.

101(a)(15)(S)(ii)........................  S-6.

101(a)(15)(S) qualified family members...  S-7.

101(a)(15)(T)(i).........................  T-1

101(a)(15)(T)(ii)........................  T-2

101(a)(15)(T)(iii).......................  T-3

101(a)(15)(T)(iv)........................  T-4

101(a)(15)(V)............................  V-1, V-2, or V-3

Cdn FTA, Professional....................  TC.

NAFTA, Principal.........................  TN.

NAFTA, Dependent.........................  TD.

Visa Waiver, Business....................  WB.

Visa Waiver, Tourist.....................  WT.

------------------------------------------------------------------------



    Note 1: The classification designation K-2 is for the child of a K-

1. The classification designation K-4 is for the child of a K-3.

    Note 2: The classification designation V-1 is for the spouse of a 

lawful permanent resident; the classification designation V-2 is for the 

principal beneficiary of an I-130 who is the child of an LPR; the 

classification V-3 is for the derivative child of a V-1 or V-2 alien.

    (3) General requirements. (i) Every nonimmigrant alien who applies 

for admission to, or an extension of stay in, the United States, must 

establish that he or she is admissible to the United States, or that any 

ground of inadmissibility has been waived under section 212(d)(3) of the 

Act. Upon application for admission, the alien must present a valid 

passport and valid visa unless either or both documents have been 

waived. A nonimmigrant alien's admission to the United States is 

conditioned on compliance with any inspection requirement in Sec. 

235.1(d) or of this chapter. The passport of an alien applying for 

admission must be valid for a minimum of six months from the expiration 

date of the contemplated period of stay, unless otherwise provided in 

this chapter, and the alien must agree to abide by the terms and 

conditions of his or her admission. An alien applying for extension of 

stay must present a passport only if requested to do so by the 

Department of Homeland Security. The passport of an alien applying for 

extension of stay must be valid at the time of application for 

extension, unless otherwise provided in this chapter, and the alien must 

agree to maintain the validity of his or her passport and to abide by 

all the terms and conditions of his extension.

    (ii) At the time of admission or extension of stay, every 

nonimmigrant alien must also agree to depart the United States at the 

expiration of his or her authorized period of admission or extension of 

stay, or upon abandonment of his or her authorized nonimmigrant status, 

and to comply with the departure procedures at section 215.8 of this 

chapter if such procedures apply to the particular alien. The 

nonimmigrant alien's failure to comply with those departure 

requirements, including any requirement that the alien provide biometric 

identifiers, may constitute a failure of the alien to maintain the terms 

of his or her nonimmigrant status.

    (iii) At the time a nonimmigrant alien applies for admission or 

extension of stay, he or she must post a bond on Form I-352 in the sum 

of not less than $500, to ensure the maintenance of his or her 

nonimmigrant status and departure from the United States, if required to 

do so by the Commissioner of CBP, the Director of U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services, an immigration judge, or the Board of Immigration 

Appeals.

    (b) Readmission of nonimmigrants under section 101(a)(15) (F), (J), 

(M), or (Q)(ii) to complete unexpired periods of previous admission or 

extension of stay--(1) Section 101(a)(15)(F). The inspecting immigration 

officer shall readmit for duration of status as defined in Sec. 

214.2(f)(5)(iii), any nonimmigrant alien whose nonimmigrant visa is 

considered automatically revalidated pursuant to 22 CFR 41.125(f) and 

who is applying for readmission under section 101(a)(15)(F) of the Act, 

if the alien:

    (i) Is admissible;

    (ii) Is applying for readmission after an absence from the United 

States not exceeding thirty days solely in contiguous territory or 

adjacent islands;

    (iii) Is in possession of a valid passport unless exempt from the 

requirement for presentation of a passport; and

    (iv) Presents, or is the accompanying spouse or child of an alien 

who presents, an Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94, issued to the 

alien in connection with the previous admission or



[[Page 232]]



stay, the alien's Form I-20 ID copy, and either:

    (A) A properly endorsed page 4 of Form I-20A-B if there has been no 

substantive change in the information on the student's most recent Form 

I-20A since the form was initially issued; or

    (B) A new Form I-20A-B if there has been any substantive change in 

the information on the student's most recent Form I-20A since the form 

was initially issued.

    (2) Section 101(a)(15)(J). The inspecting immigration officer shall 

readmit for the unexpired period of stay authorized prior to the alien's 

departure, any nonimmigrant alien whose nonimmigrant visa is considered 

automatically revalidated pursuant to 22 CFR 41.125(f) and who is 

applying for readmission under section 101(a)(15)(J) of the Act, if the 

alien:

    (i) Is admissible;

    (ii) Is applying for readmission after an absence from the United 

States not exceeding thirty days solely in contiguous territory or 

adjacent islands;

    (iii) Is in possession of a valid passport unless exempt from the 

requirement for the presentation of a passport; and

    (iv) Presents, or is the accompanying spouse or child of an alien 

who presents, Form I-94 issued to the alien in connection with the 

previous admission or stay or copy three of the last Form IAP-66 issued 

to the alien. Form I-94 or Form IAP-66 must show the unexpired period of 

the alien's stay endorsed by the Service.

    (3) Section 101(a)(15)(M). The inspecting immigration officer shall 

readmit for the unexpired period of stay authorized prior to the alien's 

departure, any nonimmigrant alien whose nonimmigrant visa is considered 

automatically revalidated pursuant to 22 CFR 41.125(f) and who is 

applying for readmission under section 101(a)(15)(M) of the Act, if the 

alien:

    (i) Is admissible;

    (ii) Is applying for readmission after an absence not exceeding 

thirty days solely in contiguous territory;

    (iii) Is in possession of a valid passport unless exempt from the 

requirement for presentation of a passport; and

    (iv) Presents, or is the accompanying spouse or child of an alien 

who presents, Form I-94 issued to the alien in connection with the 

previous admission or stay, the alien's Form I-20 ID copy, and a 

properly endorsed page 4 of Form I-20M-N.

    (4) Section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii). The inspecting immigration officer 

shall readmit for the unexpired period of stay authorized prior to the 

alien's departure, if the alien:

    (i) Is admissible;

    (ii) Is applying for readmission after an absence from the United 

States not exceeding 30 days solely in contiguous territory or adjacent 

islands;

    (iii) Is in possession of a valid passport;

    (iv) Presents, or is the accompanying spouse or child of an alien 

who presents, an Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94, issued to the 

alien in connection with the previous admission or stay. The principal 

alien must also present a Certification Letter issued by the Department 

of State's Program Administrator.

    (c) Extensions of stay--(1) Filing on Form I-129. An employer 

seeking the services of an E-1, E-2, H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, L-1, O-1, O-

2, P-1, P-2, P-3, Q-1, R-1, or TC nonimmigrant beyond the period 

previously granted, must petition for an extension of stay on Form I-

129. The petition must be filed with the fee required in Sec. 103.7 of 

this chapter, and the initial evidence specified in Sec. 214.2, and on 

the petition form. Dependents holding derivative status may be included 

in the petition if it is for only one worker and the form version 

specifically provides for their inclusion. In all other cases dependents 

of the worker should file on Form I-539.

    (2) Filing on Form I-539. Any other nonimmigrant alien, except an 

alien in F or J status who has been granted duration of status, who 

seeks to extend his or her stay beyond the currently authorized period 

of admission, must apply for an extension of stay on Form I-539 with the 

fee required in Sec. 103.7 of this chapter together with any initial 

evidence specified in the applicable provisions of Sec. 214.2, and on 

the application form. More than one person may be included in an 

application where the



[[Page 233]]



co-applicants are all members of a single family group and either all 

hold the same nonimmigrant status or one holds a nonimmigrant status and 

the other co-applicants are his or her spouse and/or children who hold 

derivative nonimmigrant status based on his or her status. Extensions 

granted to members of a family group must be for the same period of 

time. The shortest period granted to any member of the family shall be 

granted to all members of the family. In order to be eligible for an 

extension of stay, nonimmigrant aliens in K-3/K-4 status must do so in 

accordance with Sec. 214.2(k)(10).

    (3) Ineligible for extension of stay. A nonimmigrant in any of the 

following classes is ineligible for an extension of stay:

    (i) B-1 or B-2 where admission was pursuant to the Visa Waiver Pilot 

Program;

    (ii) C-1, C-2, C-3;

    (iii) D-1, D-2;

    (iv) K-1, K-2;

    (v) Any nonimmigrant admitted for duration of status, other than as 

provided in Sec. 214.2(f)(7);

    (vi) Any nonimmigrant who is classified pursuant to section 

101(a)(15)(S) of the Act beyond a total of 3 years; or

    (vii) Any nonimmigrant who is classified according to section 

101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) of the Act beyond a total of 3 years.

    (4) Timely filing and maintenance of status. An extension of stay 

may not be approved for an applicant who failed to maintain the 

previously accorded status or where such status expired before the 

application or petition was filed, except that failure to file before 

the period of previously authorized status expired may be excused in the 

discretion of the Service and without separate application, with any 

extension granted from the date the previously authorized stay expired, 

where it is demonstrated at the time of filing that:

    (i) The delay was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the 

control of the applicant or petitioner, and the Service finds the delay 

commensurate with the circumstances;

    (ii) The alien has not otherwise violated his or her nonimmigrant 

status;

    (iii) The alien remains a bona fide nonimmigrant; and

    (iv) The alien is not the subject of deportation proceedings under 

section 242 of the Act (prior to April 1, 1997) or removal proceedings 

under section 240 of the Act.

    (5) Decision in Form I-129 or I-539 extension proceedings. Where an 

applicant or petitioner demonstrates eligibility for a requested 

extension, it may be granted at the discretion of the Service. There is 

no appeal from the denial of an application for extension of stay filed 

on Form I-129 or I-539.

    (d) Termination of status. Within the period of initial admission or 

extension of stay, the nonimmigrant status of an alien shall be 

terminated by the revocation of a waiver authorized on his or her behalf 

under section 212(d) (3) or (4) of the Act; by the introduction of a 

private bill to confer permanent resident status on such alien; or, 

pursuant to notification in the Federal Register, on the basis of 

national security, diplomatic, or public safety reasons.

    (e) Employment. A nonimmigrant in the United States in a class 

defined in section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Act as a temporary visitor for 

pleasure, or section 101(a)(15)(C) of the Act as an alien in transit 

through this country, may not engage in any employment. Any other 

nonimmigrant in the United States may not engage in any employment 

unless he has been accorded a nonimmigrant classification which 

authorizes employment or he has been granted permission to engage in 

employment in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. A 

nonimmigrant who is permitted to engage in employment may engage only in 

such employment as has been authorized. Any unauthorized employment by a 

nonimmigrant constitutes a failure to maintain status within the meaning 

of section 241(a)(1)(C)(i) of the Act.

    (f) Registration and false information. A nonimmigrant's admission 

and continued stay in the United States is conditioned on compliance 

with any registration, photographing, and fingerprinting requirements 

under Sec. 264.1(f) of this chapter that relate to the maintenance of 

nonimmigrant status and also on the full and truthful disclosure of all 

information requested by the Service. Willful failure by a nonimmigrant 

to register or to provide



[[Page 234]]



full and truthful information requested by the Service (regardless of 

whether or not the information requested was material) constitutes a 

failure to maintain nonimmigrant status under section 237(a)(1)(C)(i) of 

the Act (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(1)(C)(i)).

    (g) Criminal activity. A condition of a nonimmigrant's admission and 

continued stay in the United States is obedience to all laws of United 

States jurisdictions which prohibit the commission of crimes of violence 

and for which a sentence of more than one year imprisonment may be 

imposed. A nonimmigrant's conviction in a jurisdiction in the United 

States for a crime of violence for which a sentence of more than one 

year imprisonment may be imposed (regardless of whether such sentence is 

in fact imposed) constitutes a failure to maintain status under section 

241(a)(1)(C)(i) of the Act.

    (h) Education privacy and F, J, and M nonimmigrants. As authorized 

by section 641(c)(2) of Division C of Pub. L. 104-208, 8 U.S.C. 1372, 

and Sec. 2.1(a) of this chapter, the Service has determined that, with 

respect to F and M nonimmigrant students and J nonimmigrant exchange 

visitors, waiving the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and 

Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, is necessary for the proper 

implementation of 8 U.S.C. 1372. An educational agency or institution 

may not refuse to report information concerning an F or M nonimmigrant 

student or a J nonimmigrant exchange visitor that the educational agency 

or institution is required to report under 8 U.S.C. 1372 and Sec. 

214.3(g) (or any corresponding Department of State regulation concerning 

J nonimmigrants) on the basis of FERPA and any regulation implementing 

FERPA. The waiver of FERPA under this paragraph authorizes and requires 

an educational agency or institution to report information concerning an 

F, J or M nonimmigrant that would ordinarily be protected by FERPA, but 

only to the extent that 8 U.S.C. 1372 and Sec. 214.3(g) (or any 

corresponding Department of State regulation concerning J nonimmigrants) 

requires the educational agency or institution to report information.

    (i) Employment in a health care occupation. (1) Except as provided 

in 8 CFR 212.15(n), any alien described in 8 CFR 212.15(a) who is coming 

to the United States to perform labor in a health care occupation 

described in 8 CFR 212.15(c) must obtain a certificate from a 

credentialing organization described in 8 CFR 212.15(e). The certificate 

or certified statement must be presented to the Department of Homeland 

Security in accordance with 8 CFR 212.15(d). In the alternative, an 

eligible alien seeking admission as a nurse may obtain a certified 

statement as provided in 8 CFR 212.15(h).

    (2) A TN nonimmigrant may establish that he or she is eligible for a 

waiver described at 8 CFR 212.15(n) by providing evidence that his or 

her initial admission as a TN (or TC) nonimmigrant health care worker 

occurred before September 23, 2003, and he or she was licensed and 

employed in the United States as a health care worker before September 

23, 2003. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, copies of TN or 

TC approval notices, copies of Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Records, 

employment verification letters and/or pay-stubs or other employment 

records, and state health care worker licenses.

    (j) Extension of stay or change of status for health care worker. In 

the case of any alien admitted temporarily as a nonimmigrant under 

section 212(d)(3) of the Act and 8 CFR 212.15(n) for the primary purpose 

of the providing labor in a health care occupation described in 8 CFR 

212.15(c), the petitioning employer may file a Form I-129 to extend the 

approval period for the alien's classification for the nonimmigrant 

status. If the alien is in the United States and is eligible for an 

extension of stay or change of status, the Form I-129 also serves as an 

application to extend the period of the alien's authorized stay or to 

change the alien's status. Although the Form I-129 petition may be 

approved, as it relates to the employer's request to classify the alien, 

the application for an extension of stay or change of status shall be 

denied if:

    (1) The petitioner or applicant fails to submit the certification 

required by



[[Page 235]]



8 CFR 212.15(a) with the petition or application to extend the alien's 

stay or change the alien's status; or

    (2) The petition or application to extend the alien's stay or change 

the alien's status does include the certification required by 8 CFR 

212.15(a), but the alien obtained the certification more than 1 year 

after the date of the alien's admission under section 212(d)(3) of the 

Act and 8 CFR 212.15(n). While DHS may admit, extend the period of 

authorized stay, or change the status of a nonimmigrant health care 

worker for a period of 1 year if the alien does not have certification 

on or before July 26, 2004 (or on or before July 26, 2005, in the case 

of a citizen of Canada or Mexico, who, before September 23, 2003, was 

employed as a TN or TC nonimmigrant health care worker and held a valid 

license from a U.S. jurisdiction), the alien will not be eligible for a 

subsequent admission, change of status, or extension of stay as a health 

care worker if the alien has not obtained the requisite certification 1 

year after the initial date of admission, change of status, or extension 

of stay as a health care worker.



[26 FR 12067, Dec. 16, 1961]



    Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting Sec. 

214.1, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the 

Finding Aids section of the printed volume and on GPO Access.