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Changing Your Immigration Status in Montana


— July 6, 2022

The main reason people change their status is to stay in the nation for a longer period of time.


If you’re living in the United States as a nonresident, there may come a time when you wish to change your immigration status. But how exactly do you do this in Montana? More importantly, why would you need to do this in the first place? If you find yourself asking these questions, you might want to get in touch with a qualified, experienced immigration attorney in Montana. First, an attorney can explain why changing your immigration status might be a good idea. Secondly, they can show you how to do this. 

While internet research is always a good first step, a consultation with an immigration attorney can provide you with much more knowledge. In addition, an attorney can assess your unique situation and provide you with targeted legal advice based on your specific circumstances. Finally, your attorney can represent you in court if you encounter any legal issues as you switch your immigration status.

Why Would You Want to Change Your Status?

You may wish to change your immigration status for a variety of reasons. However, the main reason people change their status is to stay in the nation for a longer period of time. When one nonimmigrant visa expires, you need to leave the nation. However, if you apply for another nonimmigrant status before that visa expires, you can stay in the nation past the date of the original visa’s expiry. 

For example, you may have been admitted into the United States on a tourism visa. Perhaps you wish to start attending school in the United States without first going back to your home country. If this is the case, you would change your nonimmigrant status from a tourist visa to a student visa.

Man wearing headphones looking at laptop screen; image by Wes Hicks, via Unsplash.com.
Man wearing headphones looking at laptop screen; image by Wes Hicks, via Unsplash.com.

Now let’s say you’ve completed your college education in the United States, and you’re ready to start working for a company in Montana that wants to hire you right out of university. In this situation, you might change your student visa to an H-1B status, which allows you to continue living and working in the United States as a skilled foreign worker. 

Of course, you can also change your status from nonimmigrant to immigrant. This is generally more difficult than switching between nonimmigrant visas, and a qualified immigration attorney can certainly help you with this undertaking. 

Enlist the Help of a Qualified Attorney Today

If you’ve been searching the Billings area for a qualified, experienced immigration attorney, there are many legal professionals waiting to assist you. Connect with one of these lawyers, and you can change your immigration status in a seamless manner without encountering any needless obstacles. While changing your immigrations status can seem like a relatively straightforward procedure, it can be more complicated than you might expect. Book your consultation today to learn how to make this process as straightforward as possible. 

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