English » U.S. Visa Services » Work Permit (Nonimmigrant Visa) » O-1 Visa “Extraordinary Ability” » If I am already in the U.S., can I still change to the O status?
If I am already in the U.S., can I still change to the O status?
For a change of status, the applicant must already be holding a valid U.S. visa. Visa free travelers, for example, cannot apply for the O visa. In addition, not all visa categories allow for a status change.
The application for a change of status is to be submitted along with the O-1 petition to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
We would like to remind you that it is under no circumstances advisable to leave and re-enter the country before your O-1 visa has been approved (by your local U.S. consulate).
The USCIS only approves the O-1 status, it does not issue the visa. This can only be done by the US consulate in your home country.
The change of status does not mean you have been issued a visa. If you leave the U.S. and try to re-enter without a valid visa, admission into the country will be denied.
As opposed to other nonimmigrant visas, the O-1 can also be applied for at US consulates in adjacent countries like Mexico or Canada. Otherwise you usually apply at a U.S. consulate in your home country.
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