Parents came to the US for five months, but officer allowed only two because father has a job in India

An Indian family seeking advice online says US border officials cut the parents’ planned five-month stay to two months after questioning why the father needed so much time away while holding a job in India.

The parents flew from Hyderabad to Miami on Qatar Airways. They held a return ticket for February 11, five months after arrival, but an officer sent them to secondary inspection. The officer issued an I-94 allowing them to stay only until November 5 and wrote that there would be no adjustment, change or extension of status.

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My parents traveled today from Hyderabad to Miami on Qatar Airways. They have a return ticket booked in five months for Feb 11.

The family said the parents had come for the birth of a baby. If they must leave by the date on the document, they could depart just before the child is born. The person who posted the account asked whether any legal remedy could allow the parents to remain longer.

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Please help because they're here for the birth of our baby, and now they would have to leave just before the birth if there's no possibility to extend their stay legally.

Social media users generally replied that little could be done after the officer had ruled out an extension. They warned that an overstay would be a serious violation and could prevent the parents from re-entering the United States in the future.

One user also argued that saying the parents were coming to help with a newborn may have raised a red flag. The user said immigration authorities could view that help as work replacing an American worker, and added that requesting five months on a first trip was too long. The user suggested making several shorter visits before seeking a longer stay.

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Not much can be done