Using Your Visa
If you are issued a visa, your visa will generally be valid for a single entry (Visa Type S) within a period of three months, or for multiple entries (Visa Type M) within a period of one year.
The date of expiration on your visa does NOT represent the last day that you can be in the United States. The validity period on the visa represents the time during which you may apply for admission into the United States. Therefore, the date of expiration is the last day that you may arrive at a U.S. port of entry to request permission to enter the country. For example, your visa may expire on May 13, 2008, so you can travel to the U.S. and request admission at a port of entry until midnight on May 13, 2008. The immigration inspector at passport control will decide how long you are authorized to stay. You might be authorized to stay until Nov 12, 2008 (6 months) and choose to leave May 27, 2008, even though your actual visa expires on May 13, 2008.
Please note, even if the immigration inspector authorizes a stay of 6 months, visitors are expected to follow their original travel plans as provided to the consular officer. Significant changes in travel plans can reflect negatively on the credibility of the applicant and impact future applications for travel to the U.S.
Expired Visas
A U.S. visa cannot be extended, regardless of whether it has been used or not. A traveler who is unable to use their visa during its validity period must re-apply for a new visa if they wish to travel to the United States.
Lost or Stolen Visas
A lost or stolen visa should be reported to the local police and to Consular Section immediately. Please bring the police report with you when you are reporting a lost or stolen visa to the Consular Section.
Expired Passports
If your passport has expired, but your U.S. visa is still valid, you should make sure the U.S. visa is not damaged and travel with both the expired passport with the valid U.S. visa and the new passport.
If you plan to get a new passport soon, but want to show your old passport to the consular officer when I reapply for a U.S. visa in the future, you should request that the Armenian passport issuing authorities cancel your old passport and return it to you. You may bring your old passport containing any prior U.S or other visas to your visa appointment. Although not required, this information can be very helpful when you apply for your next visa. If the passport issuing authorities will not return your old passport, you should consider making a photocopy of your old passport as evidence of your past travel.
Important Note
Applicants should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. Under U.S. law, a visa is simply permission to apply for entry into the United States. The person to whom a visa has been issued is subject to inspection at the port of entry by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. CBP officers have the authority to deny admission. Also, the CBP, not the consular officer, determines the period for which the bearer of a visa is authorized to remain in the United States.
If you wish to file a complaint about immigration (CBP) entry to the U.S. please visit https://trip.dhs.gov/