how long can you stay in the us after your visa expires?

You should never overstay the validity of a visa. You should leave the country if your H1B is due to expire. If it has already expired, you must leave immediately. Any stay without a valid visa staus accrues unlawful presence in the US. Unlawful or unauhtorized presence in the United States may create problems for you in future applications for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyerYour H1B visa has an expiration date printed on it (probably 3 years, not 6). As long as you keep working for the same firm that sponsored it, you can come back to the USA until that expiration date.The time you spend out of the country doesn’t count for the 6 years renovation limit, so you may extend your stay for more than 6 calendar years, yes.However, if you quit or change firms, your H1B visa will no longer be valid, you will need to get a new one.The only eligibility advantage you would have, is that you will not need to go through the H1B visa lottery again if your visa was cap-subject, for up to 6 years after the visa was selected. Since your visa was selected last year (2015), you can get a new H1B visa as long as a company sponsors you, without needing to go through the lottery, up to 2021. So, you can be out for a bit less than 5 years, not 7 years, to come back without starting the process from scratch.

In years past, there was no grace period for those who lost their jobs as H-1B holders. The alien was expected to leave the country immediately or risk being considered “out of status”, which can have very serious ramifications including being barred from re-entry into the U.S.Fortunately, on January 17, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security released a final rule that extended a 60-day grace period to any H-1B holder that suddenly found themselves without a job. This grace period is given once per visa validation period and can be used for everything from finding a new employer to wrapping up affairs before leaving the U.S.You were also given two 10-day grace periods, one before and one after your visa validation period, to “prepare for departure or to seek extension or change of status based on a subsequent offer of employment”. The final rule removed this limiting language so that you are free to use the time as you please.So, in answer to your question, if you have been laid off or your employer has gone out of business, you will have about two months to find a solution or leave the country before you are considered “out of status”. If your visa is expiring, you will have ten days before needing to leave.However, you don’t want to take something like this lightly. Being “out of status” can have a serious effect on your future immigration plans. Consider hiring a qualified immigration attorney to make sure you are staying within the parameters.This answer is not to be considered as a substitute for legal advice and does not establish an attorney-client relationship.

I am glad you break down your questions and I will answer them accordingly. You have a business visa to the US which expires next year.You can travel to the US till the last day of expiry of the business visa, the date which is listed in your passport, and the date of entry should be the date of expiry after which time your entry into the US will be illegal.It is easy to get a B1 visa if your earlier visas have been approved so you should have no problems unless there has been something that changed recently in your application.Being a freelance engineer does not change anything. It only requires that your CA shows the right documents and the fact that you are rooted in your country or origin. i.e. you should prove that you will return to the US if the Consular Officer asks some Paranoid questions like your intention to Immigrate.Cost issues are listed on the websites concerned for the Consulate or Embassy where you are applying for the visa. Take a look for the latest fees.Take care and have a lovely day !!!

Generally, the Immigration Service will give you a 15 day grace period, though that is not in any law, code or regulation.  If you think you can change your status to another visa, you want to do it ASAP, otherwise you will likely have to consular process.

You should check with the Japanese consulate, but your visa is probably multiple entry, so it wouldn’t need to be renewed.I once did the following:Received a 3-month tourist visa.Renewed while still in Japan for 3 more months.Took a one-week vacation to Guam.Returned to Japan with the same visa for 3 more months.Renewed again while in Japan.This is the recommended maximum! If you try to push it, you could be denied entry. Better to wait a year before coming again.

The US visa is only for entry. You can enter the US on the day that the visa expires and stay for the duration of the I-94.

There is no minimum. In theory, you can immediately leave the United States and turn around and come back in.However, every time you make entry you have to convince the immigration officer that your purpose for entry is legitimate tourism, rather than an attempt to illegally reside in the United States. If you fail to convince the immigration officer this (and the burden of proof is always on you), your entry will be denied.It is thus incumbent on you to not give the impression that this is what you’re doing. There is no specific guidance as to how long you have to remain outside the United States before returning for a new visit. Obviously, the shorter that time, the more likely the immigration officer will be suspicious. This is especially true if you have a pattern of long visits broken only by short trips home.