Your first interview in the entire residency process really occurs as soon as you first land in the USA – at the airport!
That’s the interview with the immigration officer. It can have a profound effect on your interviews in the USA especially if you are also planning on taking Step 2CS during the same trip (that’s the most economical strategy as described here).
You might be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the USA. It certainly does not determine how long you can stay in the country. If you plan on taking USMLE Step 2 CS and subsequently interview at residency programs in one single trip, you have to be able to stay in US for more than just a couple of months. For that, you need to shake off the fatigue of a long flight and start paying attention as your line inches forward at the immigration desk.
That’s because the immigration officers at the airport determine how long you can stay in the US on that particular trip. The duration they stamp on your passport (or more precisely, the form I-94) is how long you can stay on this trip. That means you can stay in the US until the date written on your I-94, NOT the date until your visa expires.
As a matter of routine, they are going to ask you the purpose of your trip. You should explain. In a clear and to-the-point way. Do not start rambling because no one really has time for that long winded explanation when there is a hall full of tired people waiting impatiently. Be clear and be precise but most of all, be truthful. Explain that you are going to take this test (Step 2 CS) and you want to follow it up with interviews so you don’t have to make another trip. This is a valid reason economically and people would understand that, in our experience!
Your goal is for them to allow you a 6-month stay, not 3-months or worse! For that, you have to explain to them the need for 6 month stay. It does not guarantee anything of course, but you would have tried.
Most foreign / international medical graduates have a heavy accent. But don’t let that deter you from explaining. Speak slowly and clearly. Immigration officials are used to dealing with people from foreign countries (obviously)!
What if the immigration officer stamps your passport for a short duration stay only? Should you simply ignore it as just a “suggestion”? Answer to that is a definite and emphatic NO. If you overstay, you run a high risk of having trouble next time around. Here is how the US Department of State puts it:
If you overstay the end date of your authorized stay, as provided by the Department of Homeland Security”s (sic) U.S. immigration officer at port of entry, or United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), then this action on your part generally will automatically void or cancel your visa.
You would probably do well to not get too enthusiastic about that “generally” in the quote above from Dept of State’s website!
Can you apply for an extension of that stay permit. Yes. But you better have plenty good reasons to do that.
Best thing to do? Instead of risking overstay or denial of an application for extension, pay attention at the immigration desk. And speak up!
