Visa Stamp for P-1S and P-1 visas can be shorter than the full validity period on the visa approval

Recent customer inquiry

I was led to believe that the visa was for 3 years, my P1S has a stamp of validity till July 14 2023. Can you tell me how I can get this extended?

We have written several resources to help explain how the P-1S visa works on first filing. 

https://www.sherrodsportsvisas.com/p1s-essential-support-staff-visas-work

The first step is to check your I-94 records to see if your validity date is indeed longer than your passport stamp? The visa stamp refers to how long you can travel in and out of the country without needing an additional visa appointment. The validity period is the actual time you can spend in the United States while on this visa. These can be two different dates which are common in certain countries. 

For example, in Brazil, beneficiaries of P-1, P-1S, O-2 and O-1 visas typically only receive a three month stamp from the consulate but are able to enjoy the full length of time on the visa approval. 

When in doubt, check the State Department’s I-94 website with your passport information. The link to check the I-94 status is https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home. 

If indeed, the visa validity is short, the process to renew is filing an extension with another petition on regular processing. Be sure to make the start date of the new filing to start the same day the previous visa ends. 

In case of renewal, please visit our explanation on renewing P-1S and O-2 visas after the first filing; www.sherrodsportsvisas.com/renew-o2-p1s-visas.