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Change of status: what it is

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Change of status: definition

Key answer

Change of status is switching from one nonimmigrant status to another inside the US without leaving - for example from B-1/B-2 or F-1 to O-1 via the I-129. Do not confuse it with adjustment of status (AOS, Form I-485), which is getting the green card. No visa stamp is issued with a change of status.

Staying in the US and changing status is usually simpler and faster than re-entering. An O-1 petition inside the US can be filed within 6 months of stay, but it is safer to wait 90 days after entry: an earlier filing can raise questions about your intent at entry. The same rule is applied to AOS for EB-1/EB-2.

To change status you must hold lawful status - parole is not a status. An approved petition (I-797) does not open the border: on your first trip out after a change of status you must obtain the visa at a consulate, and for Russian and CIS citizens the administrative-processing risk there is higher.

Change of status: the official source

I-539: how many cases USCIS handles

Q3 of fiscal year 2026 (April-June 2026): USCIS received 70,011 filings on this line, approved 38,751 and denied 8,163 (83% of decisions were approvals); 133,056 were waiting at the end of the quarter. Half of the completed cases took up to 5.7 months.

Line in the reportReceivedApprovedDeniedPendingMedian, mo.
I-539, extension or change of status70,01138,7518,163133,0565.7

Decisions are counted in the quarter they were issued, so some were filed earlier; the line covers every category of the form, not your visa alone. Source: USCIS, Number of Service-wide Forms (xlsx), read 2026-10-11.

Change of status: what to do - tools

Change of status: read next

Change of status: documents and templates from the library

Change of status: from community discussions

  • «The consul works by clear rules. His task is to prove to himself that you're an immigrant, and your task is the opposite: who beats whom. You either play this game by the rules or you don't. After all, it's you who needs the US, not the consul.»

    Ruslan · from public community chats

  • «I'm not arguing here that he apparently checked it poorly, but when you buy a package service and not just a lawyer, you expect more. And why was he told to go for EB-2 NIW when he already came with a pretty good package for EB-1 (over 20 years working as a research scientist with a bunch of patents, awards) - he only needed to add media.»

    Kate · from public community chats

  • «Everything will be fine. Everyone has their PhDs and candidates of science thrown out and simplified. You need to close three criteria: academic articles - one, patents - two, judging - three. A PhD 100% has a critical or lead role. I think you also have media articles about you. There won't even be an RFE.»

    Alexander · from public community chats

Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.

Change of status: related terms

All glossary terms

A reference definition, not legal advice. Requirements and procedures depend on your case - verify on uscis.gov.

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