Can a participant stay in the United States as a tourist after his or her training program?
Yes. If a participant wants to travel around the United States for more than 30 days after his or her training program has been completed, he or she can apply to the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a change of status to a B-1/B-2 Visitor’s visa. This will allow the participant to extend his or her stay in the United States. The participant must apply for this change of status before the last day of his or her training program that is noted on the DS-2019 form. Please note that the participant cannot remain on the payroll of his or her host employer beyond the last day of the training program that is noted on the DS-2019 form. Substantial penalties exist for both the participant and the employer if he or she is not legally authorized to earn a wage at that employer.
