According to the United States Embassy in Banjul, it is pertinent to note that “citizens already issued with the U.S. visa only allows them to travel to a United States port of entry and request permission to enter the country.”
The Gambia Embassy in Washington D.C. further informs that the decision to “stay in the United States is not your visa’s expiration date. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer determines your ‘Admit Until Date’ upon your arrival and you can check the date by which you must depart online at i94.cbp.dhs.gov.”
In addition, the Embassy wishes to further inform its citizens that “all travelers to the United States undergo extensive security screening including checks against law enforcement and counter-terrorism databases.” In light of this consideration, “visas are not issued until all security concerns are fully resolved. Prohibiting travel to those who might pose a threat is key to protecting the United States citizens at home.”
In a similar vein, all Gambian students studying in the United States are kindly requested to note that “if they drop out, skip classes, or leave their programmes of study without informing the school, their visas may be revoked, and may lose eligibility for future United States visas.”
The Embassy seizes this opportunity to call on Gambians who travelled to the United States for the purpose of studying to always adhere to the terms of their visas and maintain student status to avoid any issue with the United States immigration laws that may interrupt their studies.
In view of the foregoing, Gambian citizens in the United States are kindly requested to strictly adhere to the above mentioned immigration policies of the United States.
