🚨 Changing to B Status From Within the U.S. Is Getting Harder: Financial Evidence Is Being Scrutinized More Closely‼️

Recently, in several Change of Status cases filed from within the U.S.—such as H-1B to F-1 or H-1B to B-2—we’ve noticed something worth highlighting:

When it comes to I-539 applications, USCIS appears to be scrutinizing applicants’ financial resources, source of funds, and how those funds will be used in greater detail than before.

See the original USCIS RFE language in Figure 2.

In the past, financial evidence for a B-2 application generally focused on showing that the applicant had sufficient financial resources to cover living expenses during their stay in the U.S.

Common supporting documents included:

• Three consecutive months of complete bank statements

• Evidence of other liquid or cash assets

• A financial support statement and proof of funds from a sponsor

• In some cases, a bank-issued balance certificate, together with other supporting documents, could be used as part of the financial evidence

However, the recent RFEs we’ve received have become much more detailed. See Figure 3.

① Bank statements: From 3 months to 6 months

The new RFE specifically requests:

Six consecutive months of complete checking and savings account statements, showing transactions relevant to the applicant’s stay in the U.S.

In other words, USCIS is not simply asking:

“How much money is in the account?”

It may also want to know:

👉 Where did the money come from?

👉 Is the account being used normally?

👉 Are the funds genuinely available to support the applicant during their stay in the U.S.?

② 💰 If the money is in China, you may also need to explain: “How was it transferred to you?”

This point is particularly important.

If the applicant’s primary funds are still held in China, the new RFE may ask the applicant to explain how those funds were transferred to them and how they will be used to cover living expenses in the U.S.

USCIS may even request specific evidence such as:

• Wire transfer records

• Transaction records

• Deposit receipts

• Complete bank statements

In some cases we handled in the past, submitting a one-page bank balance certificate could be enough as part of the financial evidence.

But based on what we’re seeing recently, simply proving that “there is money in a bank account in China” may no longer fully answer USCIS’s questions.

③ If parents or family members provide the funds, you may also need to prove the relationship

If the sponsor is a parent, spouse, or other family member, in addition to showing that the sponsor has sufficient financial resources, USCIS may also want evidence explaining the financial support that has already been provided and that will continue to be provided in the future.

So financial evidence is increasingly moving from a simple:

“Proof of account balance”

to a much more complete:

“Source-of-funds trail.”

📌 If you’re preparing to file an I-539 soon

Especially if you’re applying for a B-2 extension of stay, consider preparing the entire chain in advance:

Source of funds → Bank statements → Transfer of funds → Family relationship → How the funds will be used in the U.S.

‼️ Don’t wait until you receive an RFE to discover that a single bank balance certificate can no longer fully explain your financial situation.

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