my first wife was about to get her Phd. from Harvard, her visa ran out 3 months before graduation. she asked for and was granted a "court date". the people at immigration just can't pass out extensions, they can pass out court appeals, we all went to court, with proper documentation in hand, the judge was every sympathetic, understood completely, extended the visa for another six months or year. BUT, it was stamped into her passport that she had been in immigration court before. she left briefly to see her mom and upon return to the US, the idiots upon arrival in JFk, saw the previous court date and assumed she was bad news. it all worked out after a "few" hours......................