Here is my situation:
1) I got laid-off in the afternoon of March 24,2008
2) Filed status change from H1-B to H4 online(I-539) in the morning of March 25,2008
3) sent out the supporting documents by mail on the March 26,2008
I have recieved receipt number and confirmation both by email and letter from USCIS. When I looked up my case status online this morning on USCIS website, it says "Current Status: Case received and pending. On March 25, 2008, we received this I539 APPLICATION TO EXTEND OR CHANGE NONIMMIGRANT STATUS, and mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case. Please follow any instructions on this notice. We will notify you by mail when we make a decision or if we need something from you..."
I noticed that the processing time for I-539 is Dec. 16, 2006. I think it will take a while to get my case approved. So I am very confused whether I should stay here or go back to China. My questions are:
1) If it is legal to stay while my case is pending
2) How long can I stay while I am waiting
3) If I stay and wait too long, will it affect my green card application in the future?
Thanks you in advance for your help!