Upvote:3
Did I violate any immigration rules here?
So far as you did not stay beyond your I-94 date, you did not overstay or break the immigration law on overstaying.
The Arrival and Departure Record is the I-94, in either paper or electronic format, issued by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer to foreign visitors entering the United States. After April 30, 2013, most Arrival and /or Departure records will be created electronically upon arrival. Instead of a paper form, the visitor will be provided with an annotated stamp in the foreign passport. If provided a paper form, the admitting CBP Officer generally attaches the I-94 to the visitor's passport and stamps the departure date on the form.
In both circumstances, an electronic I-94 or paper I-94, the visitor must exit the U.S. on or before that date stamped on the form or in the passport.
Now I do not know if you broke other immigration rules like not working etc. However aside from leaving before the date on the I-94, there is another consideration, did you leave before the date you said you would? For example in 1998 I applied for a visa to visit the USA saying I would stay for one month. I was issued a one year multiple visa. When I entered the USA, I was given 6 months on my I-94. I ended up staying 5 months and 3 weeks before departing. Next time I went to renew my visa which was supposed to be a routine affair without an interview, my application was denied because I stayed longer than I said I would stay previously. So although I did not break the law because I left before the date on my I-94, I was unreliable and hence was denied. That is the problem you might face.
Your case is somewhat similar, but you had a more acceptable to stay somewhat longer although in my opinion you did stay a bit too long. Your chances of getting the visa are 50/50.
Now, I want to visit my sick mom in California. Can I go back for this reason?
Visiting a sick relative is an acceptable reason to visit the USA.