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Pilot Program to Allow Domestic H-1B Visa Renewals Will Begin in January

A pilot program that will enable some workers who perform important jobs in the United States to renew their visas without returning to their home countries is to begin next month.

The visa stamping process has disrupted the lives of many skilled workers who come to the United States for work for years. They have to return to their home countries to renew their visas. Their problems were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which closed consular services and caused massive delays.

From Jan. 29 until April 4, 2024, a limited number of workers who meet certain requirements will be able to get their visas stamped in the United States. The pilot will allow 20,000 H-1B specialty occupation workers to apply to renew visas in the US beginning in late January.

As immigration attorneys, we welcome this program that will take the turmoil out of the stamping process for some skilled overseas workers. We hope it heralds a wider move to domestic visa stamping in the future.

The pilot program is applicable to H-1B workers whose visas were issued at consular offices in India from Feb. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2021, or Canada with the issuance date of Jan. 1, 2020, through April 1, 2023, according to a notice from the Department of State.

The notice says H-4 visa holders will not qualify for domestic visa renewals at present because attempting to do so “created additional technical and operational challenges that cannot be resolved before the pilot launch date.” H-4 visas are issued to dependents of skilled workers who receive H-1B visas.

“Limiting the pilot to only H-1B principal applicants will also maximize the Department’s direct impact on U.S. industry partners, whose H-1B employees may need to travel abroad for work purposes and risk being unable to immediately return if their visa is expired,” the notice said.

On Feb. 9, 2023, the Department of State announced the first details of a pilot program to renew H-1B visas for specialty occupation workers as well as  L-1 visa stamps for temporary workers in the United States, potentially avoiding the delays and disruptions workers face when they return to their native countries. L-1 visa holders are not mentioned in the revised pilot.

The Department will begin accepting online applications on January 29, 2024, via its website. 

The Department will release approximately 2,000 application slots each week for applicants whose most recent H-1B visas were issued by Mission Canada, and 2,000 application slots for those whose most recent H-1B visas were issued by Mission India every week to control the flow of applications.

The visas will be released in the following weeks:

  • January 29
  • February 5
  • February 12
  • February 26.

Once the limit is reached, the department will lock the online portal until the next slate of slots is released for each participating Mission group on the next application date, according to the notice.

The pilot program represents the first time non-diplomatic visas have been renewed in the United States since 2004 following the passage of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act which required all U.S. visas issued after October 26, 2004 to include biometric identifiers.

The State Department lacks the capacity to collect fingerprints in the United States. All non-diplomatic visa applicants were required to apply for new visas outside of the United States where fingerprints were collected at a U.S. embassy, consulate, or occasionally, at an offsite contract facility. 

“For purposes of implementing this pilot, however, those prior concerns are overcome, as participation in the pilot is limited to individuals who have previously submitted fingerprints in connection with the application for the prior visa, are eligible for a waiver of the in-person interview requirement and meet other applicable requirements,” the State Department said in the new notice.

The pilot follows a recommendation from the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in 2022. In making the unanimous recommendation for domestic visa stamping, the commission noted applicants in countries such as India and Pakistan were waiting as long as 840 days to get a visa appointment.

Our immigration lawyers can help you apply for what is likely to be an oversubscribed program. We can also assist with your inquiries about H1-B visas for specialized foreign workers. Please contact us at (757) 464-9224.

Related posts:

  1. It’s Time to Start Preparing for the FY2025 H-1B Visa Lottery
  2. Understanding The DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Application
  3. What Happens if I Move After Applying for Citizenship?
  4. Married Undocumented Immigrants May Gain Residency Without Leaving the U.S.

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Well, hard to believe… job done! I’m frank to admit I had no idea that it would be so involved compared to 10 years ago when I did the renewal myself. Happily I was fortunate enough to find the best people to help get it done this time. When I was a working stiff it was mostly as a field guy in sales & marketing. High tech communication in those days was a pay phone in customers’ lobbies, so someone back in the office skilled in dealing w/problems was absolutely essential when I couldn’t be contacted. Most of those who supported me that way were good at what they did, some were outstanding. None were better than you!! This tedious & sometimes worrisome process would have been unbearable without your keeping it, & me, on track. So we want to extend our thanks to you and Radlyn. Hoping for Gardner & Mendoza to continue the good work for many years to come. - Anonymous
Gardner and Mendoza Law Firm is a great law firm no matter what kind of situation you may be in! For example I had court today, John Gardner, my attorney represented me today and got the charged dismissed totally the first time we both appeared in front of the judge in Virginia Beach Traffic Court. He uses every bit of knowledge he can to help you get the best results!! He also works very well with Latinos! They have a Spanish speaking person in their office at all times!! - Sebastian
My husband and I had a great experience with Mrs. Mendoza. She provided excellent information and a sense of urgency with every step of our immigration process. Her team was always supportive in getting us the information we needed throughout the whole process. This legal firm also treats their clients with the highest levels of respect. In all of Virginia I would say that the Gardener & Mendoza team is the best recommendation for same sex immigration cases and for immigration cases in general. It was a pleasure to work with them. - Anonymous
I Highly Recommend Radlyn Mendoza, An Excellent Immigration Lawyer. My wife and I were very worried about my wife’s immigration and legal status. We were quite impressed with Attorney Mendoza during our initial consultation. She proved to be a smart, knowledgeable, and very capable immigration attorney. She and her staff were very helpful and responsive to all of our requests. Kudos to her and staff, especially Leesa, for successfully handling our case. Thanks for a job well done. - Thomas and Cheong W.
My daughter received a reckless driving ticket going 60 in a 35 mph zone, so understandably, I was very concerned. In court, Mr. Gardner was able to get the reckless driving charge and ticket completely dismissed due to his knowledge of what the police officer had to present in court. Mr. Gardner was a familiar face to the judge and the clerks in the Virginia Beach courthouse. When we contacted John Gardner’s office at Gardner & Mendoza, he and his staff made us feel comfortable by explaining the whole process to us. His track record and the reviews online helped make the decision to choose Mr. Gardner over other attorneys easy. I highly recommend Mr. Gardner. He gave us peace of mind and won the case too! - Michelle

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