A domestic or stateside H-1b visa renewal pilot program where qualified H-1b visa holders from India and Canada will not need to return home to renew their H-1b visas starts on January 29, 2024.
This initial pilot program will run from January 29, 2024, through April 1, 2024. The Department of State (DOS) will release approximately 4,000 application slots each of the first 5 weeks of the pilot. H-1b visa holders who were issued visas from Mission Canada between January 1, 2020 – April 1, 2023; or Mission India between February 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021, may also apply during this pilot.
If you don’t qualify for, or wish to use this program, you may still process your visa renewal at the U.S. consulate overseas.
Is The Domestic H-1b Visa Renewal for All H-1b visa holders?
At the present time, the domestic visa renewal pilot is limited to H-1b visa holders from India and Canada. H-4 dependents, and H-1b visa holders of other countries are not included in the pilot program.
H-1b visa holders Who Can Apply Under the Pilot
Canadian and Indian H-1bs visa holders who can apply for the initial domestic visa renewal pilot include the following:
H-1b visa holders 1) who do not need waivers, 2) have current H-1b status and 3) an approved and unexpired H-1b petition.
In addition, 4) you should also not be subject to a non-immigrant visa issuance fee, and 5) you have previously submitted ten fingerprints to the State Department for a previous visa application. Also, 6) your prior visa should not include a “clearance received” annotation, and 7) you intend to return to the US after your trip abroad.
Steps to Apply for the program:
On the online state department portal, do follow the instructions and steps to apply for the program:
- First, select the country where you obtained your visa the (initial pilot is for India or Canada)
- Answer the questions on the online navigator tool to find out if you qualify to participate.
- If you qualify to take part, then complete the online non-immigrant visa application form DS-160
- Pay the required non-refundable, non-transferrable Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee of $205
- Follow the instructions on the portal to mail your passport and other supporting documents.
Application slots will be released on the following entry period dates:
January 29, 2024
February 5, 2024
February 12, 2024
February 19, 2024
February 26, 2024
Visas are available on a first come first serve basis until the limit is reached.
This pilot program is great news for H-1b workers who can travel abroad with their visas and return to their US jobs without unexpected delays. After the first pilot program, we hope that the state department will open this program to H-1b visa holders from other countries.
Ask Your Attorney
Lastly, if you have questions about your H-1b visa or its renewal, please speak to your immigration lawyer. Your lawyer is a good starting point for preventing unnecessary immigration problems.
At our law office we want to help you find your best immigration solution if you have immigration problems.
If you want to learn more about your immigration matter, or to speak with our immigration lawyer, Doreen Emenike, please call us at (626)-256-8500. www.emenikelaw.com
To learn more about work visas, please see Visas
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