Starting today, January 29, a total of 20,000 nonimmigrant workers qualified for the H-1B program will be eligible to renew their visas domestically.
The new changes come following the Department of State (DOS) decision to permit domestic visa renewals for certain H-1B visa applicants without requiring them to leave the US.
The decision is being implemented for the first time in nearly two decades, VisaGuide.World reports.
The new pilot program announced by the Department of States aims to reduce the heavy backlogs at more than 200 consular sections worldwide by enabling an increased number of interview appointments for other visa categories, in particular first-time travelers applying for business and tourism visas which require in-person interviews.
According to Visa Lawyer Blog, as part of efforts to control the number of applications received, the Department will release nearly 2,000 application slots each week for applicants whose most recent H-1B visas were issued by Mission Canada and nearly 2,000 applications slots for those whose most recent H-1B visas were issued by Mission in India on the following dates:
- January 29
- February 5
- February 12
- February 19
- February 26
The same source notes that applicants who are unable to apply on one application date may attempt to apply on any of the remaining application dates during the entry period. The application period for the pilot will close when all application slots are filled or on April 1 this year, whichever comes first.
After online submission of the DS-160 and payment of the non-refundable, non-transferrable MRV fee, applicants will receive instructions through the portal in order to send their passports as well as other required documents through the US Postal Service or commercial courier service to DOS. Then, applications will be sorted in order to determine whether they fall within the scope of the pilot.
Applicants and passports that do not pass the sorting process will be returned to applicants unadjudicated. However, the fee will be retained to cover processing costs.
It usually takes six to eight weeks for the DOS to process a domestic visa renewal application once they have received the passport and other required documents. However, the Department emphasized that it will not consider requests for expedited processing.
The pilot program to renew H-1B visas in the US was announced in December. However, it was emphasized that the new changes would not cover dependents of H-1B professionals. Regarding the potential incorporation of dependents into this program, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Julie Stufft said that “we must establish its effectiveness before considering expansion to a wider audience, according to a Bloomberg report.
This represents a significant shift for individuals residing here who would have previously been obliged to depart the United States.
The H-1B program permits foreigners engaged in fields such as IT specialists, accountants, lawyers, and architects, among others, to work temporarily in the US.