In an article published Feb. 29, 2024, Constangy immigration attorneys Justin Coffey and Daniel Ball shared their insights into a new U.S. Department of State program for H-1B non-immigrant visa renewals in HR.com’s HR Excellence Magazine.
In the article, Justin and Daniel delve into a newly launched U.S. Department of State pilot program for H-1B non-immigrant visa renewal, allowing certain applicants to renew their visas in the U.S. and eliminating the need to travel internationally to a U.S. consulate or embassy. The program will run from January 29, 2024, to April 1, 2024, and will be limited to 20,000 application slots.
The program is voluntary and is restricted to those seeking to renew their H-1B visas initially issued at a U.S. embassy or consulate in India or Canada. The eligibility requirements for applicants are specific, and the program will release approximately 4,000 application slots each week for five weeks.
The department has confirmed that the pilot program is part of its efforts to test their ability to resume domestic processing of visa renewals for specific non-immigrant classifications, aiming to reduce visa wait times at U.S. consulates and embassies globally. The program may positively impact U.S. employers and their foreign workers, as it will eliminate the long visa appointment wait times and uncertainties that come with renewing a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
“While the pilot program is limited, it will undoubtedly be positive news for U.S. employers and their foreign workers. The department has stated that they are implementing this program to “alleviate the uncertainty often experienced by U.S. companies that employ temporary workers requiring petition-based visas, as well as the uncertainty experienced by their impacted workers,” wrote Justin and Daniel.
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