US government moving towards permanent visa renewal process within the country. Here's a rundown

The US Department of State aims to implement a permanent H1B visa renewal program domestically by 2025, following a successful pilot in early 2024.

The US government is reportedly working to establish a permanent program that would allow visa renewals, including H1-B visas, to be completed within the United States. This development follows a successful pilot program conducted in early 2024 and is expected to roll out officially sometime in 2025.

Over the past year, the US embassy and consulates in India processed 1.4 million visas. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)(HT_PRINT)

Only specific H1B applicants were eligible to apply during the pilot phase, which ran from January 29, 2024, to April 1, 2024. The US Embassy in India later confirmed the program's success.

“The Department of State completed a successful pilot program to renew H-1B visas in the United States this year. This allowed many specialty occupation workers from India to renew their visas without leaving the United States. This pilot program streamlined the renewal process for thousands of applicants, and the Department of State is working to formally establish a U.S.-based renewal program in 2025,” the US Embassy in India noted in their recent statement.

The Department of State, which manages all US embassies internationally, has said it wants to make the program permanent – and may do so within the next year.

Therefore, it will be possible for the renewal of the H1B visa within the country to be subject to similar processes to accumulating a visa in any of the international embassies. This includes the renewal procedures of the visa, something labelled as Form 221g, and even refusal to issue the visa.

4 key takeaways from the 2024 pilot program

• If additional information or documents are required, the Department of State (DOS) will issue Form 221g. Rest assured, applicants are given sufficient time to provide the necessary documentation.
• An approved H1B petition does not guarantee visa renewal approval. Even during the renewal process, visa denial remains a possibility.
• If your visa renewal is denied but your I-94 remains valid, you can continue to stay legally in the United States.
• Your I-94 determines your legal status and duration of stay in the U.S. The visa stamp in your passport is only required when re-entering the country after travelling abroad.