State Department Plans Pilot for Domestic Visa Renewal

In an effort to reduce the impact of significant visa application backlogs at U.S. consulates, the State Department will launch a pilot program later this year offering visa renewal options in the US for certain categories, like H-1B and L1 visas who are currently required to travel abroad. This is a change that will benefit tens of thousands of foreign workers, particularly for countries with long backlogs, like India.

Until 2004, the US Department of State was issuing visa stamps from within the US for renewals of a variety of visa types such as H1B and L1. However, since 2004 to obtain a visa stamp it has been necessary to leave the US and apply at a US consulate, most often in the applicant’s home country. This created a significant burden both in expenses, time away from employment, and the risks involved if there was a delay or refusal to issue the visa.

For all the H-1B and L1 visa holders, when their status is renewed, they need to get their passports stamped with a new visa. This is required if they wish to travel internationally. As of now, H-1B and L1 visa insurance requires international travel and is not done in the US.

The Biden administration over the past few months has taken several measures to streamline the visa processing system. This recommendation was made by The President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, which now seems to have been implemented by the State Department.

Limited information has been released about the pilot program, but its future availability is one of the most significant efforts to provide a benefit to legal nonimmigrants. We look forward to the roll-out and expansion of this program.