The Department of State (“DOS”) has updated details on the long-awaited domestic visa renewal pilot program for H-1B renewal applicants. The program officially launched on January 29, 2024, and allows applicants who received an H-1B visa from a US embassy or consulate in Canada or India during a specific timeframe to renew H-1B visas without traveling to U.S. consulates abroad. A maximum of 20,000 applications will be accepted until April 1, 2024, or when all slots are filled.
Who Will be Eligible to Apply?
As per the program’s specifications, applicants must meet the following criteria below to renew their visas stateside as part of the program. Participation is limited to those who(se):
Are applying for renewal of an H-1B visa; no other visa classifications will be processed during the pilot phase;
Prior H–1B visa that is being renewed was issued by Mission Canada with an issuance date from January 1, 2020, through April 1, 2023; or by Mission India with an issuance date of February 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021;
Are not subject to a nonimmigrant visa issuance fee (Note: this is commonly referred to as a “reciprocity fee”);
Are eligible for a waiver of the in-person interview requirement;
Have submitted ten fingerprints to the Department in connection with a previous visa application;
Prior visa does not include a “clearance received” annotation;
Do not have a visa ineligibility that would require a waiver prior to visa issuance;
Have an approved and unexpired H–1B petition;
Were most recently admitted to the United States in H–1B status;
Are currently maintaining H–1B status in the United States;
Period of authorized admission in H–1B status has not expired; and
Intend to reenter the United States in H–1B status after a temporary period abroad.
How Can I Apply?
DOS launched a dedicated webpage where applicants can confirm their eligibility to participate in the pilot program and proceed to apply for US domestic renewal of their visa. DOS will release application filing slots on a weekly basis, using the following schedule:
January 29, 2024;
February 5, 2024;
February 12, 2024;
February 19, 2024; and
February 26, 2024.
Each week there will be a limit of approximately 4,000 applications broken down into 2,000 from applicants with visas issued by a US consulate in India and 2,000 from applicants with a visa issued by a US consulate in Canada. DOS will close the application webpage each week once the application limit is reached until the following week’s application slot is opened.
What is the Application Process?
First, each applicant will complete a self-guided questionnaire to determine if they are eligible for the pilot program. An applicant who passes this initial eligibility assessment will be directed to fill out and submit Form DS-160, the electronic nonimmigrant visa application, along with a $205 nonrefundable application fee to be paid online by debit or credit card. After applicants pay the required fee, they will be instructed on how to submit their passport and required application documents to DOS.
Once DOS receives the application package with the required documents and fee, the application will once again be evaluated to assess whether the applicant is eligible for the pilot program. Should the application not pass this screening at this point, the application will be returned but the application fee will not be refunded.
DOS is anticipating that accepted applications will take six to eight weeks to adjudicate and they will not expedite any applications. The agency expects that all applications accepted in the pilot will be adjudicated “no later than May 1, 2024.” If an application packet is incomplete, DOS may allow the applicant to submit an missing documents, or missing information by April 15, 2024 in order to overcome the defect before the close of the pilot.
“Domestic issuance of a visa through the pilot program is not guaranteed.” Should an applicant be denied for the pilot program, or they are ineligible because additional security screening is necessary, the H-1B visa applicant will need to apply for visa renewal at a US consulate abroad by filing a new Form DS-160 application and remitting another application fee.
Conclusion
DOS has expressed its commitment to “transform federal customer experience and service delivery to rebuild trust in government” and hopes to expand the pilot program to include other visa categories and countries of visa issuance in the future. Time will tell the success of the program and its expansion after this initial roll out. We will keep you updated as new developments unfold.