On November 28, 2023, the Department of State (“DOS”) announced the launch of a Pilot Program which will permit an initial Twenty Thousand H-1B visa holders to renew their visas by mailing them to the State Department rather than having to travel abroad to renew. The program which was first made public in February 2023 is set to debut in January 2024.

Specific details of precisely how the initial 20K visa applicants will be selected is yet to be determined as the program is still undergoing review with the White House Office of Management and Budget and it is expected that details will be published in next month’s Federal Register. The limited number of initial stateside visa renewal will allow the DOS to “get proof of concept that it works before we can extend it to a larger group,” according to Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Julie Stufft.

Stateside visa renewal is another step in the DOS’ commitment to facilitating “legitimate travel to the United States while maintaining high national security standards.” The DOS, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security [“DHS”] are also currently focused on the extension of waving in-person interviews for certain nonimmigrant visa categories which was begun with the onset of the pandemic, and set to expire on December 31, 2023.

The DOS’ announcement is a light at the end of the tunnel for so many foreign national workers whose lives have been put on pause due to exceptionally long visa processing times. Perhaps immigration reform is in our not too distant future? We will continue to update you on these issues as updates are released by DOS.