H-1B Visa Domestic Visa Renewal Pilot Program Set to Start in January 2024

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.

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180-Day Automatic Extensions of Employment Authorization Documents

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced on October 27, 2023, they would be reverting back to 180-day automatic extensions of employment authorization and EAD validity for those eligible applicants who timely file a Form I-765 renewal application on or after October 27, 2023.  This announcement follows a Temporary Final Rule (“TRF”) adopted by USCIS from May 4, 2022, through October 26, 2023, which increased the automatic extension period for employment authorization and Employment Authorization Documents (“EADs”) available to certain EAD renewal applicants up to 540-days. Please note that this change to automatic 180-day renewals does not affect beneficiaries who were granted automatic extensions of up to 540-days during the time the TRF was in effect. For beneficiaries of the 540-day extension, the increased automatic extension “will end when they receive a final decision on their renewal application or when the up to 540-day period expires (counted from the expiration date of the employment authorization and/or their EAD), whichever comes earlier.”

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