Work visas can be renewed without leaving country: US State Department

A trial program planned by the State Department aims to allow H-1B and L-1 visa holders, who work in the US, to renew their status within the country

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The State Department announced on Friday, that they will now permit certain holders of work visas to renew their visas without the requirement of leaving the country. The initial report on the pilot program was made by the Bloomberg Government, however, the exact number of renewal applicants that can be accommodated by the pilot program is yet to be known. 

As per reports, a trial program planned by the State Department aims to allow H-1B and L-1 visa holders, who work in the US, to renew their status within the country. H-1B visas are commonly utilised by the technology sector for highly skilled foreign workers with college degrees, whereas L-1 visas are granted to foreign managers relocated to the US by their companies.

In the past 20 years, temporary visa holders have had to travel to a US consulate overseas to renew their visas. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, visa operations have slowed down at consulates abroad, resulting in severe backlogs that caused many visa holders to leave the country, only to find themselves stranded due to a lack of available visa appointments. This issue has been especially problematic in India, which is the primary source of H-1B visa workers in the US, and where appointments are typically booked over a year in advance.

Business groups and immigration attorneys have long been pushing the State Department to permit visa holders who have already undergone vetting, to renew their visas within the US.

The announcement of the pilot program was welcomed by Jon Baselice, the Vice President of Immigration Policy at the US Chamber of Commerce, who stated that the program would help to reduce congestion at consulates abroad. According to Mr. Baselice, visa interview delays continue to cause significant problems for companies of all sizes and in a wide range of industries.

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