Indians can soon renew H1B visas sans returning to India
Having to return to India to renew and restamp H1B visas has been a long-standing concern for Indian workers based in the US, especially since it involves getting confirmed appointment slots that are at times hard to come by
New Delhi: The United States is set to establish a renewal programme that will allow H1B visa holders to renew their documents without leaving the country, the American embassy in New Delhi has said.
The US-based renewal programme for H1B visa holders is likely to be im-plemented this year and will be a boon for several specialty occupation Indian workers who currently must return home to renew and restamp their visas.
This development follows the successful completion of a pilot pro-gramme to renew H1B visas in the United States. "This allowed many specialty occupation workers from India to renew their visas without leaving the United States. This pilot programme streamlined the renewal process for thousands of applicants, and the Department of State is working to formally establish a US-based renewal programme in 2025," the embassy said in a statement.
Having to return to India to renew and restamp H1B visas has been a long-standing concern for Indian workers based in the US, especially since it involves getting confirmed appointment slots that are at times hard to come by.
This development also comes amid a heated debate over H1B visas in the US. H1B visas issued to Indian skilled workers has become a flashpoint in discussions about foreign workers and American jobs.
Hardline support-ers of incoming US President Donald Trump argue that H-1B visa holders, primarily from India, replace American workers and pose a threat to Western civilisation.
However, US President-elect Donald Trump, along with prominent figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has defended the programme, citing the need to attract skilled foreign talent amidst a shortage of engi-neers in the US.
