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ARTICLE · 15 JANUARY 2024

New Year, New Program: Stateside Visa Renewal Pilot

Klasko Immigration Law Partners
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On December 21, 2023, the State Department announced a much-anticipated pilot program to resume domestic visa renewal for certain international professionals holding H-1B visas.

United StatesImmigration
Candace Hill
Candace Hill
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On December 21, 2023, the State Department announced a much-anticipated pilot program to resume domestic visa renewal for certain international professionals holding H-1B visas. The stateside visa renewal pilot program is set to run from January 29, 2024, to April 1, 2024, and will be limited to H-1B visa holders whose visas were issued by the US State Department offices in India and Canada. Currently, if an individual needs to renew their visa, they must travel outside of the United States and schedule a visa appointment at a US embassy or consulate abroad.

The State Department previously had a state-side visa renewal program in place; however, this program was discontinued in 2004 after the 9/11 attacks when the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 was published. The Act required that visas issued after October 26, 2004, include certain biometric identifiers, and at that time, the State Department did not possess the capabilities to collect

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