During a recent interview with Bloomberg Law, Julie Stufft,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services in the Bureau of
Consular Affairs, announced that the U.S. Department of State will
launch a pilot program later in 2023 offering visa stamping renewal
options domestically for H and L visa beneficiaries and other
temporary visa holders.1 The State Department has not
yet announced the mechanism or process to renew visa stamps under
this pilot program.
Visa stamping is a crucial process that authorizes foreign
nationals to travel to the United States for a specified period.
According to Ms. Stufft, restoring stateside visa renewals will
save foreign nationals from having to leave the country, and will
reduce the workload of consular officers abroad.2
Stateside visa renewals were discontinued in 2004. Until then,
domestic renewals of C, E, H, I, L, O and P visa classifications
were allowed. The program was discontinued, principally, because
the State Department did
