The White House is currently reviewing a proposed program that would allow for H-1B domestic visa renewal to be conducted within the United States.

The proposal, which suggests reintroducing the ability for qualifying noncitizens to renew their H-1B nonimmigrant visas in the U.S., is now in the hands of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). This is the final step before the proposal is made public. This pilot program was initially announced by the State Department in February 2023. Currently, H-1B specialty occupation workers must leave the U.S. to complete the renewal process, causing significant delays due to ongoing pandemic-related backlogs at certain consular offices, especially those in India.

It’s worth noting that nearly two decades ago, domestic visa renewals were an option. However, this program was discontinued due to the introduction of biometric data collection requirements following the events of 9/11.

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