US offers 'in-country' H-1B visa renewal

Good news for thousands of Indians working in America. After a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, America has made it easier for Indians to obtain H-1B visas. Now Indian professionals will not need to travel abroad to renew their work-related visas. US officials have announced that they can now renew their H-1B visas while staying in the US. The purpose of this decision is to provide relief to all the Indians working in America.

What is an H-1B visa?
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to hire foreign nationals to work in the country, especially in specialised or technical fields. Indian IT companies, which are working on American projects, depend on the H-1B visa for the employment of Indian professionals. Hence, this visa is also known as a work visa.

What are the rules related to visa renewal?
Until 2004, certain categories of non-immigrant visas, especially H-1B visas, could be stamped in the US. After that, some changes were made under which foreign technical employees, including H-1B visa holders, had to leave the country for visa renewal. Most employees had to return to their home country to get an H-1B extension stamp on their passport. This visa is issued for a period of three years at a time. Now, with the facility to renew it in the US itself, professionals will have a significant relief.

Each year, the U.S. government makes 65,000 H-1B visas available to companies seeking skilled foreign workers, along with an additional 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees. The visas last for three years and can be renewed for another three years.