Photo by Artur Tumasjan on Unsplash

The State Department (DOS) has recently announced a pilot program of domestic visa renewals for H and L visa holders later this year. Ever since 2004, H and L holders must travel back to their home country, renew their visa at the home-country’s U.S. Consulate, and then travel back to the U.S. to resume employment. 

At the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020, this international visa renewal process caused a lot of headaches. Foreign nationals had to stay in their home countries when it was time for visa renewal, wait long periods to obtain a visa appointment, and ultimately disrupt workflow for employers. 

While this is a hopeful move by the DOS, there’s been very few details to date. This isn’t a question of “if,” but more of a “how” question. There may be strains on the DOS’s limited resources. One suggestion is a new consular division to handle the workflow. 

This new procedure will benefit you or the H/L visa holders at your company. If you have any concerns regarding this issue, contact my office at +1 630-262-1435.