H-1B visa pilot program to open for only Indians and Canadians from Jan 24: Key points to note

In a significant move for Indian H-1B visa holders, the U.S. Department has reinstated the domestic renewal of non-diplomatic nonimmigrant visas, a process discontinued since 2004.

The pilot has been limited only Indian and Canadian H-1B principal applicants and to those firms whose H-1B employees may need to travel abroad for work purposes and risk being unable to immediately return if their visa is expired.

However, the current pilot program overcomes these limitations by catering exclusively to individuals who have previously submitted fingerprints and are eligible for a waiver of the in-person interview requirement. This pilot aims to test the Department's capacity for resuming domestic visa renewals for certain nonimmigrant classifications and to reduce global visa wait times.

The pilot is limited to H-1B visa renewals.

Eligible visas must have been issued by Mission India between February 1, 2021, and September 30, 2021.

Applicants must not be subject to a nonimmigrant visa issuance fee.