US fastracks domestic visa process, 20,000 H1B applicants to get stamped in Jan 2024, ‘India will benefit quite a bit’

A limited number of H-1B specialty occupation workers in the US will be allowed to renew their visas in January, according to State Department officials. The rollout of the H-1B domestic visa renewal pilot will only be limited to 20,000 participants initially. These applicants will just have to mail their visas to the State Department, and will not be allowed to travel outside the US.

“We really need to get proof of concept that it works before we can extend it to a larger group,” Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Julie Stufft told reporters, according to Bloomberg Law. “This is a huge change for folks who live here and previously would have had to leave the United States.”