Later this year, the State Department is set to launch a pilot program for domestic visa renewal. More specifically, this program will offer options for H-1B visa holders and other temporary visa holders who are currently required to travel abroad for renewal. Read on to discover what you need to know about the pilot for domestic visa renewal and how a seasoned work authorization permit lawyer in Milwaukee, WI at the Sesini Law Group, S.C. can walk you through this.
What is an H-1B visa?
First of all, an H-1B visa is a type of non-immigrant work visa. With this, United States employers are allowed to hire foreign workers for specialty jobs that tend to require a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree. Such specialty jobs include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Jobs related to information technology.
- Jobs related to finance.
- Jobs related to mathematics.
- Jobs related to engineering.
- Jobs related to architecture.
In addition, to sponsor an employee on an H-1B visa, a United States employer must establish that they are offering a job that requires an individual with specialized knowledge. They must also establish that the candidate has a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree in the field related to the offered job.
And when a candidate is accepted, their H-1B visa will last for an accumulated six years at most.
What should I know about the pilot for domestic visa renewal?
Notably, stateside visa renewals were once an option, until this program became discontinued in 2004. Since this discontinuation, foreign workers have had to travel abroad once their H-1B visa expired. With this, they were not allowed to reenter the United States without a valid visa stamp. This meant that sometimes, foreign workers were stuck abroad for months at a time, which disrupted their work.
But with the renewal of this program, the goal is that an applicant will not have to waste their time, money, and overall work productivity leaving the county in the meantime. Another important goal is that the consular offices will have a reduced workload.
While this pilot domestic visa renewal is now an option for H-1B visa holders, it will hopefully be expanded to other temporary visa holders soon.
If you believe that you qualify for this pilot program, then you must not hesitate in retaining the services of a competent work authorization permit lawyer in Milwaukee, WI. We recommend that you work with us before your visa expires, so pick up the phone and give us a call as soon as you can.