H-1B Visas Could Be Stamped Inside the US Soon, Presidential Commission Approves Move

Applying for H-1B visa stamping may soon be possible within the United States as the presidential commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders unanimously approved a recommendation to allow H-1B visa stamping within the United States.

If accepted by President Joe Biden, this move will provide significant relief to thousands of foreign professionals, particularly Indians.

The decision was made by the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders at its meeting on Wednesday at the White House.

United States H-1B visa

The H-1B visa category allows US businesses to employ highly educated foreign professionals to work in “speciality occupations” that require at least a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. Every year, technology companies rely on it to hire tens of thousands of workers from countries such as India and China.

Currently, in order to activate one’s H-1B status, one must apply for a visa stamp at a US Consulate or Embassy abroad.

Notably, many of them, whether they are applying for new H-1B visas or waiting for renewals, are experiencing uncertainty as a result of lengthy visa application appointments in nations like India, where the current wait time is more than a year.

A recommendation was moved by Indian American Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a member of the commission.

During the commission meeting, which was broadcast live by the White House, Bhutoria told members, “As part of our immigration process, H-1B visa holders are given the opportunity to work in the United States live here and contribute to the growth of our economy, innovation and economic development.”

He informed the commission’s members that H-1B visa holders frequently experience forced family separation during renewal or when they travel abroad.

“In India right now the waiting period is 844 days to get a visa appointment which is like two years or more. There’s a similar situation in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other countries. China is much better right now. So, they cannot get an appointment and they cannot get stamping done and they get stuck,” said Bhaturia.

According to him, the recommendation basically urges USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Commission) to update its policy in order to provide guidelines for the extension and stamping of visas in the US by USCIS, as it did many years ago.

“It was done previously. It was stopped.”

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“This recommendation is to request USCIS to allow the stamping in the US. Alternatively, USCIS should also consider providing advanced travel documents to these visa holders when they will travel out of the country with expired visa stamping so that they can re-enter the US without having to get re-stamping in their home countries.”

Bhutoria said

Several commission members described this as family separation and mental health issue.

According to Chief Commissioner Sonal Shah, an Indian American, this is a matter of family separation and the dignity of H-1B visa holders.

“That’s an easy way to put fear into families,” she said.

(Source: PTI)