Lawmakers Urge State Department to Expand H1-B Visa Renewal Program

Bipartisan letter urges State Department to make 2024 H-1B pilot permanent and include more visa categories.

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to expand and make permanent a pilot program allowing H-1B visa holders to renew their visas without leaving the United States.

In a letter sent Wednesday, the lawmakers applauded the 2024 pilot initiative that let select H-1B visa holders complete the renewal process domestically, describing it as “an important first step in modernizing our visa processing system.” They urged the State Department to broaden the effort to include other categories such as E, H, I, L, O, and P visas and to issue clear eligibility guidelines.

“The current system, which requires most nonimmigrant visa holders to leave the country for renewals, disrupts lives, strains consular resources abroad, causes undue financial burdens on workers, and creates uncertainty for U.S. companies relying on these talented individuals,” the letter states.