The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) cleared a rule that will allow limited stateside H-1B visa renewal.  As previously reported,  the proposed pilot program will allow 20,000 eligible participants, including Indian citizens and nationals of countries that do not require a visa reciprocity fee, to renew their H-1B visas without leaving the United States. The OIRA’s clearance of the rule on December 15, 2023 overcame the last regulatory obstacle before official publication.

A final notice with the precise program details regarding eligibility and operational aspects has not yet been published in the Federal Register but is expected by the end of December 2023. Implementation of the stateside H-1B renewal pilot is expected to begin sometime in January 2024.

Gibney will continue to monitor advancement of the H-1B pilot program and will provide updates when available.

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