The H1B work visa, as opposed to the H1 Petition approval,
is generally issued by the U.S. Consulate in a foreign country. The H1B visa is approved for the duration
of the validity of the approved H1B petition, which is often for the maximum
allowable of 3 years at one time and a maximum total of six (6) years.
If the H1B holder does not leave the United States during the six-year period, a
new visa stamp in the passport is not required, since the visa stamp is solely for
the purpose of entry from abroad. If the visa holder travels outside of the United
States, it is necessary to have a valid (un-expired) visa for re-entering the
United States.
An H1B worker can have the visa reissued at the Visa Office of the
State Department within the U.S. Please note that if the visa has not expired but
bears a previous employer's name it can still be used. One must show the latest
H-1 approval to the Port of Entry Inspector when re-entering the U.S.
The following documents must be submitted to the U.S. State Department by the
applicant:
i) Valid passport (at least six months validity remaining) for the applicant and
each family member. The passport containing the previous H1B visa should have no
more than 60 days of remaining validity and should not have expired more than a
year prior.
ii) Form I-94, issued upon applicant's last entry into the United States. (Needed
for all family members.)
iii) Form I-797 - The latest INS approval notice. This has information on the
applicant's current employer and indicates the approval dates or extension dates
of the non-immigrant / temporary stay in the United States.
iv) Form DS-156 - the Non-Immigrant Visa Application along with 2 passport photos
for each applicant.
v) Form DS-157 (if male and between 16 and 45 years of age) See January 18, 2002
article New DS-157 Form Effective Immediately.
vi) Employer's Letter of Support, addressed to the Visa Office of the Department
of State. This letter should contain information relating to the applicant's
position, the nature of the business or profession, and an explanation as to why
the visa is needed. Include a list of dependents. Also, it should indicate when
the assignment ends.
vii) Visa fees in the form of a money order, bank draft, corporate check or
certified check, payable to the U.S. Department of State. Fees vary depending on
nationality. Usually for citizens of India it is $75 per person for the H1B visa
or the H-4 visa.
viii) Visa application fee enclosed separately as an additional $65 non-refundable
money order, bank draft, corporate check, or certified check for each applicant.
This fee is in addition to any applicable visa fees.
ix) A Self Addressed and Stamped Envelope or a completed courier envelope for the
return of the passports.
Re-issuance can take eight to twelve weeks. All documents are to be mailed to:
For Postal Mail :
U.S. Department of State/Visa
P.O. Box 952099
St. Louis, MO 63195-2099
For Courier Services :
U.S. Department of State/Visa (Box 2099)
1005 Convention Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101-1200
Further information and instructions on the visa re-issuance process can be found
at the Visa Office WebSite, http://travel.state.gov. This information is for a
person already has an H1B or L1 visa stamp in the
Passport, it is safer to have the visa reissued at the DOS, rather than standing
in lines outside certain consulates at 3 A.M. to obtain a new visa!
Courtesy:www.murthy.com.
We strogly recommend to verify with visa office website above mentioned.See Disclaimer.
