Indians can soon renew H-1B visas without returning to India

The United States is set to establish a renewal programme that will allow H-1B visa holders to renew their documents without leaving the country, the American embassy in New Delhi has said. The US-based renewal programme for H-1B visa holders is likely to be implemented this year and will be a boon for several specialty occupation Indian workers who currently have to return home in order to renew their visas.

This development follows the successful completion of a pilot programme to renew H-1B visas in the United States. "This allowed many specialty occupation workers from India to renew their visas without leaving the United States. This pilot program streamlined the renewal process for thousands of applicants, and the Department of State is working to formally establish a U.S.-based renewal program in 2025," the embassy said in a year-end statement.

Having to return to India in order to renew H-1B visas has been a long-standing concern for Indian workers based in the US, especially since it involves getting confirmed appointment slots that are at times hard to come by.

This development also comes amid a heated debate over H-1B visas in the US. H-1B visas issued to Indian skilled workers has become a flashpoint in discussions about foreign workers and American jobs. Hardline supporters of incoming US President Donald Trump argue that H-1B visa holders, primarily from India, replace American workers and pose a threat to Western civilisation.

However, US President-elect Donald Trump, along with prominent figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has defended the programme, citing the need to attract skilled foreign talent amidst a shortage of engineers in the US.

The H-1B pilot programme aimed to streamline the renewal process for H-1B visa holders, who previously had to travel to their home country for visa renewal. The programme's success has paved the way for the Department of State to formally establish a US-based renewal programme in 2025.

This development is particularly beneficial for Indian workers, as they constitute the largest group of H-1B visa recipients. H-1B visas are issued to foreign workers in specialised fields such as technology, engineering, medicine, and finance.

In recent years, Indians have consistently dominated H-1B visa applications. In 2022, Indian nationals secured 77% of the 320,000 approved H-1B visas, and in fiscal 2023, this figure remained high at 72.3% of the 386,000 visas issued.

Beyond the H-1B visa category, India has also seen a surge in international student numbers in the US. In 2024, India surpassed all other countries to become the top source of international students, with over 331,000 Indian students pursuing higher education in the United States. This marks the first time since the 2008/2009 academic year that India has held this position.