On November 28, 2023, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) provided updates regarding the long-anticipated pilot program for renewing visas domestically. Starting as soon as December 2023, this program will allow certain foreign nationals to renew or apply for their next visa while within the United States. Individuals residing and working in the United States under a long-term work visa would no longer need to exit the U.S. to initiate the application or renewal process. They can submit their documents to the DOS in Washington, where the application can be processed without being required to leave the country.
The pilot program will start small, with a cap of 20,000 visas, until February 2024. The DOS anticipates expanding this program to include additional categories of workers residing in the U.S. throughout the remainder of 2024. The DOS also strongly emphasizes its preference for waiving visa interviews, especially for individuals with a history of prior travel to the U.S.
The DOS also addressed an exciting initial pilot for a paperless visa system. While the visa application process remains unchanged, the notable difference is the absence of a physical visa in the passport. Although widespread implementation of this system is expected to take 18 months, this process will eventually require an app or something similar to allow individuals to show their visa status via digital means, which reflects an ongoing evolution of the U.S. visa process in alignment with technological advancements, similar to other countries.
Although the pilot program is not entirely new to the immigration landscape (the last time it was initiated was 20 years ago), the current need to reduce long processing times and enhance the efficiency of visa processing underscores that it is the perfect time to restart the program.
If you have any questions regarding the above, please email us at cprescott@patellegal.com and jtrevino@patellegal.com.