Indian-American lawmakers push H-1B visa overhaul

Two Indian-American lawmakers have backed legislation that would allow H-1B professionals and several other categories of foreign workers to renew their visas without leaving the United States.

Representatives Suhas Subramanyam and Raja Krishnamoorthi said domestic visa renewal would reduce disruption for workers, families and employers. It would also free US consular officials overseas to focus on new visa applications and other foreign-policy work.

The proposal forms part of a three-bill package announced by Subramanyam, a Democrat representing Virginia. The measures seek to reduce visa-processing backlogs, modernise the immigration system and strengthen US responses when Americans are caught in emergencies abroad.

The Domestic Visa Renewal Modernization Act would expand a 2024 pilot programme that allowed some H-1B visa holders to renew their visa stamps within the United States.

The bill would make domestic renewal available to holders of H-1B, H-1B1, E, I, L, O and P visas.

These categories cover skilled professionals, executives transferred within multinational companies, investors, journalists, athletes, entertainers and people with extraordinary ability.

Visa holders must generally travel to a US embassy or consulate abroad to obtain a new visa stamp. Delays in securing appointments can leave workers stranded outside the country and separated from their jobs and families.

“People who are already legally living and working in the United States should not have to leave the country simply to renew their visas,” Krishnamoorthi said.

“Our Domestic Visa Renewal Modernization Act would cut unnecessary red tape, give workers and employers greater certainty, and help ensure America remains competitive in attracting and retaining talented people from around the world,” he said.

Krishnamoorthi and Republican Representative Don Bacon are co-leading the legislation with Subramanyam. Democratic Representatives Jonathan Jackson and Deborah Ross are co-sponsors.

A second measure, the Reducing Visa Delays Act, would require the State Department to examine whether US embassies and consulates have sufficient staff to reduce appointment and processing delays.

It would also require a review of visa-vetting policies imposed by the Trump administration. Additional transparency provisions would give applicants a clearer picture of the full waiting periods they face.

“My constituents deal with the consequences of extended visa delays on a daily basis. Appointment backlogs and processing delays disrupt families and jobs. We need to address them,” Subramanyam said.

The third bill, the Strengthening Emergency Responses Act, addresses the treatment of Americans caught in conflicts and natural disasters overseas.

It would require the State Department to update its evacuation plans after every emergency evacuation. The department would also review how information is distributed to people seeking evacuation assistance.

The proposal would require regular State Department contact with the next of kin of Americans affected by major disasters abroad.

Subramanyam said constituents had reported receiving insufficient guidance when trying to leave the Middle East at the beginning of the Iran war. Families also sought better communication following the August floods in Nepal.

“At the start of the Iran War, I had constituents stranded in the Middle East with little guidance and no advance notice. It is critical to communicate closely with families of those impacted by disasters abroad too,” he said.