Summary

A Singapore national shares their experience renewing their H1B1 visa without leaving the US, including the package they sent to USCIS, timeline, and relevant links.

Abstract

The article, contributed by a Singapore national, describes their experience renewing their H1B1 visa without leaving the US. The author details the contents of the package they sent to USCIS, which included the Form i-129, a new Labor Condition Application (LCA), and a cover letter. They also provide links to relevant resources, such as the i-129 instructions and the I-94 retrieval page. The timeline of the renewal process is outlined, with the initial 18-month H1B1 period starting on January 3, 2022, the renewal package mailed in April 2023, and the approval notice received on May 18, 2023. The author emphasizes the importance of carefully reading instructions and double-checking the fee, as it is subject to change.

Opinions

The author believes that renewing an H1B1 visa without leaving the US is possible, as demonstrated by their personal experience.
The author advises readers to carefully read instructions and double-check the fee when filling out the Form i-129.
The author notes that the i-129 is used for various visa types, so it's important to only fill out the pages relevant to one's case.
The author mentions that their case was not accepted by a company immigration attorney, suggesting that readers may need to seek alternative resources for assistance.
The author provides links to resources and emphasizes the importance of using the latest versions of forms and instructions.
The author highlights that the renewal process took about a month, from mailing the package to receiving the approval notice.
The author mentions that the renewal period is typically 12 months but may include a grace period, as in their case.
The author notes that the renewal approval notice cannot be used as a visa to enter and exit the US, requiring a separate DS-160 submission at a US embassy abroad.

H1B1 renewals in the US

A reader kindly contributed this article about renewing H1B1 visas without leaving the US. The article is the original copied/pasted from her submission. No edits have been made.

Background:

I am a Singapore national who originally applied for H-1B1 from Singapore by submitting DS-160 and interviewed at the US Embassy in Singapore. The first visa lasts for 18 months.

Now I would like to renew my H-1B1 visa but it costs lots of time and money for me to come back to Singapore to do the DS-160 and interview again, and wait for the US embassy to return the passport.

Company immigration attorney did not accept my case because they were not involved from the beginning. So my petition was filed without the attorney’s help. The employer and I worked together to submit the package.

This is a small company, with 2 founders and 4 employees.

Please note that this post described what I did and what happened, your case will be different so please do your own research.

Package to USCIS includes:

(the text below was also used on company’s letterhead to be the cover letter for the application)

Note:

Form i-129 is very long and shared between so many different kinds of visas, not just for H1B1 extension, so make sure to just fill the pages that are relevant to your case.
Always read the i-129 instructions VERY carefully

(I didn’t link to the PDF directly because it could change, so you should always go to the i-129 page to get the latest)

Item 00: double double check the fee as it is subject to change
Item 03: if your first LCA has expired, ask the employer to apply for a new one which will cover your employment extension (this took us about a week)
Item 06: you can go to this link and get your I-94
This link said there’s no premium processing for i-129 for H-1B1

you also can see where to mail the package to

Timeline:

The first 18 months of H-1B1 mentioned at the beginning was from Jan 3, 2022 (the day of the interview at the US Embassy, although the employment offer starts after that) to July 3, 2023.
The renewal package was mailed to USCIS in the end of April 2023 asking for extension from July 1, 2023 (meaning there will be 3 days overlap with the 18 month period above)
USCIS received and sent notice of receipt on May 1, 2023 with case number to check case status online.
USCIS approved the extension and mailed approval notice on May 18, 2023. On it they granted a new employment period from July 1, 2023 to July, 10 2024. It is supposed to be 12 months but I get a 10 day grace period. And I won’t be able to use this approval notice as a visa to go in and out of the US.

So it looked like I was granted the renewal from the date that I asked for (July 1 2023), not the date that they granted it (May 18, 2023).

If I need to go outside the US, I will have to submit DS-160 for H-1B1 at an US embassy abroad to get the visa attached to my passport to come back.