Consulates Schedule Fiscal Year H-1B Visa Stamping Interviews Earlier This Year
July 8, 2014 | Tags: H-1B
The State Department provided good news for employers and Fiscal Year H-1B lottery winners who need H-1B visa stamps before activating their H-1B status on October 1. Consulates will entertain visa appointments for H-1Bs which have October 1 start dates to occur immediately.
- While Consular Posts are authorized to grant H visa stamps up to 90 days in advance of the requested start date on approved H-1B petitions, they typically have scheduled interviews to occur no earlier than September each year.
- We suggest that FY H-1B lottery winners who filed by consular processing start scheduling appointments so that they may obtain H-1B stamps in their passports in order to activate their H-1B status on October 1.
- Note that, regardless of the appointment date and when the H-1B stamp is granted, Consulates will normally only allow H-1B holders to enter the U.S. 10 days in advance of the requested start date, or here, no earlier than September 20.
