Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) has sharply criticized the State Department’s decision to discontinue the H-1B renewal program, a policy he championed as a way to streamline visa processing and reduce backlogs.

In a September 5 response to Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), the State Department said it does not plan to implement a domestic H-1B renewal program.

Instead, consistent with Executive Order 14161, most applicants will be required to appear in person abroad. The order, titled “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” directs consular officers to mandate in-person applications for most nonimmigrant visa categories, including H-1B.

Krishnamoorthi, in a September 9 statement, said: “The H-1B renewal pilot program was a commonsense initiative that made government more efficient, reduced backlogs for workers and businesses, and strengthened our legal immigration system — boosting our economy and creating good-paying American jobs. Rather than expand this successful program as we urged in our bipartisan letter, the Trump administration has chosen to shut it down. Modernizing our immigration system with practical, bipartisan reforms is long overdue, and I will keep fighting for policies that grow our economy…”

He further pledged to continue supporting policies that recognize the contributions of immigrant communities, adding: “As President Trump turns his back on South Asia and the South Asian diaspora in America, I will continue to stand with them.”

In May, Krishnamoorthi, along with Representatives Subramanyam and Rich McCormick (R-GA), led a bipartisan effort urging Secretary Rubio to expand the 2024 domestic renewal pilot program to include additional visa categories.

“We write to you today to strongly urge the administration to build upon the successful 2024 pilot program for domestic visa renewals and to take the necessary steps to formalize and expand this initiative this year with clear eligibility rules,” the lawmakers wrote. “As you know, the pilot program, which allowed certain eligible H-1B visa holders to renew their visas within the United States, was an important first step in modernizing our visa processing system.”

The lawmakers stressed that expanding domestic renewals would ease bottlenecks overseas, reduce burdens on workers and employers, and help the U.S. maintain its competitive edge as a destination for top global talent.

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