Indian-American U.S. Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Ami Bera (D-CA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Shri Thanedar (D-MI), along with Representatives Rich McCormick (R-GA), and Don Bacon (R-NE), have sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging him to expand and formalize a successful 2024 pilot program that allowed certain H-1B visa holders to renew their visas domestically.

In their letter to Secretary Rubio, the lawmakers urged the State Department to take swift action to build upon the 2024 pilot’s success. They called for clear eligibility criteria and the inclusion of other visa categories, such as E, H, I, L, O, and P, in future phases of the program.

The pilot program, launched by the State Department in 2024, enabled 20,000 eligible H-1B holders to renew their visas without leaving the United States. The program was limited to individuals whose biometrics had previously been captured and could be reused. Lawmakers are now pushing to broaden the scope of the initiative and make it permanent.

According to a statement from Rep. Subramanyam’s office, expanding domestic visa renewals aligns with recommendations made by the Secure Borders and Open Doors Advisory Committee, convened by President George W. Bush, which called for reinstating domestic renewals for low-risk visa categories as early as 2008.

The lawmakers argue that allowing domestic renewals would improve government efficiency, reduce travel costs and delays for visa holders, and ease the burden on U.S. embassies and consulates that often face significant processing backlogs. They emphasize that enabling skilled workers to remain in the U.S. without interruption is essential for industries such as technology and health care and ultimately strengthens the American economy.

“The current process to renew H-1B visas is cumbersome and needs to be modernized,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam. “This bipartisan proposal, based on a successful bipartisan 2024 pilot program, will help streamline the H-1B process and avoid unnecessary processing delays.”

“The 2024 pilot program for domestic visa renewals was a commonsense success, and now it’s time to build on that momentum,” said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. “Expanding and formalizing this program will reduce red tape, strengthen our economy, and help ensure that the United States continues to attract and retain the best and brightest talent from around the world.”

“Building upon the 2024 pilot program for domestic visa renewals will demonstrate that we can modernize our immigration system while maintaining security and efficiency,” said Congressman Rich McCormick. “As a fiscal conservative, I believe expanding and formalizing this initiative is crucial. It will alleviate the strain on American businesses, bolster our high-skilled workforce, and cut through the red tape holding back our economic edge. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in pushing the administration to take this vital step toward a streamlined, future-focused visa process.”

“Reinstating the domestic visa renewals pilot program, expanding it beyond the H-1B visa category, and clarifying the eligibility rules is an important step in the effort to modernize the immigration system,” said Benjamin Johnson, Executive Director for American Immigration Lawyers Association. “It provides an opportunity for the Department of State to alleviate the visa backlog, increase efficiency, stimulate economic growth, and strengthen America’s ability to retain talented individuals.”

The letter was also signed by Representatives Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Sarah McBride (D-DE), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Terri Sewell (D-GA), and Marc Veasey (D-TX).

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