Pryor Cashman Partner Avram Morell, a member of the Immigration Group, spoke with SHRM about a U.S. State Department pilot program that will allow foreign workers to renew their work visas from within the United States.
In "State Department Plans to Resume Domestic Visa Renewals," Avi says the program, which will bring back domestic renewals for the first time since 2004, is a positive for both workers and employers:
"It's a win-win no-brainer," said Avram Morell, an immigration attorney in the New York City office of Pryor Cashman. "I applaud the Department of State for finding ways to minimize the extra time, effort and unpredictability experienced by U.S. employers and their foreign national employees when renewing a visa."
Avi also notes that the program will help fix pandemic-era issues with the visa system:
"Under the current process, the worker would need to schedule an appointment for an interview at a U.S. consulate abroad, attend the interview, wait for approval and then wait for the visa sticker to be returned with their passport," Morell said. "The issue is that since the pandemic, people have had to wait for many months before they can obtain an interview to apply for a new visa, adding disruptions for employers. And even in situations where the interview has been waived by the consulate, they still need to travel to their home country and obtain permission to submit the application and wait a lengthy period of time for the visa to come back."
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