Table of Contents
What is H1B visa stamping?
When to apply for H1B visa stamping?
H1B visa stamping documents
H-1B visa stamping process
Concluding thoughts
Foreign skilled workers can work in the US under specialty occupations through the H1B visa program. However, the process of obtaining an H1B visa involves several steps, such as registering for the H1B lottery process, filing the H1B petition (form I-129), and undergoing H1B visa stamping.
H1B visa stamping is the final and crucial step in gaining entry to the US for employment. You cannot enter the US without H1B visa stamping as security checks will not allow you to enter the country and send you back to your home country.
In this blog, we will provide a step-by-step guide to help simplify the H1B visa stamping process and provide you with the information and resources you need to succeed. Whether you are a first-time H1B applicant or a seasoned professional, this guide will help you navigate the H1B visa stamping process with confidence and ease.
What is H1B visa stamping?
H-1B visa stamping is the process of obtaining a visa stamp in your passport from a U.S. consulate or embassy. A US consulate or embassy in your home country will issue this stamp after USCIS approves your H1B visa.
The stamp allows you to enter the US and work for your employer on an H-1B visa. When you enter the US, officials ask you questions about your intent to come to the US and check your documents and belongings to ensure you are not trying to enter the country illegally.
If you do not have a visa stamped on your passport, they will not even do your other security checks and will ask you to go back to your home country with immediate effect. Thus, the H1B visa stamping process is a crucial step in the overall H1B visa application process.
When to apply for H1B visa stamping?
You should apply for H1B visa stamping after you have received approval for your H1B visa petition from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Once your H1B petition is approved, you can begin applying for your visa stamp at a US consulate or embassy in your home country.
You should apply for H1B stamping as soon as possible after the USCIS has approved your H1B visa. This will ensure that you have sufficient time to complete the visa stamping process and enter the United States in time for the start date of your H1B employment.
It is significant to note that you must apply for H1B stamping within 90 days before your H1B employment starts. You should also consider the processing times at the US consulate or embassy in your home country. Processing times can vary depending on several factors, like workload and staff availability at the embassy or consulate.
H1B visa stamping documents
You must submit some H1B visa stamping documents before your visa stamping. Let’s take a closer look at the list:
- A valid passport
- Medical examination documents
- A copy of the labor condition application (LCA)
- Original Form I-797 approval notice
- A copy of resume
- Completed DS-157 form
- Your educational certificates and transcripts
- Proof of financial support
- Any other documents that the U.S. consulate or embassy may require
H-1B visa stamping process
The H1B visa stamping process begins after USCIS approves your H1B visa petition. The H-1B visa stamping process involves several steps:
Step 1: Complete the DS-160 form
You must complete the DS-160 form, which is the online non-immigrant visa application form. This form requires you to provide personal and background information and information about your employer and the job you will be doing in the United States. Once submitted, you will see the 10-digit barcode on the confirmation form, print it and keep it with your document. You may require this during the interview.
Step 2: Pay the visa application fee
Before your visa interview, you must pay the visa application fee. The fee may vary depending on your country of origin.
Step 3: Schedule a visa interview
Once you have completed Form DS-160 and paid the visa application fee, you can schedule your visa interview. You can do this online through the US embassy or consulate website or by contacting the embassy or consulate directly. The visa interview is a significant part of the H1B visa stamping process, as it determines your eligibility for the visa.
Step 4: Attend the visa interview
On the day of your visa interview, you must bring all of the required documents with you. During the interview, the consular officer will ask questions about your employment, education, and intentions in the United States. If the consular officer approves your visa, they will stamp your passport with the H-1B visa.
After your visa is stamped, you can travel to the United States. You can enter the US only ten days before your employment start date. The employment start date is mentioned on form I-797.
Concluding thoughts
Since it takes an augmented effort to get USCIS approval for an H1B visa, surely you would not like to miss the last step of H1B visa stamping for working in the US. With proper preparation and attention to detail, you can navigate the H1B visa stamping process with confidence and ease.
Imagility is an end-to-end immigration platform that provides a better, more efficient way for individuals to work with employers to prepare, track, manage, and navigate their visa processing. Imagility offers a whole range of mobile apps for beneficiaries to make informed decisions and track their petition status, one among which is the Visa Stamping App.
Imagility’s Visa Stamping app helps beneficiaries plan, prepare, and manage the visa stamping process efficiently. It allows beneficiaries to prepare for the visa stamping interview better by going through detailed steps, sharing overseas trip details, and knowing the next steps. The app helps Beneficiaries go through the visa stamping process better prepared with a clear path to move forward.
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Reach out to us for a demo today sales@imagility.co
Call us at +1 603 782 4622/+1 617 865 6588.
For more info, visit us at www.imagility.co
