The Journey / Travel
Visa stamping in 2026
Interview waivers are gone for H-1B and H-4, you must apply in your home country, and social-media vetting has slowed appointments. How to plan a stamping trip now.
A visa stamp is the entry document in your passport. You need a valid one to re-enter the US after travel. Your permission to stay comes from your I-94 and approved petition, so an expired stamp doesn’t matter until you leave.
What changed in 2025
- Interview waivers ended for H-1B and H-4 from September 2, 2025. The old “dropbox” route for renewals no longer applies to these categories. Children under 14 and adults over 79 now attend interviews too.
- Apply where you’re a national or resident. Applicants must apply in their country of nationality or residence, which ended the practice of booking faster appointments in third countries such as Canada or Mexico.
- Expanded online-presence and social-media vetting for H-1B and H-4 applicants from late 2025 slowed interviews, and some appointments in India were rescheduled.
Planning a trip
- Check wait times for your consulate on travel.state.gov before booking anything non-refundable.
- Carry documents: passport, I-797 approval, recent pay stubs, an employment verification letter, your DS-160 confirmation and the fee receipt.
- Budget: the $205 H visa fee and possibly the $250 visa integrity fee, collected unevenly by consulates since October 2025.
- Have a plan for delays. If you receive a 221(g) refusal for administrative processing, it can take weeks. Agree with your employer in advance whether you can work remotely from abroad.
Should you travel at all?
Many people with a stable job and a valid I-94 choose not to travel when their stamp has expired, especially during a pending change of employer or green card case. Missing a family event is painful; being stuck abroad without a job is worse. If you must travel for an emergency, some consulates allow emergency appointment requests.
The good
- An approved petition means most interviews are short
- A valid visa stamp lets you travel freely until it expires
- You can stay in the US on a valid I-94 even if the visa stamp has expired
The hard
- Since Sept 2, 2025, H-1B and H-4 applicants of all ages need in-person interviews
- You must apply in your country of nationality or residence
- Appointment waits and administrative processing (221(g)) can strand people abroad for weeks
Recent from immigration lawyers
From independent law firms, newest first. Not reviewed by h1b-life, not legal advice and not an endorsement.
- DHS Proposes to End Deference to Prior Approvals on H-1B and Other I-129 ExtensionsReddy Neumann Brown · Nov 10, 2026
- The Finish Line Keeps Moving for H-4 EAD ApplicantsReddy Neumann Brown · Nov 9, 2026
- Equity-Rich, Salary-Light: The H-1B Wage and SOC Code Audit for Senior Technology ExecutivesBerardi Immigration Law · Nov 9, 2026
Sources
- Fragomen: Starting September 2, State Department eliminates nonimmigrant visa interview waivers for most
- Berardi Immigration Law: H-1B visa stamping in India in 2026
- Travel.State.Gov: Global Visa Wait Times
- Ellis: $250 Visa Integrity Fee (2026)
Rules change often. If something here looks out of date, it probably is; check the official source and talk to an immigration attorney about your own case.