Csf

Hi,

I am an H1-B visa holder who recently had my visa extended until
2007. The problem is, the visa currently in my passport is stamped with
the original expiry date May 2004. Also, it is only a 1 year temporary
visa due to expire in October 2004.

Is there a way I can get the
passport renewed and visa updated to enable me to travel back & forth to
the UK? I need to head over there within the next 2 months.

Do I need
to get the visa stamp updated within the passport, or is my new I-94
sufficient for re-entry to the US? If a restamp is necessary, can I get
it done in the US? I remember having to go to the US embassy in London
the last time something like this happened (it was a visa transfer to a
new company at that time).

Any help appreciated!

Thanks,

Chris

Marlborobell

Originally posted by csf
    > I am an H1-B visa holder who
recently had my visa extended until 2007. The problem is, the visa
currently in my passport is stamped with the original expiry date May
2004. Also, it is only a 1 year temporary visa due to expire in October
2004.
    >
    > Is there a way I can get the passport renewed and visa
updated to enable me to travel back & forth to the UK? I need to head
over there within the next 2 months.
    >
    > Do I need to get the visa
stamp updated within the passport, or is my new I-94 sufficient for re-
entry to the US? If a restamp is necessary, can I get it done in the US?
I remember having to go to the US embassy in London the last time
something like this happened (it was a visa transfer to a new company at
that time).
    >

If your visa expires in October (which is
surprising if the petition expiry date is May, but I guess it's
possible), and you plan to return to the US before then, you can use the
old visa with the new I-797 approval of your H-1B status. Just make sure
when you arrive back at the port of entry that the officer gives you a
new I-94 valid until 2007.

If your visa has expired and you need to
travel in the next two months, you'll need to renew it somewhere.
Renewing it in the US is still possible, but only for another two weeks
(the program ceases on July 16), but they usually take about three
months to process the renewals -- so that's of no use to you. You'll
have to go to http://www.nvars.com/ to see if you can get an
appointment to renew your visa somewhere in Canada or Mexico in time;
otherwise, you'll need to get someone in Britain to call the premium-
rate number to get an appointment for you at the Embassy in London for
the next time you're there. But in general, renewals in Canada/Mexico
are same-day or next-day, whereas in London you could be stuck for two
or three weeks.

Be warned, of course, that if you renew in Canada or
Mexico and they decide not to accept your renewal (because, for
instance, they can't validate your degree), you'll be stuck there and
you'll have to travel directly to the UK without setting foot in the US.

Csf

Originally posted by marlborobell
    > If your visa expires
in October (which is surprising if the petition expiry date is May, but
I guess it's possible), and you plan to return to the US before then,
you can use the old visa with the new I-797 approval of your H-1B
status. Just make sure when you arrive back at the port of entry that
the officer gives you a new I-94 valid until 2007.
    >
    > If your visa has
expired and you need to travel in the next two months, you'll need to
renew it somewhere. Renewing it in the US is still possible, but only
for another two weeks (the program ceases on July 16), but they usually
take about three months to process the renewals -- so that's of no use
to you. You'll have to go to http://www.nvars.com/ to see if
you can get an appointment to renew your visa somewhere in Canada or
Mexico in time; otherwise, you'll need to get someone in Britain to call
the premium-rate number to get an appointment for you at the Embassy in
London for the next time you're there. But in general, renewals in
Canada/Mexico are same-day or next-day, whereas in London you could be
stuck for two or three weeks.
    >
    > Be warned, of course, that if you
renew in Canada or Mexico and they decide not to accept your renewal
(because, for instance, they can't validate your degree), you'll be
stuck there and you'll have to travel directly to the UK without setting
foot in the US.

Hi marlborobell, thanks for the reply :) I
just realised that I incorrectly stated my visa was due to expire in
October 2004. That was a complete mistype on my part. I meant to say my
PASSPORT is due to expire in October 2004. I was only issued a one year
temporary passport due to having lost it twice in the spare of 3 years.


I had my visa extended until 2007 which is great, however, the visa
stamp in my passport still contains the original visa which is stamped
as expiring in May 2004.

That changes my situation a little bit. I
guess I am just wondering how to go about getting my passport replaced
before the expiration and whether I need to get the visa stamp in the
passport replaced with an updated one stating expiry in 2007. I have a
new I-94 which states the 2007 expiration.

Hope that makes a bit more
sense :)

Thanks!

Csf

Marlborobell, some good news. I just discovered today that my original
UK visit business trip has been cancelled. This means my next trip isn't
until christmas.

Does this give me enough time to have my visa
revalidated? Also, with my passport expiring in October 2004, is it
possible to get that replaced at the same time, or is that a separate
process?

Thanks.

Marlborobell

Originally posted by csf
    > Marlborobell, some good news.
I just discovered today that my original UK visit business trip has been
cancelled. This means my next trip isn't until christmas.
    >
    > Does
this give me enough time to have my visa revalidated? Also, with my
passport expiring in October 2004, is it possible to get that replaced
at the same time, or is that a separate process?
    >

The
problem is that the whole visa revalidation service dies on July 16th,
and they refuse to put a visa in a passport that expires in less than
six months.

If you can get your passport renewed at the UK Embassy in
DC and have it in St. Louis for revalidation by July 16th, then go for
it. But chances are you won't manage. As such, you'll need to get your
visa renewed either in London during your Christmas trip or in Canada or
Mexico sometime between now and then.

Suacpa

Originally posted by marlborobell
    > The problem is that
the whole visa revalidation service dies on July 16th, and they refuse
to put a visa in a passport that expires in less than six months.
    >
If you can get your passport renewed at the UK Embassy in DC and have it
in St. Louis for revalidation by July 16th, then go for it. But chances
are you won't manage. As such, you'll need to get your visa renewed
either in London during your Christmas trip or in Canada or Mexico
sometime between now and then.


In the past this has been my
experience with expired passports that contain valid US visas: the
passport office (for me it was out of the Cayman Islands) will issue a
new passport and stamp the expired as cancelled, but will bind the two
passports together (with rubberbands). So there is no need to have your
current US visas reissued. Just be sure that you never misplace either
passport!

Oh, and traveling in and out of the US with the new and
cancelled passports attached never posed a problem.

Cheers!