Documents Required to Apply for an H-1B Visa at the U.S. Consulate

If your visa will be expired, you are required to renew your visa while abroad.  To apply for a visa, please find the appropriate U.S. Embassy/Consulate. It is highly recommended that you apply for your H-1B visa in your home country. On the website, go to the section for “visas” and find the “work visa”, “employment visa”, or “non-immigrant visa” section.  Detailed instructions about the application process and visa renewals for H-1B non-immigrant visas, including required documents, will be listed there.

Also, be aware that the U.S. Department of State requires that nonimmigrant visa applicants provide their username for all social media accounts that have been used within the last five years at the time of application for the visa.

In addition to the documents listed above, OIS wants to highlight some of the required documents for visa applications:

• Most recent H-1B Form I-797 approval notice
• Current passport valid for at least six months after the end date indicated on the H-1B approval notice (If you are from one of the countries listed here you only need a passport that is current through the end date on the H-1B approval notice. If your passport is not valid for six months beyond your reentry and you are not from one of the countries that that is listed, you will need to renew your passport before reentering the U.S.)
• Pay statements for current calendar year and Federal tax returns (IRS Forms 1040 and W-2) for all years when you were employed in the U.S. on a H-1B visa
• Current letter from your hosting department/division/unit confirming continued employment, job title, and annual salary with signature of your department chair/unit director
• Names and current contact information of direct supervisors at present and previous places of H-1B employment
• Resume or CV

This is not a comprehensive list of required documents.  The requirements vary depending on country. Please visit the appropriate U.S. consulate/embassy website for a comprehensive list of required documents. Letters from OIS are no longer required per updated U.S. Department of State guidance. Therefore, OIS will no longer issue letters for visa applications or travel and advises all employees on H-1B visas to follow the instructions provided above and on the U.S. Embassy/Consulate’s website. 

(For dependents in H-4 non-immigrant status, please see the website of the U.S. Embassy/Consulate for the documents required for them to apply for visas. A dependent in H-4 status must present to the CBP official a valid, unexpired H-4 visa and passport meeting the requirements described above to reenter the U.S. after foreign travel.)