Not trying to make a political point at all and perhaps a controversial take. But, it’s specifically and maybe implicitly by design. Meaning they made this way precisely so you have to reapply so they can change their mind or block you out later. Nothing about getting a visa is permanent and you’re fully at risk when you move here with that type of status. If you evaluate the situation that’s always been the case.

The pause is for immigrant visas so most visas like H1 or H2 or O visas aren't affect this time. But it's definitely part of the US admin's overall theme of ratcheting up visa restrictions and making any immigration or travel to the US extremely difficult.

Immigrant visas cannot be renewed - if you use such a visa to enter the country then you become a lawful permanent resident and are not eligible for any visas until you abandon your permanent residency, and even then you will need to apply for a brand new visa.

Notably, this is exceptionally common in every country I’ve ever lived in that had such Visa’s. Including them being used as political footballs (including for India, Brazil, Germany, etc).

Does it suck? Yes. Is this unexpected? Not really, no.

I have friends who are expats and they’ve done this for years. I had one family member who left every six months to renew their visa.

It’s a chore, but very common around the world.

> So just imagine, having a normal job in the US and you're asked to leave to renew your visa and this stuff happens.

The only way I can see this happening is if you try to convert from OTP to an H1. I used to do some runs up to Vancouver to help a friend do that.

This just generally sucks for anyone making plans in their life. I remember my wife's greencard interview in Guangzhou, and it would have sucked if they instituted this the day before she did that.

H1-B and L1 can actually be done in-country, but for some reading going abroad and get consular processing has a lower chance of RFE.

Isn't this specifically for immigrant Visas? The work and student Visas (H1B / F1) are non-immigrant Visas.

I think there are a lot of inhumane things happening around the world right now to label this inconvenient, at best. We need better leadership through higher voter participation and an informed electorate to stop these inhumane and inconvenient policies.

> it's quite common for a visa renewal to be required to leave the country

you mean leaving the country is required for visa renewal? the other way around?

We've had three people get stuck in India for months. two got removed from job because of it.

Or imagine if an employee works for you and this happens to them.

This administration is clearly on a war against immigration of all sorts but... we need to be accurate here.

This is specifically a pause on immigrant visas. That is, green cards. So this is for family-based green cards and investor green cards through consular processing (ie when out of the country).

As yet, work visas and other nonimmigrant visas are unaffected.

Inhumane maybe, but our government should owe its first allegiance to our citizens wellbeing, not imported workers.

In the mid 2000s, I had to leave the US for renewal while leaving all my hard assets behind. I had a plan in place in case I couldn't go back to the country, which did happen to some people. These people had their interviews, but they got held back outside the US, sometimes for months, waiting for the renewal process to finish. I had an immediate renewal, but was almost held back for some red tape reasons.

This sucks but it isn't new, unfortunately.

Agreed. I live in Midwest and that's the same sentiment I am getting from the people. People voted to oppose illegal migration, not stopping legal migration. This November will be judgment day for this administration's policies.

At least for F1 and H-1B visas, one wasn't required to get a new visa physically stamped (for which one would have to leave) to switch schools (undergrad -> grad) or jobs. Is this forced now? Of course, if one wanted the freedom to be able to travel or visit one's home country, a new stamping was required if the old visa expired.

It's not ideal but a lot of us basically didn't leave for several years (even pre-Trump 1) to avoid the hassle of a new stamping.

This report is for immigrant visas. H-1B visas are not immigrant visas and are the ones that require the stamp renewal in the home country.

That being said, yes, the way the current administration handles immigrant visas, worker visas, and more is absolutely inhumane and completely asinine. I've been through it with family and friends, and it is painful and can be heartbreaking even.

In Canada I had to leave and re-enter for my permanent resident status to complete. It’s not that uncommon - but it’s a pain.

Hang on a tick: does that mean we may have been the baddies all along?

I say this as someone who just sent their daughter to NYC explaining how we used to try to sell the Brooklyn Bridge to poor immigrants who just assumed this was a land of kind people, WTF? Could we not take a decade off from being prissy about our democracy *and* total cocks about how we actually act?

everything this administration does daily is from one of three boxes

     [CHAOS]  [CORRUPTION]  [CRUELTY]

imagine what's tomorrow or next week

meanwhile let's all enjoy the billion spent on making statues gold plated in DC and the ballroom and the arch and his drapes and his reflecting pool and 100 foot banners of his face on federal building and his face on gold coins, passports, park passes and the $250 bill

it's surreal

Indeed it is. But that’s the point Miller, etc are trying to make.

We’re so screwed. Good luck to us ever building up goodwill again.

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Inhumane is every choice made by this country under this regime. The "bothsides" and "no politics" crowds are equally as complicit in this as Trump voters.