H1B, H4 Visa

I am preparing for my H1B visa renewal in India around December 2025 and would like to understand if even if I qualify for the USCIS dropbox (waived interview), it is still possible to be required for an interview in my specific situation.

Here is my situation:

In 2023, I was issued a summons on the East Coast of the United States for misdemeanor theft (shoplifting). It was actually a genuine misunderstanding - I was on the phone, distracted, and accidentally walked out of the store without an item after checking out. I did not have any intention to steal.

The legal outcome of the case was as follows:

The charges were quickly dismissed in court.

No conviction was recorded.

The entire arrest record was completely expunged.

I have all the court documents and a clean record from the FBI, and the FBI report shows no arrest record since the case was closed.

Important background after the case:

Since the case was dismissed and closed, I have entered and exited the United States many times on the same H1B visa. Each time I entered, I was taken for secondary inspection.

The details are as follows:

During the first secondary inspection, the immigration officer asked about the incident;

the incident was not brought up again in the subsequent times;

each time I entered smoothly without any other problems.

My current situation and specific issues are as follows:

My H1B renewal has been approved, and I am preparing for the first visa sticker since the case. When I fill out the DS-160 form, I will of course honestly answer "yes" to the question "Have you ever been arrested?" even though the case has been closed. Because honesty is the right thing to do.

My biggest concern is:

Will the visa officer see that I answered "yes" and may notice that I have a record of multiple entry secondary inspections and overturn the Dropbox interview-free qualification and require me to have an interview. I have seen some people in similar situations on the forum. Even though they submitted it through Dropbox, they also received 221(g) notices and were asked to provide additional materials or interviews.

My specific questions are as follows:

For a misdemeanor like me who has only been dismissed and closed once (and there is no intentional behavior), will consular officers often overturn Dropbox qualifications and require an interview?

Will my successful passage through secondary review of entry many times help my Dropbox visa application? In other words, does this mean that DHS has considered me admissible and is a positive signal to the visa officer?

Are there any friends who have successfully used Dropbox to complete visa labeling when they have "records of case cancellation + records of secondary review of entry"? (I really hope to hear personal experiences in this regard)

In general, is my situation considered "troublesome"? Or is it generally resolved smoothly through an interview process without too much of a problem?

I am preparing all the relevant materials (court withdrawal documents, case dismissal orders, FBI innocence records, etc.), and I hope to be fully prepared in advance. If you have similar experiences or suggestions, thank you very much for sharing!

Thank you everyone!

Hi all, thank you for all your experience here, it helped me a lot in my visa interview.

I had my biometric on Apr 10th, 2025. my slot was at 10:30am at Hyderabad Hitech city metro station, they allowed me at 10:10am into the que and it's completed by 10:40am. hardly its 30 mins. it was smooth, they asked only DS-160, appointment confirmation and passport, that's it.

Visa interview on Apr 15th and slot is 9:45am at Hyderabad. they allowed at 10:30am into the que and it's completed by 11am. it was also hardly 30 mins. the process is not taking much time, but we have to wait at outside for some time.

the questions are very less, I prepared more.
The VO officer was a nice and smiley face person. below are my questions and interview was hardly 1 minute.

VO: Good morning
Me: Good morning officer
VO: can you pass all your documents and passport
Me: passed all the docs and passport
VO: who will be your employer
Me: My employer will be XXXX
VO: What will be your salary
Me: My salary will be XXXXX USD dollars PA
VO: what will be your job designation
Me: My designation will be XXXX
VO: which state you will be travelling
Me: I will be travelling to XXXXX
VO: what is your highest qualification
Me: My highest qualification is Master of Technology
VO: can you put your fingerprints on machine
Me: I kept my right hand on machine
VO: Congratulations, your visa has been approved, you will get in 7 to 8 working days, take your visa rights pamphlet. good day (kept my passport and returned all my docs)
Me: Thank you, officer, have a nice day (with smile)

Apr 16th my visa status changed to approved and 18th I have received my visa with stamping via courier.

I have 7 months remaining in my i797, will i get rejected if i travel india and attend interview?

H1B visa stamping experience in Toronto, Canada

First time stamping

Interview: 25th March, 2025 (consular office asked a few questions related to job and experience and approved my visa)

Status changed to Issued on CEAC website: 28th March, 2025

Passport collected with stamping: 1st April, 2025

Thanks

I am on H4 visa . My case was approved in Jan 27, 2025. After that I have received an I-797C regarding my approval dates and below the approval dates it is mentioned. My I-797C mentions Approval notice and NOT Consular Notification.

Below is the stuff mentioned in my I-797C apart from Valid From dates

"We have mailed an official notice about this case (and any relevant documentation) according to the mailing preferences you chose on Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative. This is a courtesy copy, not the official notice.

What the Official Notice Said

The above application for extension of stay is approved. The temporary stay of the named applicants is authorized to the date shown above. "

For some reason neither my Attorney nor me have received the I-797A with the updated i-94 for past 2 months.
My Question is once my current i-94 expires do i need to leave US or Since my I-797C says "The temporary stay of the named applicants is authorized to the date shown above." I can remain in US and need to file a I-824 to receive a duplicate copy of the Approval.

Hey everyone,

I’m in a bit of a tricky situation and could use some advice from anyone who’s been through this or knows immigration well.

I was laid off from my H-1B in September 2024 and applied for a B2 Change of Status (COS) within the 60-day grace period. My B2 was approved until May 6, 2025.

My Questions:

I’m still actively interviewing but haven’t secured a job yet. My old H-1B visa stamp and I-94 are valid until September 2026, but my most recent I-94 (from my B2 approval) expires on May 6, 2025. Should I consider my latest I-94 (from B2) as my valid status expiration date?

If I get a job and my employer files an H-1B Change of Status (COS) before May 6, will I be legally allowed to stay in the U.S. while it’s pending decision?

If the H-1B is approved after May 6, can I still stay and start working, or will I have to leave and re-enter?

Would it be safer to apply for a B2 extension now just in case my job search takes longer?

I'm trying to avoid any issues with status or travel, so I’d appreciate any insights from people who’ve navigated this before! Thanks in advance 🙏

The eligibility criteria for Dropbox visa renewals have changed.

Starting February 14, 2025, you can only renew your U.S. visa in the same class through Dropbox if your previous visa expired within the last 12 months. Previously, this window was 48 months, meaning fewer people will now qualify for Dropbox renewal.

If your visa expired more than 12 months ago, you may need to attend an in-person interview instead.

Check your visa expiration date and plan ahead to avoid any delays.

My I-94 expired on 28-May-2018, but I had a valid I-797 until 21-Aug-2019. I had to travel to India for an emergency on 20-Apr-2018. While returning to the USA, I did not get my visa stamped with the updated I-797 date. As a result, my I-94 was still updated to 28-May-2018. Unaware of this, I stayed in the USA until 22-Jun-2019 and exited as soon as I realized I had overstayed with an expired I-94. Later I continued to stay in home country for some personal reasons. Its been almost 5.6 yrs since i exited USA and now I am planning to travel back to USA.

Will there be a 10-year ban on my entry to the USA if I want to return? Please help me with the right answer so that I can plan my future accordingly.

Hi all,

I need help with my H1b situation. My company filed for H1B but did not file LCA (a small company and didn't contact an immigration lawyer while filing the petition). I received RFE with feb 21 as the deadline and it doesn't look like company is willing to respond to the RFE.

Following are my questions:
1. I am traveling to India on Jan 10th and returning back on March 15th, is it ok to travel while having an active h1b RFE? (I have valid STEM EAD till June 2026.)
2. By the time I come back to the US, I will probably get an H1b denial. What kind of questions can I expect while returning to the US?

With a expired visa can i travel to Canada and comeback within a week