H4 Stamping Question

[mrmaini]

Hello,
I am currently in the US on H1B. My wife is planning to go for H4 visa stamping at New Delhi. Here are the questions:

1) Do I need to send her the original I-797 approval notice or a photocopy would be sufficient?

2) Do I need to have a valid visa in my passport? My previous visa based on old H1 has already expired.

Thanks a bunch for the help.

Regards,
Kamal

[txh1b]

1. Original
2. Just a valid petition is fine. Visa is not needed.

[mrmaini]

Thanks txh1b for the quick response.

While I was waiting for someone to respond to this thread, I also called the visa service agency in India. Their response was exactly opposite.

They mentioned that it is OK to have photocopy of the petition but I need to have valid visa in my passport.

At this point, I am confused about these requirements. If you have any more info, please share.

Regards,
Kamal

[txh1b]

They are definitely worng about the visa part for sure. A copy could be acceptable (due to PIMS) but sending the original is the best option.