Passport expiry and H1B Visa stamping in Kolkata, India

[Judhajit]

Hello,
My name is Judhajit and my Indian Passport is expiring on the 23rd of July, 2012. My current visa status is H1B which expires on May 2014.

My question is, I am visiting India on January end and returning on February end 2012. And I will try my best to get my H1B stamping/interview date by the end of January (30 or 31st Jan 2012). Now, since my Passport is expiring on July 23rd, which is a little shy of 6 months fom the interview, is it something safe both for the H1B stamping and returning to the US in Feb? Please help.

Thanks a lot in advance for your time.
Judhajit Chakraborty

[shervin143]

There are chnaces that you might get a visa only till the passport expiry date. Even if the visa is issued until the petition expiry date, the I-94 at the POE can be issued only till your passport expiry date. It is advisable to renew the passport in U.S before you go for vacation. It hardly takes about 3-4 weeks to get the passport renewed.

[Judhajit]

Thanks

Thanks Shervin,

I reckon I have to renew my passport and I am already on it. Sorry for bothering but I have another question.

I changed my employer in may 2011 but I have an approved H1B stamp on my passport (from the previous employer) which expires in October 2012. My current I-797 approval is till May 2014. So, provided that I renew my passport and visit India, do I still need to appear for stamping/interview process or I can avoid this? Any idea or suggestions? My company's immigration attorney said that I can return to the U.S. using the prior visa stamp and the original approval notice issued to my company. Wanted to have a second opinion on that.

Thanks so much for your time and suggestions. Really appreciate it.

Judhajit.

[shervin143]

The information from your company's immigration attorney is correct. You can use the existing visa with the new approval notice to re-enter U.S. However, you may get an I-94 only till the passport expiry date. So get the passport renewed and carry both the passports (since the visa will be in the old passport) when you re-enter.

Thanks Shervin,

I reckon I have to renew my passport and I am already on it. Sorry for bothering but I have another question.

I changed my employer in may 2011 but I have an approved H1B stamp on my passport (from the previous employer) which expires in October 2012. My current I-797 approval is till May 2014. So, provided that I renew my passport and visit India, do I still need to appear for stamping/interview process or I can avoid this? Any idea or suggestions? My company's immigration attorney said that I can return to the U.S. using the prior visa stamp and the original approval notice issued to my company. Wanted to have a second opinion on that.

Thanks so much for your time and suggestions. Really appreciate it.

Judhajit.

[Judhajit]

Thanks

Thank you so much Shervin .