I-797 H1B Approval Notice Lost - Travel to India for Stamping?

USA H1B Visa
1

Hi! I recently lost my original approval notice for H1B (I797 form) and only have a paper copy. I recently changed status from F1 to H1B. Has anyone traveled with just a copy and attended a visa stamping interview in India? My interview is in 2 weeks in Chennai and I am travelling next week. So I am looking for guidance and options about not having original I797 with me. Will it be a problem at the port of entry without the original with me? I am planning to apply for a duplicate notice (I-824) but it takes a really long time for USCIS to process the request (7-8 months).

Thanks,
Gayathri

2

It is not mandatory to have approval notice original with you. Technically, your employer can retain that part…of course, most of the employers hand it over. Check H1B Approval Notice Sample, and read the text, where it says, employer should retain the top part…
So, having a copy should be sufficient at all places, both at stamping and port of entry…
You should inform your employer about this and talk to the attorney on this have them informed and get their advice.
Also, you can ask your employer to file for the duplicate copy and have that processed.