Lost Passport with valid H1B Visa before travelling abroad

USA H1B Visa
1

Hi all, Mine is a very weird situation. I got H1B stamped in September 2015 and travel is not yet planned. Meanwhile I lost my passport which has H1B stamped on it. Please let me know the procedure to be followed.I can reapply for passport. But, number will be changed and the old visa will be invalid. 1. How can I reapply for Visa? 2. Do I have to go through the complete interview procedure again?3. If yes, what questions can I face from the VO?

The same H1 related questions will be asked? Or since it is already issued, he will just check the FIR and reissue the Visa?

Where can I find such similar interview experiences.

2

  1. After you have the new passport, go for stamping again.

  2. Yes

  3. Should be similar to the ones asked during first interview. You can mention the fact that you already have a visa stamped (they would also know the same in their system) and are appearing only b/c of lost passport. The officer may or may not ask additional questions - its their discretion.

Do you have a copy of old passport w/ visa stamp?

3

Thanks Saurabh.

Yes… I have a copy of everything. But how will that help?
Also any chances for questions like ‘why have u not traveled till now’? I received the passport on October 1st. Its been three months.

4

You can carry that copy to show that you already have a previous visa stamp (even though they can get it from your system having a copy helps).

It is ok to not use the visa stamp for 3 months. If asked you can cite personal reasons etc.

5

Hi Saurabh,

When I informed consulate about my lost passport with visa, they have replied with the following content.

"Dear Applicant:

Thank you for informing on your lost passport with valid visa information. We will inform the concern section.

There is no provision in U.S. law for replacing lost or stolen visas. You must apply and qualify for a new visa for any future travel to the U.S. Please visit www.ustraveldocs.com/in to learn how to apply for a visa and schedule an appointment. Please ensure that you have filed an FIR with the local police explaining the circumstances of losing the passport with the U.S. visa.

You may qualify for the Interview Waiver Program –IWP for the renewal of your visa. Please visit our website http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-visarenew.asp for more information on renewals. If you do not qualify for the interview waiver program, you will need to schedule an in-person appointment. For questions regarding appointments, please email to support-india@ustraveldocs.com or call our call center at: from India: 040-4625-8222 (or) 0120-4844644; from US: 1-703-520-2239. "

Does this mean that my case will be treated as renewal?

6

I think you may qualify for IWP as the selection criteria doesn’t exclude lost passports. You can still call them and confirm, but I think you can avail dropbox facility based on this reply.

7

Thanks for answering patiently Saurabh!

In that eligibility criteria, I doubt two of them. Please help me with this as well.

  1. My prior visa is not annotated “Clearance Received” or “Department Authorization”. {No such info is there on my visa.}
  2. My prior visa in the same class is still valid or expired within the last 48 months. {Since I lost my passport, I doubt whether my visa is valid or not.}
8

  1. The visa stamp would clearly mark that. If it is absent, then it doesn’t impact you

  2. You qualify b/c of this reason “If I am applying for an H or L (individual) visa, my prior visa in the same class is still valid or expired within the last 12 months.”. The statement you mentioned would have been applicable if you were applying for say B-1/2 visa and your previous B-1/2 was still valid or expired in last 48 months. Makes sense?