Travel after H1B renewal

[silkroute]

Hello everyone,

 

I recently got my H1B renewed after the expire of the old H1B. My previous visa stamp has expired but I have been issued a new I-94 card with the new H1B. I need to travel to England for a conference and have a valid UK visa from before. My question is, can I travel out of the US given my situation with the visa stamp (expired) and *re-enter* US without problems at Immigration? Or, is it a MUST that I travel to India to get a visa stamp before I can re-enter the US?

 

Please let me know because attending this conference is very good for my career but I don't have the time to visit India. Also, I do not want to be left in a lurch at Immigration. If I need a visa stamping then I will have to decline the offer to participate at the conference and inform the organizers. 

 

Many thanks for your time,

SR

[jairichi]

You absolutely need a valid H1B visa and I797 to enter US after your visit to London. Look at US embassy website in London to check whether you can apply for a H1B visa there.

[silkroute]

Thank you Jairichi for your reply. Is Automatic Revalidation a good alternative to consider (I hold an Indian passport and am on a H1B)? I was thinking of going to Canada to get a visa renewal done. Also, since the consulate keeps the passport after the visa approval I assume that I would have to stay in Canada until they return the passport. How long does the process typically take? Is Mexico a better alternative? 

 

Thank you