Step by Step H1B Dropbox Process: Eligibility, Documents, Change of Employer

When you apply for a US Visa renewal and you meet certain criteria, you can get it stamped in your passport without attending an in-person visa interview. This kind of visa stamping process is called an ‘Interview Waiver’ option and is popularly called the ‘Dropbox Stamping’.  The same interview waiver option is available for H1B Visa renewal as well.

Update: The US Department of State made changes to the Dropbox Visa Appointment Eligibility Criteria without any official press release from Feb 10th, 2025. Read Changes to Dropbox Stamping Eligibility Criteria. The article below has been updated to reflect the changes and has all updated screenshots.

In this article, we will cover the step-by-step process for H1B visa stamping using ‘dropbox’ or the ‘interview waiver’ option. We will cover all areas like H1B visa dropbox eligibility requirements, booking appointments, documents checklist, how it works with employer change or H1B Visa Transfer situations, and status changes. Also, it will include changes to the Dropbox requirements in recent times after Trump Administraiton took office in 2025.

The first step to applying for H1B stamping using the interview waiver or Dropbox option is to ensure you meet all the general required criteria for a typical interview waiver or dropbox. Let’s first look at the eligibility requirements in the context of an H1B visa.

H1B Visa Dropbox Eligibility Requirements

Starting from February 10th, 2025, the Trump Administration removed some of the provisions such as “48 months from expiry” and “different visa category renewals based on previous US Visa”. The Dropbox eligibility requirements below are updated to reflect the new changes. You can read more at: drobpox eligibility requirements: same category, 12 months.

Below are the general eligibility criteria for getting an H1B Visa stamping using dropbox or the interview waiver option. You must meet all the requirements below to be eligible for dropbox stamping:

• You should have H1B Visa Stamping done before and have US Visa foil in your passport of type H1B.  Dropbox or interview waiver is only possible for H1B Visa Renewal.
• Your most recent H1B visa stamping in your passport should be issued on or after your 14^th birthday
• Your H1B visa stamp in your passport was not lost, stolen, cancelled, or has CWOP written on the visa.
• There are not US visa refusals in any visa type after the most recent US Visa issuance.

Also, if you are over 80 years of age and applying for an H1B Visa renewal, then you need to only meet one condition, which is your most recent US Visa application was not refused.

Before we get into other aspects of H1B Dropbox, let’s look at the Dropbox eligibility when you change employers. Many are confused, if they need a new H1B Visa stamp after changing employers.

H1B Dropbox Eligibility for Change of Employer

Many H1B applicants, who have done a change of employer or transferred to a new employer assume that they are not eligible for dropbox submission. They are misguided by the fact that their previous H1B visa foil glued in their passport has their previous employer’s name and they may not be eligible for dropbox.

To give you more context, when your H1B Visa was issued by the US Consulate, the H1B Visa foil that was glued in your passport would have the H1B Sponsoring Company name and the petition number details on it under the annotation section, as you can see in below screenshot. Having the previous company name is the cause of the confusion. Many assume that they may not be eligible for H1B Visa using the dropbox option.

The reality is that the employer name on the US Visa is only an annotation added for reference of the CBP officer. It has nothing to do with Dropbox stamping eligibility. As long as you satisfy all the general eligibility criteria for H1B Visa Dropbox, as listed in the above section, you are eligible for H1B visa stamping using the Dropbox option.  

Also, to confirm the above, when you fill out the visa details and answer the questionnaire on the USVisaScheduling or CGI Federal Websites, you will not be asked for your previous employer information or what your visa stamp annotation says.

All they ask for are questions about your current H1B visa expiration date and general criteria. That’s another confirmation that you are eligible for dropbox stamping, even if you have a change of employer using an H1B transfer.  Also, over the years, we have many users on our blog and social media channels who got stamping done after the H1B transfer without any issues. So, it is confirmed based on users’ experiences as well.  

Now that you understand the general requirements for H1B stamping using dropbox, let’s look at the step-by-step process.  

Step by Step Guide to Apply for H1B Visa Dropbox Appointment

The process to apply for H1B Visa stamping using the dropbox or interview waiver option is not very different from the general visa renewal for other types of visas. It is mostly the documents you submit and your eligibility criteria that matter.

For background, you can read How to Apply for a US Visa for general guidance on the US Visa stamping process. Let’s look at each of the steps now.

Step 1 – Complete Non-immigrant US Visa Application (DS-160) Form online

You need to complete the Online Non-Immigrant US Visa Application and complete all the details related to your current H1B sponsor and previous employment information.  You will be asked to select a location for the visa stamping or interview when you start the DS-160 form. Select the best city that you can think of where you would go for stamping. See the below screenshot.

The city you select here does not really matter. It can be different from the city where you actually go for stamping or submitting documents.

The DS-160 form is very lengthy and asks for a lot of information. It can take time to complete this form.  Also,  when you submit the DS-160 form, you will get a confirmation number. The DS-160 confirmation number is also the same as the Application ID. You will enter the DS-160 confirmation number or Application ID in the next step during the appointment booking for Dropbox stamping.  

Step 2 – Create a Profile on US Visa Appointment Booking Website

After you complete the DS-160 form, you need to create a new user profile on US Visa appointment booking website. Depending on the country managed, this website is different and managed by CGI Federal. Below is how it looks:

• H1B Visa Stamping in India: If you are looking for H1B dropbox stamping in India, then you need to register and create an account at www.USVisaScheduling.com. You can check the step-by-step guide to creating an account on USVisaScheduling.com website.
• H1B Stamping outside of India: If you are looking to get H1B stamping outside of India, then you would either use https://portal.ustraveldocs.com/ website or https://ais.usvisa-info.com/ to book an appointment. You need to register an account on the respective appointment booking website for the country to pay the fee and book an appointment.

You need to complete basic information about yourself. Depending on the country you are planning to applying for Dropbox stamping it will look different.

Below is the screenshot of completing applicant’s personal details on USVisaScheduling.com, which is for Dropbox stamping in India.

If you are using portal.ustraveldocs.com and getting stamping in another country, it will look different from above.

As there are two to three US Visa Appointment booking systems that are used now globally, in the below sections, we will clearly put a heading and tell what wesbite the screenshot is for to avoid any confusion. Based on popularity and usage, this article will focus on USVisaScheduling.com as the main website for reference screenshots.

Step 3 – Complete Visa Type, Personal details, H1B Petition Details, Dependents info

Depending on the country you plan to get stamping from, the steps may look different as the websites are different. Below are the steps for India, when you are using the USVisaScheduling.com website.

Steps on USVisaScheduling.com Website for Stamping in India

On USVisaScheduling.com, you need to click on the Start Application to fill out a new application for H1B Dropbox. Below is a screenshot of how it looks.

You need to select the below Visa Options. Each of the fields would be a drop-down, select the below accordingly for H1B Dropbox

• Country: This will be prepopulated to India and you cannot change this.
• Visa Type: Non-immigrant
• Embassy/Consulate/OFC: Select the US consulate or Embassy that is applicable to your location of stay in India. In India, the H1B processing is centralized in Chennai and Hyderabad, so you must select one of these.
• Post Visa Category: As it is for H1B Dropbox, you would select the visa category as ‘Employment-based visas’.
• Visa Priority: This will be prepopulated to English and you cannot change this.

See the screenshot below on how the actual visa options screen looks on USVisaScheduling.com for H1B Dropbox stamping.

You need to select the visa tag as H-1B and then click on the “Continue” button. See the screenshot below for how it looks

You need to enter the additional details of DS-160 and Petition Information on the next screen. You will need to enter the below

• DS-160 Confirmation Number: This is the confirmation number after you complete the DS-160 form online. It is also called the Application ID.
• Petitioner Name: This is the H1B Sponsor name as it appears on the H1B Approval Notice
• Petition Receipt Number or Petition Request Number: This is the H1B Receipt Number as it appears on the H1B Approval Notice.
• Petition Start Date: This is the “Valid from Date” on the H1B approval notice. Do not worry about the time. It can be anything on the same date. The date is the important thing to note.
• Petition Expiration Date: This is the “Valid to Date” on the H1B approval notice.

It looks like this in the screenshot below on the USVisaScheduling.com website. You can read more at Petitioner Name – How to fill US Visa Appointment.

After this step, you will be taken to answer the H1B Dropbox questionnaire. To clarify, this flow is different from the flow that used to be on the previous portal.USTraveldocs website. You can go to Step 4 below to continue the guide for USVisaScheduling.com

The US Department of State has almost phased out Portal.USTravelDocs.com in many countries, except a few. To keep the article more relevant, we have removed all references to the Portal.USTravelDocs.com website. The process is the same; the screens will look different.

Step 4 – H1B Dropbox Eligibility Check Wizard

In the next step, you will be asked a few questions related to your H1B Visa Stamping status to check, if you are eligible for dropbox or not. You need to answer them correctly based on your situation.  

The H1B Dropbox eligibility check wizard questions are technically the same for stamping within India or outside of India. Just the way they are presented in the system are different as they are two different websites.

Below are each of the questions and answers that most of the H1B Visa renewal applicants answer:

Question 1: “Are you a citizen of XXX or Lawful Resident of XXX ?” 

Response: This question is to validate whether you are eligible to submit H1B Dropbox. You must be a citizen of the country and a lawful resident of the country. You must answer “yes” only if you are a citizen of that country or a lawful resident. If not, you do not qualify for H1B Dropbox.

For India, the question would be “Are you a citizen of India/Bhutan or Lawful Resident of India/Bhutan ? If you are in a different country, the country “India/Bhutan” in the above question will be set to that particular country.

See the screenshot below of this question on how it looks on the USVisaScheduling.com website for booking H1B Dropbox appointments in India.

Question 2: “Do you have a previous H-1B Visa (temporary occupation, temporary worker or trainee) issued on or after your 14th birthday ?” 

Response: If you had your previous H1B Visa issued in the past after you turned 14 years old, you would answer ‘Yes.’ If not, you should answer “No”

See the screenshot below of this question on how it looks on the USVisaScheduling.com website for booking H1B Dropbox appointments in India. Once you select the option, click on the ‘Next’ button.

In the past, you used to get the question that was generic, saying any visa, but this changed starting from February 2025 since the Trump administration reinstated the same category visa renewals only and removed other provisions.

Also, in the past, there was a question on ‘Clearance Received’ or ‘Department Authorization’. Starting from April 2023, the US Department of State removed that question. Even if your visa has an annotation that says ‘Clearance received’ or ‘Department Authorization’, you would still be eligible for H1B Dropbox. If you do not know what this means, you may read What is ‘Clearance Received’ or ‘Department Authorization’ annotation?

Question 3: “Is your prior H-1B visa(temporary occupation, temporary worker or trainee) still valid?”

Response: Answer “Yes” if your current issued H1B visa is still valid. Check the validity of the visa to see the dates. If your visa has expired, then select “No”. You will get a subsequent question asking the duration of when it expired.

See the screenshot below on how it looks on USVisaScheduling.com for appointment booking in India.

You will only get the below question 3(A) if you answer “No” to the above question 3.

Question 3(A): “Did your previous H-1B visa(temporary occupation, temporary worker or trainee) expire within the last 12 months?”

Response: Answer “Yes”, only if your current H1B Visa in passport expired within the last 12 months. This used to be “in the last 48 months”, but changed starting from early February 2025 after the Trump Administration removed the previous provisions. Also, you must factor in 7 calendar days for the submission before the full 12 months for submission. If your H1B visa expired more than 12 months ago, then select “No,” and you will not be eligible for Dropbox stamping.

See the screenshot below on how it looks on USVisaScheduling.com for appointment booking in India.

Question 4: “Was your most recent U.S. visa(in the same class for which you are applying) lost, stolen, cancelled, revoked, or marked CWOP?”

Response: Check if your most recently issued H1B Visa meets all the below conditions:

• It was not lost or stolen (meaning, you did not lose your passport with your H1B Visa in it)
• It was not canceled or revoked (it could be for any reason like DUI, or by CBP, etc. )
• It should not be marked as CWOP (Cancelled without Prejudice). For more, read What is CWOP, how it looks? why it is stamped? meaning?

If your answer is ‘Yes’ to all the above 3 points, then you would answer ‘No’ to this question. This question applies to your most recent H1B Visa.

See the screenshot below on how it looks on USVisaScheduling.com for appointment booking inside India. Click on the button that reads ‘Next’ after selecting the correct option.

Question 5: “Have you ever been refused any type of U.S. visa?”.

Response: If you were never refused a US visa (including H1B Visa) at a consulate during visa stamping before, you would answer ‘No’. If you had any previous refusals of any type of US visa, then you would answer “Yes”. Answering “Yes” does not necessarily make you ineligible for Dropbox, you will be asked another question.

‘This question is related to a US Visa that was issued at a US consulate or Embassy. This is not related to USCIS petition approval or denial.

The screenshot below shows how it looks on the USVisaScheduling.com website for India appointments. Click on the button ‘Next’ after selecting the correct option.

You will only get the below question 5(A) if you answer “Yes” to the above question 5.

Question 5(A): “Did your most recent application for a visa result in you being issued the visa? “ 

Response:  If your most recent US Visa was issued/approved after your previous US Visa refusal, then you would answer “Yes”, if not, you would answer “No”. If you answer “Yes” you would be qualified for Dropbox.

The screenshot below shows how the question looks on the USVisaScheduling.com website for India appointments. Click on the button ‘Next’ after selecting the correct option.

Confirmation on H1B Dropbox Eligibility, Option to pick Interview for Emergency

If you have answered the interview waiver wizard questions as mentioned above and you are eligible, you will get a confirmation saying that you are eligible for Interview Wavier or Dropbox with a message that reads as follows:

“Congratulations! You qualify for the Interview Waiver. You will need to schedule an appointment to visit the Document Drop-Off locations to submit your documents but do not need to schedule a visa interview at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate.…”

In the past, before February 2025, you used to have an option for an interview that you could select if there was an emergency; now, you cannot do it in this step. You can only select “Drop-off”

You need to click the “Drop-Off” button at the bottom of the message to proceed with your interview waiver/Dropbox visa application. Depending on the country, this may look different with country-specific information about fees for document delivery.

Below is the sample screenshot of the confirmation message for appointments in India done using USVisaScheduling.com. It does not show any US Consulate/Embassy-related information.

The below steps for adding dependents are only applicable for Dropbox appointment booking in USVisaScheduling.com website. It does not apply to anyone submitting Dropbox using the other appointment booking websites.

Adding Dependents in the new USVisaScheduling.com Website for Appointments in India

For H1B Visa Dropbox appointment booking in the new USVisaScheduling.com website, the adding of dependents comes at the end after the Dropbox confirmation message. You can add dependents by following the below steps.

If you want to add any dependents, click on the ‘+’ button, as shown in the below screenshot.

You will need to complete the below information when you select to add a dependent

• Contact Information (name, email, language)
• Applicant details ( relationship, country of birth, etc.)
• Contact information (phone number)
• Mailing Address
• Passport Details

Below is how the screenshots of the same look like on USVisaScheduling.com

Also, you will be asked to complete the below information in subsequent screens about the dependent

• Visa Options (Country, type of visa, consulate location, visa category)
• Visa Class Tag ( H-4)
• DS-160 Info
• Petition Information (same as what was entered for H1B Holder)
• Document Delivery Information(pickup location, address)

Step 5: Document Delivery Location, MRV Fee Payment Receipt Number

You will get an option to specify the “Document Delivery” Option if you would pick up or choose the premium delivery option. Depending on your choice, pick the relevant option, and fill in the relevant details, click on the button that reads ‘next’.

The screenshot below shows how it looks on USVisaScheduling.com for booking an appointment in India.

Next, you will get Payment Options. Below is how it looks across two different sites.

Payment Options on USVisaScheduling.com

You will get an option to choose your payment options with the below payment types

• Citibank Cash
• VFS Credit/Debit Cards
• VFS UPI
• Druk Bank Cash
• VFS EFT

You can choose any of these options and make the payment. If you choose an option, you will get a confirmation for the same and be asked to make payment. Depending on the number of people, like dependents, you will get the fee bundled and shown as one payment.

See the screenshot below on how it looks for payment options on the USVisaScheduling.com

If you choose to claim receipts and click on claim receipts, you will get an option to enter the receipt numbers. This is valid for anyone who made payment before Jul 28th, 2023. Below is the screenshot on how it looks

Step 6: Book an Appointment to Drop-off Documents  

In this next step, you will book the date and time slot to drop off your documents.

Schedule OFC Appointment Screen

OFC stands for Offsite Facilitation Center in the US Visa Appointments context.

This screen is one of the most confusing parts for many. The reason is it says “Schedule OFC Appointment” or “Applicant Schedule OFC Appointment”. Many think it is for giving your Biometrics (fingerprints, photo).  In general, Dropbox stamping does not need Biometrics. So, the appointment you will book on this screen is for dropping off your H1B Dropbox Stamping Document and not for giving Biometrics.  

Note: Before November 28th, 2021, for dropbox or interview waiver appointments, it used to show “IW” at the end of the consulate name in the dropdown, where you select the interview location. This changed to VAC for dropbox/interview waiver appointments after Nov 28th, 2021. So do not be confused. You can check complete details about this change at US Visa Dropbox / Renewal – VAC vs. IW Confusion, New Change

If you are looking at booking an appointment in India on USVisaScheduling.com, you will get an option that says “OFC Post” and, below that, an option to “Select Date”. You can choose the Consulate where you would ultimately want your documents to be sent for stamping under the OFC Post.

You can choose an available date and time by clicking on a box on the calendar that shows with ‘Green Borders’. The ones in red borders are not available. You will also see the slots available by time below once you select the date. You can choose the correct time slot as well here.

Below is the screenshot of the Dropbox location, Date, and time selection on the USVisaScheduling.com website for India’s US Consulate appointments.

Step 7: Print H1B Dropbox Appointment Confirmation Letter  

Once you book the dates, you will get confirmation of the same and it will show all the relevant information about your appointment. You would need to ensure all the details are correct. This looks slightly different based on the website you are booking on.

How to Print US Visa Appointment Confirmation letter on USVisaScheduling.com

If you are using USVisaScheduling.com for appointment booking in India, you will get a confirmation screen that looks like in the screenshot below. You may or may not see a proper print button this page.

You can use Ctrl+P on Windows or Command+P on Mac to print out the confirmation letter. If for whatever reason you missed to print, you can print the same at the URL https://www.usvisascheduling.com/en-US/DropboxConfirmation/ . Verify the Visa Category and ‘Visa Priority’ to ensure, it is ‘Interview Waiver”, which means dropbox.

After you book the dates, you will be navigated further to print the H1B Dropbox Appointment Confirmation Letter. It will usually be six pages. The first page would have your details, Appointment details, Document delivery or pickup info, fee information, and DS-160 details.  

The second page would have the details of the Dropbox Location and instructions. The list of documents to be carried will be given on the rest of the pages by Visa type. Look for the one relevant for H and L Applicants. You can check more at Sample US Visa Dropbox Confirmation Letter

H1B Dropbox Document Checklist

Below is the list of documents that need to be submitted for H1B Dropbox Submission during the appointment :

• Dropbox Appointment Confirmation Letter
• DS-160 CEAC Confirmation Page
• Passport Photo as per US Visa Photo specifications
• All Original Passports with a previous US Visa ( if you have one, just carry that)
• Your previous US Visa that is valid or expired (it would be in your passport)
• Photocopy of your I-797 Approval Notice (Current & Previous)
• Employment Verification or Confirmation Letter (original or copy)
• (Optional) H1B LCA Copy (this was asked during dropbox for a few users in Mumbai)
• (if applicable) End Client Letter. If you work as a consultant for a client, carry the client letter.
• (Optional) Additional I-797 approval notices, if you had any in the middle for transfers. They may or may not take them. You can request and submit to be safe.
• You can check H1B Visa Stamping Document Checklist for full details

Never submit any original documents during Dropbox except your passport. If you give the I-797 approval notice original, you may not get it back. So be careful

You can carry either color printout or a black-and-white printout of your appointment letter/ confirmation page. Also for all supporting documents, carry originals and copies of the same. The originals can be verified as needed by them when they take copies.

Documents Checklist for H1B Dropbox from Appointment Letter

As per the US Visa Dropbox Appointment Letter, below is the screenshot of the list of documents that you need to carry for document submission. There are two sets of documents they suggest. The first one is the list of common documents and the second is the documents that are specific to H1B visa applicants.

List of Common Documents for H1B Dropbox Applicant

List of Documents specific to H1B Visa for Dropbox applicant

H1B Dropbox Document Submission Process

The process to submit documents is pretty straightforward as listed below.

1. You need to go to the relevant address of the documents drop-off location that is on the Dropbox Confirmation Letter.
2. You need to go only during the appointment date and allowed times to the dropbox location in the appointment confirmation letter.  This can vary by location, check the letter.
3. They will verify all the documents and then take the listed documents in the above checklist. 
4. In India, they have changed the dropbox submission process allowing any of the consulates or VAC locations to accept the dropbox submission. Check Can Drop off US Visa Dropbox Documents at any Location now for full info.
5. There is no requirement for the actual applicant to submit the documents. The documents can be submitted by a representative on the appointment date and time. The representative needs to carry a photo id to submit documents. The appointment letter would have all the details related to the representative submission process.
6. Additional instructions like parking and other location-specific info would be listed on the confirmation letter.
7. Due to the pandemic, there may be additional checks in place and health checks, so be prepared.

You may add your H1B Dropbox details anonymously at US Visa Dropbox Stamping Tracker to get details on current processing time trends and for community benefit.

Let’s now look at the next steps after the submission of documents.

US Visa Status on CEAC Website after Documents Submission

After you submit the documents, you can check your US Visa Status Online on the Consular Electronic Application Center(CEAC) website.  Below is the typical sequence for the change of various statuses.

1. ‘No Status’: This status does not appear for everyone, it can appear for a few. If this appears for you, do not worry, within a day or two, it would change to one of the below status
2. ‘Application Received’ Status: You would see the “Application Received” status on the same day or by the next day after submitting documents.
3. ‘Administrative Processing’ or ‘Refused’ Status: You may see the status change from ‘Application Received’ to “Administrative Processing” or “Refused” status. Do not panic, if you see these statuses.  It does not necessarily mean your visa is refused or going through 221g. They are very common to appear in the middle during visa processing time. You may see these statuses for 3 to 4 days. Some users said they have seen this for a week or 10 days. So, do not panic. Read Why CEAC website shows Refused Status for US Visa?
4. “Approved” Status: You will see the status change to “Approved” if your US visa was approved by US Consulate.
5. “Issued” Status: You will see the status change to “Issued” if your US visa was printed and glued in your passport by US Consulate.
6. After your passport is in ‘Issued’ status, you can track your passport status on USVisaScheduling.com Website. It will show the status of your passport is ready for pickup, and also once you collected your passport.  You can collect your passport or it will be delivered to your address if you have picked that option. Read How to track Passport after US Visa Stamping, various Statuses meaning

Below is a sample screenshot of how the “Issued” status looks on the CEAC website for your reference.

H1B Dropbox Stamping Not Approved Situation

If your H1B visa was not approved by the US Consulate for some reason with the dropbox option, then you will be notified that your visa was not approved. The visa status on the CEAC website will continue to show status as “Administrative Processing” or “Refused”.

When you go to collect your documents and passport, they will return everything and also issue a 221(g) Administrative Processing slip that gives instructions on the next steps. Sometimes, the Consulate would ask you to appear in person on any day by visiting the consulate at a certain time and sometimes, they may tell you wait as it needs more processing.

Below is a sample screenshot of 221g issued for someone in Mumbai, India in January 2023, where they tell the applicant that their application requires additional processing and the consulate will contact them via email.

Below is a sample 221g issued by the Consulate for dropbox stamping that was not successful in August 2022 from New Delhi. In this case, it clearly tells that the applicant has to attend the interview. You also do not need to make any appointments. All you need to do is take your passport and go to the Embassy on any day before 10 AM.

Below is sample 221g given at the Consulate for H1B Dropbox before the pandemic, asking to attend the consulate for an interview on any day.

Conclusion

Overall, the process to renew an H1B visa, using an interview waiver/ dropbox option, is very straightforward and should not have any complications. Sometimes, even if your application is all good, they may call you for a random interview, so do not panic and handle it with confidence.

What has been your experience with H1B Dropbox stamping? Share your thoughts and inputs in comments section below.