Planning to go for H1B and H4 visa renewal stamping

USA H1B Visa
1

I am on H1B visa and my wife is on H4 visa. Last year (2021), I changed company and my H1B transfer and my wife H4 renewal was done by my new employer.

We are now planning to get VISA stamped by going to India and scheduling an appointment in India. Few questions regarding that:

  1. In terms of applications, do we need to fill 2 DS 160 form and then create on CGI profile for myself and in that, I can schedule appointment for both of us. Is that right?
  2. As it is more than 1 year since we got our I-797 Approval notice, are we still eligible for dropbox appointment? I heard that there is some extension of 48 months as compared to 12 months earlier.
  3. In Dropbox appointment, do we need to schedule for 2 days for biometrics and dropping the documents? Or just 1 day?
  4. How much time on average does it take after dropbox appointment to get your passport back?
  5. My old Indian passport has previous H1B and similarly my wife previous H1B is also on old passport. The old passports for both of us are expired. So, while filing DS 160 form, should we give information for the new passports? And at the time of dropbox, do we only need to submit the new passports?
  6. How does I-94 gets updated with new passport details. All the current travel history is associated with old passport. Will that history with old passport be moved to new passport when I will re-enter US?
2

Yes.

As far as you were issued a US visa in past, you may be eligible for IW till 31st Dec’2022.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/important-announcement-on-waivers-of-the-interview-requirement-for-certain-nonimmigrant-visas.html

Consulate will use biometric from past, just dropbox appointment.

1 to 2 weeks unless you get 221g.

DS160 will carry the current passport information. You will need to submit copy of old passport along with the visa page with other H1B supporting documents.

No. Your most recently issue I-94 entry record will refer your current passport. Old I-94 entry records will stay as is.

3

Thanks so much Kalpesh for answering my questions so nicely.

While filing DS 160 form for my spouse (H4 visa renewal), it asks for Primary applicant information such as name and receipt number. I guess there, I should give my H1B approval receipt number and not her H4 receipt number. Is that right? Will the application doesn’t ask for her H4 approval notice receipt number anywhere?

4

Correct.

H4 visa can be applied based on H1B i-797 as itvis derivative of H1B.

5

Thanks Kalpesh for your reply.

Just curious, how is then H4 approval notice is used for?

6

For extension of status. The I-94 attached to the I-797 governs your status in the US.