You don't have to leave the country to renew your H-1B status. As long as you stay in the US and have a legitimate reason, you can keep renewing the status. Som

You don't have to leave the country to renew your H-1B status. As long as you stay in the US and have a legitimate reason, you can keep renewing the status. Some have done that for 20+ years while waiting for their green card priority date. But if you leave the country for any reason and your entry visa has expired, you have to apply for a new visa to be allowed to return. And you often have to return to your home country to do that. Which can be inconvenient, as it can turn a short vacation or conference trip to a month-long stay in another country. And for citizens of some countries, there is a high risk of denial. Visiting your family can then leave you stranded in a country that's no longer your home, while being locked out of your actual home and life in the US. This is a peculiar feature of the US system. In most countries, when you renew your temporary work permit (whatever it's called), you also renew you entry permit.