Residency and immigration status · Calculator

H-1B Recapture Calculator
without the guesswork.

H-1B Recapture Time Calculator — Count only full days outside the United States and produce an evidence-gated recapture candidate for petitioner review. Uses a focused calculator with visible assumptions. Inputs stay in your browser.

Reference toolH-1B Recapture Time CalculatorCount only full days outside the United States and produce an evidence-gated recapture candidate for petitioner review. Inputs stay in your browser.

Reference calculation

Inputs

Enter your details.

Your inputs are processed locally and are not uploaded to CalcSpan.

Section 1

Core details

Start with the date, rule and records that define the calculation.

Current six-year maximum date

Mon, Aug 21, 2028

Copy the baseline date from the approved petition / I-94 analysis, before recapture.

Case path

Complete passport, I-94 and travel history reviewed Evidence supports every trip entered USCIS may accept all, part or none of a requested period depending on the record.

Section 2

Trips outside the country

Add only the records that apply. Each record stays grouped for easier checking on a phone.

Trip 1

Add trip 1

Trip 1 · U.S. departure date

Sat, May 23, 2026

Trip 1 · U.S. return date

Mon, Jun 22, 2026

Trip 2

Add trip 2

Trip 3

Add trip 3

Trip 4

Add trip 4

Section 3

Review and confirm

Complete the final checks before calculating the result.

Petitioner / immigration review

Plain-date semantics · start date is not counted unless the result explicitly says inclusive.

Your result

Complete the travel and evidence record before requesting recapture

Only full 24-hour days outside the United States are counted here. Departure and return travel days are excluded, and overlapping entries are deduplicated.

Case pathRegular six-year maximum / recapture

Entered six-year baselineAug 21, 2028

Travel recordIncomplete

Trip evidenceNot ready

Full days outside the United States29 days

Candidate date if every entered day is acceptedSep 19, 2028USCIS may accept all, part or none of the request

Professional reviewPending

USCIS outcomeNot determinedApproval and the I-94 / petition validity period control

Read before relying

Context matters.

The petitioner must request and document recapture; this calendar does not extend status or employment authorization.
AC21, labor-certification, approved-I-140, cap, change-of-status and time in another classification require a different analysis.
Use passport stamps, I-94 history, tickets and other reliable evidence for every claimed full day.

Rule set 2.0.0

Sources & scope

Verified

This page shows the source trail, jurisdiction and review date alongside the result. Always confirm time-sensitive rules with the linked authority.

CalcSpanPlain-date calculation method and input semanticsRetrieved 2026-08-20 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesAdjudicator's Field Manual Chapter 31 — H-1B maximum period and recaptureRetrieved 2026-08-20 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Administrative Appeals Office2022 non-precedent decision — full days outside the United States for H-1B recaptureRetrieved 2026-08-20

JurisdictionUnited States H-1B petition planning — full days outside the United States only; petitioner evidence, USCIS adjudication and special extension paths control

Review date2027-02-21

PrivacyNo input upload

Questions answered

What to know before using the result.

Why are H-1B departure and return dates excluded?

USCIS decisions treat only complete 24-hour days outside the United States as recapturable in this path. A travel day with any time in the United States is not counted here.

Does the candidate date extend my H-1B status?

No. The petitioner must request recapture with evidence, and USCIS may approve all, part or none of the requested period. The approved petition and I-94 control.

Can I use this for AC21 extensions?

Not as a simple recapture calculation. Labor-certification, I-140 and other AC21 or special paths require a separate case analysis, so the tool blocks that branch.

H-1B Recapture Calculator without the guesswork.