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Approval of for H-1B Petition while outside , O-1 or TN Visa Classification While Outside the US

If you were outside the US at the time an H-1B , O-1 or TN visa petition was filed on your behalf, you must wait until UNH obtains Form I-797, Notice of Approval, before you can are eligible to apply for a visa with which to enter the US and assume begin your employment. Once the USCIS has notified UNH that it has approved our petition, we will send the original of Form I-797 , along with a copy of the petition, to your address outside the US. You must take this document to apply for your visa at these documents to the US Embassy or Consulate which serves closest to your place of residence . Be sure to take apply for your valid valid passport . visa. Check out the State Department's list of Embassies and Consulates with online information about application procedures and requirements.

Once you have obtained a new visa in your passport, you may apply for admission to the US at a port of entry. An immigration officer Immigration Officer will examine your documents and issue you Form I-94, Record of Arrival and Departure. The period of validity on your I-94 card should normally coincide with the dates on the Form I-797 , although it is a good idea to ask the immigration officer to grant you a ten-day grace period on the I-94 card. (This will not allow you to work ten extra days, but it will allow you to remain in the US ten days beyond the end of the employment period.) . This card is very important as it is signifies proof of your H-1B visa status, legal entry into the US , and authorization to be employed by the University of New Hampshire.

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Special Information for Canadian Citizens

Citizens of Canada are not required to obtain a visa to enter the US. This is true not only for tourists tourist visas, but also for other non-immigrant statuses visas which permit employment , such as the H-1B . , O-1 and TN. However, the H-1B employment does and O-1 visas do require a petition to the USCIS , however. . If you are in the US in another nonimmigrant visa category, we will ask for a change of status to H-1B and , O-1 or TN. We will notify you when we receive the approval notice from the USCIS.

If you are in Canada, we will forward the approval notice to you. Because you do not need a visa, you will simply present Form I-797 to the immigration officer Immigration Officer at the port-of-entry (if driving) or to pre-flight inspection at the airport.

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Employment Limitations

It is important for you to understand that you are only authorized to work for the University of New Hampshire. TheH-1B status is , O-1 and TN visas are employer - and position - specific. If you discontinue your employment with UNH at any time prior to the end of the approved employment period validity date, you will may be considered out of status and will may be required to depart the United States (without grace period). . If you accept a position with another employer, that institution will you may be required able to file begin work at that institution as long as your new employer files another H-1B petition on your behalf in order for you to be employed by them. You should inquire with your new employer concerning details.

If you are offered the opportunity to change positions within UNH, you must contact the OISS before you assume your new position. Depending upon the circumstances of the change, we may be required to submit a new an amended petition to the USCIS which will allow you to hold a different position.

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Maximum Presence in the United States

The maximum allowable time for any individual to remain in the US in H-1B status is six years. Immigration regulations permit an employer to ask for a maximum of an initial three years initially (some departments request less time, especially if funding is uncertain), with extensions of up to an additional three years possible. At the end of the six year period, the holder of an H-1B visa must do one of the following: either:

1. depart the US for a period of not less than one year before s/he is eligible for a new H-1B status; or visa;
2. change to a different nonimmigrant visa category (if eligible ); or
3. obtain permanent residence in the US.

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Payment of US Taxes

International employees holding H-1B , O-1 or TN visa status are considered as residents of the US for tax purposes, and as such are subject to Social Security (FICA) taxes as well as federal income tax. If you have been working at UNH in the US in another nonimmigrant visa category, you will probably need to complete a new Form I-9 (and, probably, a new W-4 as well) and make a revision to show Form I-9 to indicate the change in your non-immigrant visa and tax status. You may obtain these forms from your department , Business Service Center, or Human Resources, and return them to Human Resources. Please attach a copy of your I-797 Notice of Approval.

Individuals in H-1B status are entitled to file their income taxes as permanent residents for tax purposes once they have met the IRS definition for "substantial presence". See IRS publication 519 for an explanation of substantial presence.

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Extensions of Stay

You have permission to be employed at the University of New Hampshire until the expiration date listed on Form From I-797 , H-1B A pproval N otice. or your I-94 card. If you are offered an opportunity to extend your employment at UNH, we must file a request for extension with the USCIS. To remain in valid status, this extension request must be received at the Service Center in Vermont on or before the date your current stay will expire , though it is preferable to file it at least ten days earlier. H-1B extension petitions can be filed a maximum of six months before the expiration of current status. . Requests for extensions of stay must be made by your department on your behalf. It may take several months for the USCIS to process an extension.

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Responsibility for Compliance with Immigration Regulations

It is your responsibility to comply with all federal immigration regulations which govern your specific nonimmigrant visa classification. Remaining in the US beyond the designated period granted by the USCIS could subject you to a bar from re-entering the US for a period of up to ten years. Please do not jeopardize your legal right to remain in the US by accepting unauthorized employment, failing to apply for an extension of stay as necessary, or violating your immigration status in some other manner.

The Office of International Students & Scholars is available to answer any questions you might have related to your immigration status and responsibilities. Please do not hesitate to contact the OISS if you need assistance.

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