H-1B Visas
The H-1B non-immigrant classification allows for employment in a position requiring highly specialized knowledge and skills and a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. The maximum time an individual can stay in the H-1B status is generally six years and they must be continuously employed and paid. The employer must pay the prevailing wage or higher and attest to certain working conditions under U.S. Department of Labor Laws. The H-1B visa requires an accepted job offer by non-citizen candidates. Before requesting new H-1B visa processing, please continue to work with your unit’s HR talent acquisition consultant/recruiter to confirm the recruit-to-hire process has produced an accepted offer. H-4 dependents applications may be processed as a part of the H-1B visa request.
H-1B Visa Details
H1-B visa requests are submitted through HR Connection by the unit point of contact. This may be completed by the unit administrators, the manager, or the unit HR team. For Export Control questions, please consult with Ohio State’s Office of Secure Research.
Departments are required to pay all H-1B fees. The fee total depends on the type of H-1B case and requested processing speed at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
For additional information regarding H-1B fees please visit the Office of International Affairs website.
To continue employment at Ohio State beyond the current H-1B petition end date, another H-1B petition must be submitted to USCIS to extend the non-citizen employee’s H-1B status. The maximum period for H-1B status is six years, except for some individuals currently in the permanent residency process.
H-1B petitions are employer-specific and a non-citizen candidate with an H-1B visa from another institution requires an H-1B visa petition be submitted to USCIS by Ohio State before they can start working at Ohio State. The process to start a porting H-1B visa request and the timeline for processing is the same as all other H-1B visa requests at Ohio State.
Prior to travel outside the U.S., H-1B scholars and their H-4 dependents must schedule a Travel Appointment with the Office of International Affairs for additional travel requirements and responsibilities.
International Scholars seeking an “employment verification travel letter” may print their own letters.
- Click the “Active Employees Login” button within the “for Faculty and Staff” section under the Employment Verification header.
- Link will take you to the Equifax website.
- On the Equifax website, click on “Letters Center”
- Next, click on “Immigration”
Alternately, Talent Immigration will draft an employment letter for international scholars in H-1B scholar status that submit a Talent Immigration Services Inquiry through HR Connection. HR consultants, supervisors or other unit associates may also draft such letters following Office of International Affairs (OIA) recommendations. Talent Immigration will forward a sample letter template to requesting units to help them draft such letters.
If an Ohio State employee working under the H-1B visa is planning on ending their H-1B status, whether they are departing Ohio State, changing from the H-1B status to another status, or adjusting to permanent residency, the unit or employee needs to submit a request to Talent Immigration through HR Connection to initiate the H-1B Departure process.
- If the unit ends employment before the validity date listed on the I-797 H-1B approval notice for any reason, they are responsible for paying the reasonable cost of return transportation of the employee to their home country.
- Talent Immigration will submit the H-1B departure request through the Office of International Affairs (OIA). OIA needs to withdraw Ohio State’s remaining approved time in H-1B status granted by USCIS or else the host department could, in the event of an audit, still be liable for paying back wages up to the end of the validity dates.
Please reference OIA’s website sections on departures for additional general information.
