The ISSO sends courtesy email reminders about upcoming record expiration dates to both scholars and designated department contacts at 6 months, 3 months and 2 months out from the profile end date. When you receive this message, or if you are simply wondering what the next steps might be, please review the possible scenarios outlined here for more information. We also recommend that you refer to our record keeping & definitions information for details about the dates we  use to trigger these reminder messages. As always, you can feel free to contact your scholar advisor if you are unsure how to respond to our courtesy reminder e-mail.

As part of our efforts to partner with BU’s academic and administrative units across BU, we invite you to attend any or all of our these upcoming training and Q&A sessions. We have created these trainings specifically for our designated administrative contacts. They are a great way to meet the ISSO Scholar Services team, interact with other administrative contacts across BU’s campuses and either gain or refresh your understanding of how to work effectively with our team.

Onboarding and International Scholar/Employee: Overview of the ISSO Clearance Process – Thursday January 29, 2026 @ 10:30 am
Provides an overview of the steps involved for onboarding international scholars and employees in various immigration classifications before they can commence their employment or activity at BU.  Register here.

H-1B Basics – Thursday February 26, 2026 @ 10:30 am
Provides an overview of the H-1B classification, outlines the steps involved in immigration processing, required paperwork, expected timeline and the importance of continued compliance and communication throughout the employment. Register here.

Getting Started: Immigration Processing Basics – Thursday, March 19, 2026 @ 10:30 am
Outlines the ISSO services for scholars and employees, explain how to determine whether immigration processing will be necessary to facilitate an appointment and review the required forms and paperwork needed to request immigration processing for a scholar or employee in your area. Register here.

J-1 Classification Overview – Thursday, April 16, 2026 @ 10:30 am Focuses on the J-1 category, outlines the J-1 process from inviting a foreign scholar to their arrival, ISSO check-in and orientation and continued compliance throughout the BU appointment. Register here.

You may have attended similar sessions in the past, but we continue to update the trainings based on feedback and new details. In addition, the questions and overall discussions vary from session to session so it can still be a worthwhile use of your time.  As always, we are happy to customize a session to meet your departmental needs. If that is the case, please contact your Scholar Advisor to discuss in more detail.

The following videos are intended to educate department administrators about the necessary ISSO processing and clearance steps for appointing or hiring a foreign national. Please review and revisit these topic-specific videos as needed to determine the appropriate processing steps.

Training Videos

The ISSO Scholar Services Communique is the ISSO’s means for keeping our department administrative contacts and hosts up to date on any staffing, procedural, or government / regulatory changes and for sending periodic reminders on important issues and best practices for working with our office and your international researchers, faculty and employees.

If your scholar is leaving BU, please complete the End of Employment or Activity Notification form. The information is required so that the ISSO can properly report and close ISSO records, and, if applicable, any related immigration sponsorship items in accordance with federal regulations.

English proficiency requirement for new J-1 scholars:  All prospective J-1 scholar must be evaluated to insure they have sufficient English language proficiency to succeed not only in their academic appointment at BU, but also on a day-to-day basis.

• J-1 Supplement Form
• Guidelines for making an evaluation and/or using the BU interview protocol and rubric

J-1 Student Intern Evaluation: Departments hosting a J‐1 “Student Intern”, are required to submit an evaluation(s) to the ISSO to outline whether program objectives are being met. For internships lasting less than six months in duration, a Final Evaluation is required within 15 days of the end of the approved internship period. For internships lasting more than six months in duration, a Mid‐Point Evaluation is also required and should be submitted to the ISSO no more than 15 days from the mid‐point of the student’s approved internship period.

• J-1-Student-Intern-Evaluation-Form

Request for Permission to Keep J SEVIS Record Active While Continuing Research Abroad:  This form is intended for use by BU-sponsored scholars in J-1 immigration categories (Research Scholar or Professor) when requesting permission to depart the U.S. for 30 days or longer with the intention of returning to resume employment or academic activities at BU.

• J-1 Scholar Temporary Departure Notification

H-1B Posting Record: Completed by sponsoring department to confirm posting of the LCA for at least ten (10) business days, excluding weekends and days the University is closed for usual business.

• LCA Posting Record

H-1B Change in Employment Form: Must be completed and submitted to ISSO in advance of proposed employment change.

• H-1B Employment Change Form

To insure a smooth transition from ‘student employee’ to ’employee’ please review the guidelines for hiring a recent BU graduate.