End of Employment or Activity
Sponsoring departments are expected to notify the ISSO of the completion of employment or academic activity for all international scholars at BU. This is an important step since the ISSO must properly report and close any related ISSO records as well as any related immigration sponsorship items in accordance with federal regulations. In addition, once notified of the completion, the ISSO will be able to provide additional guidance to the departing scholar and the sponsoring department.
Departments must complete the End of Employment or Activity Notification to the ISSO as soon as possible after the end date is determined. When possible, it is helpful if the sponsoring department can attach the employee’s resignation letter.
End of employment or activity for scholars in J-1 status
As the designated program sponsor, the ISSO must report completions of the J program in the SEVIS system. If the completion date is prior to the end date indicated on the scholar’s Form DS-2019, the ISSO will issue an amended for to reflect the actual completion date. This will enable the scholar to provide proof of the end date in cases where future J eligibility is being considered (link to bars).
If the employee will continue research abroad and will be returning to BU after an extended absence, please contact the ISSO prior to submitting the End of employment or activity form, as it may be feasible for us to leave the scholar’s SEVIS record open so that they can more easily return to BU in the near future and so they will not incur any bars to returning to BU in J status (link to bars). In such cases, please complete the Permission to Keep J SEVIS Record Active While Continuing Research Abroad form for ISSO consideration.
End of employment or activity for scholars in H-1B and O-1 status
When a sponsoring department dismisses an H-1B employee prior to the expiration of the employment authorization obtained on the employee’s behalf, the department is liable for the reasonable costs of return transportation to the employee’s country of last residence abroad. Departments are notified of and must agree to this provision as part of the sponsorship request process. Please contact the ISSO for additional information on how to comply with this requirement. In cases where the employee resigns from BU prior to the expiration of the authorization or where the employment will end as indicated in the approved petition, the return transportation liability is not incurred.
End of employment or activity for scholars in authorized STEM OPT extension
BU is responsible for notifying the sponsoring institution (school from which the employee graduated) within 48 hours of the end of the employment or activity. Therefore, it is imperative that the sponsoring department submit the Notification of End of Employment/Activity form to the ISSO prior to the expected completion date to ensure compliance with OPT STEM requirements.