Scholar Processing Guidelines & Procedures
As an administrator, know BU’s sponsorship policies, procedures, and timelines—and consult your Scholar Advisor before extending an offer.
Sponsorship Policy
BU generally limits immigration sponsorship to Boston-based research and teaching roles. Review the Office of Human Resources’ Academic Research Job Family Matrix to determine the correct appointment type and follow your school/college’s appointment procedures. Casual (temporary) research or teaching roles may qualify for limited sponsorship; casual/temporary staff positions do not.
Most administrative and support roles do not meet sponsorship eligibility. Some specialized professional staff roles may qualify—consult ISSO early to explore options. If a role appears sponsor-eligible, hiring authority and Provost approval may be required.
All foreign-national employment requests must go through ISSO. ISSO is authorized to sign legal documents and handles most nonimmigrant petitions in-house; departments and prospective hires should not retain outside immigration counsel for BU employment cases. Forward any forms needing an authorized signature to ISSO.
ISSO will evaluate the department’s needs and the candidate’s primary purpose in the U.S. (study, research, employment) to determine the appropriate sponsorship category. While we consider department and candidate preferences, ISSO makes the final decision on sponsorship and timing.
Processing for Scholars who Require Immigration Sponsorship
Go to our Guided Checklist page to determine your next steps.
Processing for Scholars with Independent Employment Authorization
Some employees may already have U.S. work authorization (e.g., F-1 OPT, J-2 EAD, pending green card work permission) or permission tied to their status (J-1 Academic Training, F-1 CPT).
To begin processing, the host department must create an official academic appointment through its school/college channels. All prospective scholars — including recent BU graduates hired by BU — must check in with ISSO before starting work and present valid U.S. employment authorization plus the appointment or offer letter so ISSO can complete the I-9 verification.
Processing for Scholars in a ‘Visitor’ Classification
For short-term, unpaid appointments, a Visitor classification may be faster and appropriate. Consult your Scholar Advisor to confirm.
If Visitor is suitable, send ISSO these documents so we can issue an invitation letter and instructions:
- BU appointment title (usually “Visiting Researcher”)
- Passport data page(s) with expiration date
- Brief statement of the BU affiliation (host name, research type, etc.)
All visitors must check in with ISSO on arrival. Remote check-in is available for Visitor classifications—contact ISSO for details.