ISSO Record Expiration

BU sponsored scholars/employees who will be continuing in their position at BU should work with their host department and complete immigration processing request to the ISSO at least 6 months prior to expiration date noted in the reminder e-mail. See our visa overview if you are unsure of the maximum associated eligibility in your immigration classification.

For the ISSO to confirm eligibility for this extension and to provide institution specific details and instructions, please submit a complete immigration processing request to the ISSO 3-4 months prior to the expiration of the initial OPT authorization.

If you need sponsorship in a different immigration status to continue your employment at BU, work with your host department to complete and submit the immigration processing request at least 6 months before the noted expiration date. Please keep in mind that, in some cases, change of status applications may take 6 months or longer for processing. The ISSO will continue to send email reminders until all immigration processing is complete.

If you hold an employment authorization incident to your immigration status in the U.S. (ie. Pending Lawful Permanent Resident, J-2 dependent with employment authorization, etc.), you should apply to extend this authorization well in advance of the expiration. You will need to provide verification to continue at BU before the end of your current authorization. In some cases, your work authorization can be extended temporarily while the extension is pending with USCIS; however, temporary extension does not apply to all categories so advanced planning is important.

If you already have an employment authorization that is valid beyond the end date noted in the email reminder or initial appointment dates, your host department will just need to provide the ISSO with an updated letter to confirm the continued terms of your position at BU. This can often be the case for temporary positions that need to be extended beyond the dates indicated in the initial offer of employment.