As an administrator, it is important to be familiar with BU\u2019s sponsorship policies, procedures and timelines for the various immigration classifications. We encourage you to consult with your Scholar Advisor regarding the possibility of sponsorship and processing requirements before extending a formal appointment or offer of employment.<\/p>\n
BU policy generally limits immigration sponsorship to Boston-based research and teaching positions.<\/strong> The Office of Human Resources provides guidelines for research appointments, whether paid or unpaid, in the Academic Research Job Family Matrix<\/a>, so please review this information to determine the appropriate appointment and follow the procedures specific to your school\/college for appointment conferral. Casual (temporary) research or teaching positions may also qualify for limited sponsorship.<\/p>\n Many administrative and support staff positions do not meet minimum eligibility requirements for immigration sponsorship. On occasion, some professional staff positions in specialized fields may meet minimum federal requirements and thus warrant consideration for institutional sponsorship. Departments wishing to hire an international employee for a professional staff position are advised to consult with us to determine immigration sponsorship options. If the position and the candidate appear to qualify for immigration sponsorship, approval from the hiring authority and the Office of the Provost may also be required. Casual (temporary) staff positions are not eligible for immigration sponsorship.<\/p>\n All requests for the employment of foreign nationals must be processed through the ISSO as we are authorized to sign the legal documents and forms required to sponsor international scholars on behalf of BU. We process most non-immigrant based paperwork\/petitions in-house. Therefore, neither prospective employees nor host departments are authorized to retain outside immigration counsel to represent the international employment needs of BU. If you receive any forms requiring an authorized signature, please forward them to the ISSO.<\/p>\n When determining the most appropriate immigration sponsorship category, the ISSO will evaluate the needs of the host department and the principal objective of the prospective scholar in the U.S. (study, research, employment, etc). While we will take any employee and department preferences into consideration, ultimately, the ISSO will make the final determination on how and when to proceed with sponsorship.<\/p>\n Please forward the completed processing request packet <\/a>to the ISSO well in advance of the proposed employment start date for new and continuing scholar who require either J-1, H-1B, TN, F-1 OPT STEM or O-1 sponsorship.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Some prospective and continuing employees may have obtained employment authorization from USCIS (F-1 Optional Practical Training, J-2 employment authorization, pending permanent resident employment authorization) or other permission granted from their sponsor as a benefit of their current immigration status (i.e. J-1 Academic Training, F-1 Curricular Practical Training).<\/p>\n To initiate processing, the host department must obtain an official academic appointment on behalf of the international scholar through the standard appointment channels at the school or college.\u00a0 All prospective scholars, including recent BU graduates who will work at BU after graduation, must check-in with the ISSO prior to employment at BU and present valid U.S. Employment Authorization as well as a copy of the academic appointment or job offer letter so that the ISSO can complete I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n For short term, unpaid appointments, it may be appropriate (and a lot faster) for your scholar to come to BU in a Visitor classification. We recommend that you speak with your Scholar Advisor to determine situations where this may be preferred.<\/p>\nProcessing for Scholars who require immigration sponsorship<\/h3>
\nProcessing for Scholars with Independent Employment Authorization<\/h3>
\nProcessing for Scholars in a 'Visitor' Classification<\/h3>