News

Update as of 7/6:

Units may resume visa request submission using revised forms available at https://lux.ap.washington.edu/visa/. The forms have been updated to incorporate and require new Workday Finance worktags. 

• ISO advisors and AHR specialists will reach out to units to collect worktags on visa requests that were submitted. but not approved by 06/30. 
• Visa intake forms have been updated to collect worktags; use the current versions going forward:
  • H Visa Intake Form (edition date 06/30/2023)
  • J Visa Intake Form (edition date 07/05/2023)
• The H Visa Request Form and H Visa Intake Form have also been updated to accommodate staff titles, consistent with the joint OAP/UWHR staff visa pilot program. 
• The H Visa Request Checklist (edition date June 2023) has been refreshed to correct links and checkboxes and to include staff visa sponsorship.

Please contact ISO with any questions you have regarding these changes.

Update as of 7/3: Visa request submission will be re-opened once OAP has access to UWFT  financial information, which is currently estimated to be 7/6/2023.

OAP has been working to smoothly manage the transition of our Lux visa request system from UW’s legacy financial system to the worktags being implemented as part of the UW Finance Transformation (“UWFT”). This week, OAP was informed that worktag data will not be available until 07/05. As a result, it will not be possible to accept visa requests between 06/17 and 07/05.

Units should therefore plan around the following dates:

• Now through 06/16: units submit visa requests (including H visa requests, J visa requests, J amendments, and J-2 dependent requests) per the current process using existing budget codes for billing. 
• 06/16: DEADLINE to submit visa requests using existing budget codes; any requests submitted on or before 06/16 and conditionally approved will be billed before FT cutover.
• 06/17-07/05: Visa request black-out period; request forms (including drafts) are unavailable and visa request submissions paused. Other Lux functionality (including “Manage Files” pages and “My submitted” pages) will remain accessible.
• 07/06: Visa request forms available; units may resume visa request submission using UWFT worktags. Saved draft visa requests less than 90 days old will still be available. Requestors will need to add UWFT worktags to these drafts before submitting.

If you have an urgent visa request during the blackout period, you should contact ISO, who will assess the urgency of the request and identify any alternative pathways to continue processing.

We appreciate your patience during this transition period.

On February 2, OAP will update our visa request tool. 

This update will involve the following change:

• A third gender option, “Other”, will be added to all forms for J-1 exchange visitors and J-2 dependents. This change reflects options available in the U.S. government’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and associated systems for J-1s, as well as the fact that many countries now allow for a third gender option on their passports. This change will affect the following forms:
  • J Visa Request
  • Add J-2 Dependent
• ISO will revise our J Visa Intake Form accordingly. Please make sure you use the most current version at https://ap.washington.edu/j1-intake-2/.
• Please note that because USCIS (the agency that adjudicates H-1B, TN, E-3, and O-1 applications) does not currently recognize a third gender option, the H Visa Request will continue to list only two gender options.
• This change will not affect how sex or gender are listed in any other UW systems; in particular, Workday’s options for listing these attributes will not change.

No other changes will affect the unit administrator or scholar experience. There will be no scheduled outage for this update.

Contact acadvisa@uw.edu with any questions.

On Wednesday, November 30th, OAP will update our visa request tool. 

This update will involve the following changes:

• On the H Visa Request Form:
  • New required uploads for published ad and offer letter for positions eligible for permanent residence sponsorship; these uploads will allow us to request prevailing wage determinations and track green card filing deadlines earlier.
• On the J Visa Request Form:
  • Questions regarding the English proficiency requirement have been removed on J visa requests for extensions or other changes for existing UW J-1s.

No other changes will affect the unit administrator or scholar unit experience. There will be no scheduled outage for this update.

Contact acadvisa@uw.edu with any questions.