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Update to OAP Visa Request Tool

On June 30, OAP will update our visa request tool. To perform the update there will be a scheduled outage from 4-6pm when the tool, including visa request forms, will be unavailable.

The upgrade will affect draft visa requests. OAP strongly encourages units to finalize and submit any drafts ready for OAP review before the scheduled outage. Anyone with a draft visa request in the system as of June 30 at 4pm will receive an email asking them to carefully review their drafts. Some saved draft data will need to be reentered manually.

Improvements in this update include the following:

  • More user-friendly landing page
  • “Manage files” function enhancements
    • New easy-to-use “drag and drop” upload option
    • Ability to delete recently-uploaded files
  • Improved invoicing
    • Better functionality for post-billing invoice corrections
    • More accurate invoicing for J-1 amendments
  • Easier-to-use “country of citizenship” fields

Significant changes going forward:

  • H-1B prevailing wage documentation collection
    • Units will now have to provide Prevailing Wage Intake Form and copy of job ad, if relevant (unless the title or visa category is exempt), to successfully submit the H Visa Request.
    • This will allow ISO to start processing earlier, shortening total processing time.
  • New “Add J-2 dependent” form
    • This replaces the “Request For Family J-2 DS-2019” form.
    • Units can now add a dependent for an existing J-1 by going to their list of J-1 visa requests and selecting Amend > Add Dependents
  • J-1 field changes
    • The J-1 visa request form now asks slightly different questions for scholars currently in the U.S. These will allow ISO advisors to more quickly determine eligibility for extensions.
    • “Home country position” field values will now align with ICE’s SEVIS lookup table (table 28)
  • Record retention
    • Uploaded files will now be deleted one year from when a request is complete. (Note: The visa tool is not OAP’s system of record for visa records; OAP uses UW-IT’s Enterprise Document Management system to ensure compliance with records retention.)
  • Revised intake forms
    • The H and J Visa Intake Forms will also be updated to reflect these changes; please make sure you are using the most recent version starting July 1.

2021/06/30 – upgrade complete; link added to the new “add J-2 dependent” form.

Contact acadvisa@uw.edu with any questions.

Common Reasons for Interfolio Ad Send Backs

This post outlines common reasons that Interfolio job ads are returned to units by the Academic HR (AHR) and International Scholars Operations (ISO) teams. Please review closely to ensure your ads accurately address all of these common pitfalls.

For more details and examples, check out the OAP Interfolio Ad Creation Training.

Returns by the AHR Team

Ads are commonly returned by the AHR team when they do not adhere to the guidance below.

  • Position descriptions must include the following details:
    • Position title must be drafted in the correct order: rank, position, area of specialization
      • For example: Clinical Assistant Professor of Thoracic Surgery
    • FTE must be included: full-time, part-time, or specific FTE percent
    • Service period must be included: 9 or 12 month
  • Tenure status should be explicitly stated: tenured, WOT, tenure eligible, or not tenure eligible
  • Location should include the city and state where the selected candidate will work.
    • Note that only listing a specific building or medical center such as Harborview does not meet the guidelines.

Internal Notes must include the following required information:

  • Position ID field: Hiring plan number, if applicable.
    • If the position is not on the hiring plan, enter “n/a”
  • Hiring Plan field: Description of where the ad will be posted (1- and 2-DEP/UNDEP only)
  • General Notes field: Unit’s affirmative action goals and good faith efforts to reach underrepresented demographics
    (Note: Internal Notes content does not appear in the published ad but are used to ensure compliance with University recruitment policies.)

Returns by the ISO Team

Ads are often returned by the ISO team if the Qualifications section does not align with the following guidance:

  • Requirements should be included in the Qualifications section, not in the position description.
  • Qualifications section should only include minimum requirements, attributes that a candidate must have to be considered for the position.
  • Position requirements should be concrete and able to be documented for USCIS paperwork.
  • Preferences must not be included. Review the training linked above or contact the ISO team for tips and examples.

Job Description Examples

1- DEP/UNDEP Example: Applies to positions eligible for permanent residence. These ads are reviewed by AHR and ISO.

The Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine is seeking a full-time cardiac imaging specialist to join our academic section of cardiac imaging. This individual will primarily provide cardiac imaging services in the University of Washington (UW) Heart Institute to patients at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, the main teaching hospital and quaternary medical center in the UW Medicine system. Primary duties include performance and interpretation of advanced echocardiographic imaging examinations. The successful applicant would be appointed to the full-time faculty at the University of Washington at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor (without tenure due to funding), commensurate with experience. University of Washington faculty engage in teaching, research and service, and the successful candidate will supervise trainees in imaging labs, serve as a research mentor for trainees, provide research mentorship and attend on clinical services and in cardiology clinic. This position has an annual service period of 12 months (July 1 – June 30). Anticipated start date will be July 1, 2021.

3-DEP/UNDEP Example: The unit is responsible for ad content for 3-DEP/UNDEP positions.

The University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, Washington is seeking Affiliate Instructors to fill instructional needs in the JD and Non-JD programs. The affiliate track is part-time, non-benefits eligible on a 12 month basis. Teaching assignments are determined quarterly and for 3-6-9 month terms. Compensation is set by a salary schedule and delivered in the quarters in which the successful candidate teaches. When not in paid teaching status, the candidate will switch into courtesy unpaid academic status and will enjoy access to certain UW resources such as the libraries and gym. This is an open-rank search and successful candidates will be appointed commensurate with experience. These teaching opportunities are in the traditional JD doctrinal courses, several experiential programs, clinics, and other degree programs and concentration tracks including trial advocacy. Instructional needs may arise spontaneously, and all applications will be reviewed for open teaching needs at the time the application is received. Reappointments are contingent upon instructional needs, performance and funding. The anticipated start date is August 1, 2021.

Third-Party Provider Security Breach Potentially Exposed Washingtonians’ Personal Data

In late December, a security breach involving a third-party software service provider used by the Office of the Washington State Auditor (SAO) might have exposed sensitive data belonging to some Washingtonians.

This data includes personal information from approximately 1.6 million unemployment claims–including fraudulent claims–made in 2020, as well as other information from some state agencies and local governments.

SAO is currently investigating the breach and the scope of the impact. They will notify affected individuals as quickly as possible. Read more about the incident on the SAO’s dedicated web page.