The H-1B visa permits temporary employment in “specialty occupations” which require “theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge to fully perform the occupation.” The H-1B is employer-specific, job-specific, and location-specific.
The UW sponsors H-1B visas for full-time academic jobs including postdoctoral researchers and professors.
Please direct any questions about visa sponsorship to the International Scholars Operations (ISO) team.
Without exception, all H-1B visas based on UW employment are processed by ISO. Only the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel has authority to sign immigration-related documents or applications on behalf of the UW. Outside attorneys are not permitted to represent the UW’s interests in immigration matters.
For more information on H-1B sponsorship at UW, see our H-1B content for unit administrators.
Ending H-1B Employment
Because the H-1B is an “employment-based visa,” your lawful status in the U.S. ends when your paid employment ends. If your paid employment ends before your I-797 Approval Notice expires, you may be eligible for a discretionary grace period of up to 60 days. That grace period could allow you to change status or move to another employer. See USCIS’s Options for Nonimmigrant Workers Following Termination of Employment for more information, and consider consulting with a private immigration attorney if you have further questions.
If paid employment and the I-797 Approval Notice end at the same time, check the expiration date on your paper I-94 card as it may indicate an additional 10-day “grace period” for departure.