Visa FAQs

Once an offer letter has been signed, the sponsoring department can initiate an H-1B request via Sunapsis, the electronic immigration database. If you do not currently have access to Sunapsis, please contact InternationalScholars@asu.edu for access and training information.

No, an individual cannot sponsor themselves for H-1B status. H-1B status must be sponsored by employers after an offer of employment has already been made.

Please view the H-1B timeline for more information.

H-1B status is limited to a maximum of three years initially and up to a total of six years through extensions.

You can check the case status on the USCIS Case Status website (a receipt number is required).

This means that the petition was filed with the intention that, once it is approved, the beneficiary will use it to apply for a visa stamp at a consulate abroad. This is opposed to filing for an extension or change of status from within the U.S.

No. The H-1B status is employer-specific and all employment must be specifically approved by the USCIS.

Employment can begin once the receipt notice is received but not before the H-1B start date.

An H-1B visa is the stamped page in your passport placed there by a consular officer that will allow you to enter the U.S. The H-1B immigration status is granted once you enter the U.S. or once you have received an H-1B Approval Notice Form I-797 for a change of status to H-1B status without leaving the U.S. You can remain in the U.S. if your H-1B visa expires, but you cannot remain in the U.S. if you fall out of H-1B status. As a reminder, if you do not have a current H-1B visa and plan to depart the U.S., you will need to visit a U.S. consulate to apply for the H-1B passport stamp for purposes of re-entry to the U.S. Please contact the ISSC so that we can advise you on the required documents. We also recommend that after each entry into the U.S., you save an electronic copy and/or print a hard copy of your most recent I-94 record to keep with your immigration records.

In general, the ISSC advises that the beneficiary apply for an H-1B in their home country. If they need to apply as a "third-country national" at a U.S. consulate not in their home country, we advise that the beneficiary confirm they will be able to apply for an H-1B visa at that consulate.

In general, as long as the H-1B visa stamp is facially valid, it may continue to be used following a change to a different employer. It is important to show the latest H-1B approval notice to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the airport or other port of entry to obtain the I-94 record/visa stamp to match the latest approval notice.

The H-1B beneficiary is advised to contact the ISSC for further advice on complying with immigration regulation before any international travel.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will allow entry to the U.S. in H-1B status up to 10 days prior to the validity start date on the H-1B approval notice.

The H-1B beneficiary is advised to contact the ISSC. Once the receipt notice is received, we can write a letter to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division on their behalf that will confirm their continued H-1B status.

Please immediately send a PDF copy of the green card to ISSC at InternationalScholars@asu.edu, so that we can comply with immigration requirements and withdraw the remaining H-1B status.

Generally, the beneficiary can continue working for as long as the change of employer petition remains pending.

One is normally considered in a period of "authorized stay" and is permitted to remain in the U.S. until a decision is issued on the pending change of status petition. Please contact the ISSC if you have additional questions.

In general, if an H-1B extension is filed while the beneficiary is still in valid status, the H-1B worker can continue employment for up to 240 days beyond the expiration of current H-1B status, or until the H-1B petition is approved or denied, whichever occurs first. This is true even if the current I-94 has expired.

If an I-94 is truncated because of a passport expiration, one would normally need to travel outside the U.S. and make a new entry in H-1B status, or file a petition for extension of status, before the I-94 expires. The beneficiary can also visit a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deferred Inspection Office with the hope that the I-94 record can be changed to a correct date.

It is generally safer to wait for the petition to be approved to avoid any uncertainty at the port of entry upon your return to the U.S.

The department must contact the ISSC at InternationalScholars@asu.edu for the most current E-3 Request Packet.

No, an individual cannot sponsor themselves on an E-3 status. E-3 status must be sponsored by employers after an offer of employment has already been made.

Please contact the ISSC for further advice and best course of action before any international travel.

You can check the case status on the USCIS case status website using a receipt number.

E-3 status is granted for a period of up to two years and subsequent E-3 extension up to two years at a time can be requested. There is no regulatory limit on the number of extensions that are possible, but E-3 status is intended for temporary employment.

No. E-3 status is employer-specific and all employment must be specifically approved by USCIS.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will allow you to enter the U.S. in E-3 status up to 10 days prior to the validity start date on the E-3 Approval Notice.

In general, the ISSC advises that the beneficiary apply for an E-3 in their home country. If they need to apply as a “third-country national” at a U.S. consulate not in their home country, we advise that the beneficiary confirm they will be able to apply for an E-3 visa at that consulate.

An E-3 visa is the stamped page in your passport placed by a consular officer that will allow you to enter the U.S. E-3 immigration status is granted once you enter the U.S. or once you have received an E-3 Approval Notice Form I-797 for a change of status to E-3 status without leaving the U.S. You can remain in the U.S. if your E-3 visa expires, but you cannot remain in the U.S. if you fall out of E-3 status. As a reminder, if you do not have a current E-3 visa and plan to depart the U.S., you will need to visit a U.S. consulate to apply for the E-3 stamp in the passport for purposes of re-entry to the U.S. Please contact the ISSC at InternationalScholars@asu.edu so that we can advise you on the required documents. We also recommend that after each entry into the U.S., you save an electronic copy and/or print a hard copy of your most recent I-94 record to keep with your immigration records.

If an I-94 is truncated because of a passport expiration, one normally would need to either travel outside the U.S. and make a new entry in E-3 status, or file a petition for extension of status before the I-94 expires. The beneficiary can also visit a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deferred Inspection Office with the hope that the I-94 record can be changed to a correct date.

In the current environment, it is generally safer to wait for the petition to be approved to avoid uncertainty at the port of entry.

In the current environment, it is generally safer to wait for the petition to be approved to avoid uncertainty at the port of entry.

The department must contact the ISSC at InternationalScholars@asu.edu for the most current O-1 request packet.

Please contact the ISSC for further advice and best course of action before any international travel.

No, an individual cannot sponsor themselves on O-1 status. O-1 status must be sponsored by employers after an offer of employment has already been made.

You can check the case status on the USCIS Case Status website (a receipt number is required).

There is no limit to the time you can hold O-1 status. The USCIS will adjudicate the extension, with updated documentation, and determine the necessary length of stay.

No. O-1 status is employer-specific and all employment must be specifically approved by the CBP or USCIS.

If an I-94 is truncated because of a passport expiration, one would normally need to either travel outside the U.S. and make a new entry in O-1 status, or file a petition for extension of status before the I-94 expires. The beneficiary can also try visiting a CBP Deferred Inspection Office with the hope that the I-94 record can be changed to a correct date.