Greetings from the International Students and Scholars Center.
Bringing international faculty and scholars to Arizona State University in a timely manner requires specialized advice and preparation. We know that staying connected and informed is more important than ever, especially when immigration regulations, legislation, and interpretations are fluid and constantly changing. Our staff provides you, our department contacts, with information, guidance, and advice on questions related to the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, employment-based visa categories, permanent residency, and other immigration-related issues.
Fall International Faculty and Scholar Conference
It was great to see you attending our International Faculty and Scholar Conference. We hope the information provided was helpful. We appreciate your valuable feedback and we will certainly make any adjustments to future events. We are also in the process of planning another conference in spring 2024, so stay tuned.
New team member
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We are excited to introduce our new International Faculty and Scholars Coordinator, Alan Wilkins. He will help facilitate communications, trainings and events, and will serve as a great resource for you. |
Canvas eForm submission guides
Please do not share these links with beneficiaries, as they were designed for human resources contacts.
J scholar updates
Insurance plan enrollment
- Medical coverage of at least $100,000 per accident or illness.
- Medical evacuation coverage of at least $50,000.
- Repatriation of remains coverage of at least $25,000.
- A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.
With new insurance options from ASU, paid employees can choose the Triple Choice Plan and will still meet the medical coverage and deductible requirements as long as they remain in Tier 1. ASU medical insurance does not cover medical evacuation or repatriation of remains to a home country. Eligible ASU Exchange Visitor employees electing in an ASU health insurance plan will also need to purchase a separate insurance policy for medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.
If you are contacted by our office about a scholar’s insurance coverage, please follow up and help ensure we receive their insurance information as soon as possible.
Department compliance
Please remember that your department has certain responsibilities regarding maintaining compliance for your J-1 scholars. Supervising faculty members are required to supervise their J-1 scholars during their program, including monitoring program progress and the scholars’ general welfare. Departments also assist the ISSC with ensuring that scholars are following all regulations and reporting any issues. This includes program activities outside ASU or trips outside the U.S.
New process: electronic DS-2019 issuance
The Department of State is now permitting us to digitally sign and electronically transmit the Form DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (J-Nonimmigrant). The new regulation will reduce costs and improve efficiencies.
Going forward, DS-2019 packages will be sent electronically to scholars with the department contact copied in the email. Scholars are required to print the DS-2019 and sign page one of the form in order for the document to be valid for any official purpose.
- Exchange visitors and their accompanying spouses or dependents, if any, must present paper Forms DS-2019 to apply for nonimmigrant J visas at U.S. embassies or consulates.
- They must carry paper Forms DS-2019 to the U.S. port of entry and present their passports, visas, and Forms DS-2019 to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to seek entry into the United States.
We hope this new procedure will make your process easier as well.
Winter travel reminder
If you have any scholars planning to travel outside the U.S. over the winter break, make sure they schedule an appointment with our office for a travel signature. Scholars will need to submit this eForm to our office and schedule an appointment.
Schedule an appointment
Employment-based immigration updates
Recap of H-1B USCIS fees
| I-129 petition fee | $460 |
| H-1B fraud prevention and detection fee | $500 |
| Premium processing fee | $2,500 |
| I-539 application fee (for all family members) | $370 |
| I-140 petition fee | $700 |
| Biometrics fee (for each applicant — Perm) | $85 |
Is your H-1B worker terminating employment?
Remember to notify the ISSC when an H-1B employee’s employment will terminate, voluntarily or involuntarily, prior to the expiration date of the H-1B status so that we can take the proper steps to comply with H-1B requirements. ASU is liable until the remaining H-1B time is withdrawn from USCIS. ASU can also be liable to pay wages to the international scholar until the H-1B is withdrawn from USCIS.
Outside legal counsel cases
Please be advised that any Permanent residency outside legal cases will request separate Request Memos for Permanent Residency (PERM of Petition I-140) and Adjustment of Status. This is due to some foreign national’s cases taking longer to adjudicate by the Department of Labor and/or when there is a backlog of their immigration visa waiting time. If you have further questions, contact Chung-Ning Gonzalez at Chung-Ning.Gonzalez@asu.edu
- H-1B petitions may be submitted to USCIS six months prior to the requested H-1B start date, so you can submit your H-1B request eForm to ISSC six and a half months prior to the start date.
- The premium processing option can be added at a later time, although it is still recommended for all new H-1B requests.
- Remember that potential H-1B employees who are still in their home country (consular process) will need to get a visa appointment at the consulate, and then make travel arrangements. It is best to submit any consular H-1B requests as early as possible. U.S. consulates in some countries (notably India) are still facing long wait times for consular appointments.
- Currently, the PERM-EB2-based prevailing wage processing can take more than six weeks, and the labor certification application process can take more than five months. Be aware that the ISSC must submit the labor certification within 18 months from the initial offer date.
- Any outside legal requests (such as H-1B university staff, EB1, O-1 request) can be submitted through our Sunapsis electronic system at sunapsis.asu.edu.
Have questions? Contact the ISSC.
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