H-1B Visa
Sponsorship
The H-1B is a nonimmigrant classification used for the sponsorship of international faculty or staff who will be employed at UC Riverside. The H-1B visa is employer specific and position specific. Thus, employees must obtain a new H-1B visa approval for each new position and new employer.
For more information, please visit the USCIS website.
Eligibility
The H-1B visa allows foreign nationals to temporarily work in the U.S. in specialty occupations for up to six years. Most teaching or research faculty positions are eligible for H-1B sponsorship. Please contact the International Scholar team (internationalscholars@ucr.edu) to determine if a position meets H-1B eligibility requirements.
The H-1B visa category has the following key requirements:
- Applicant must have theoretical and practical application of a highly specialized body of knowledge
- The position must require a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a related field
- Offered wage must meet or exceed the prevailing wage for the position
- UCR prepares and files the H-1B petition; prospective employees cannot obtain H-1B visa status on their own
H-1B Application
Deemed Export Certification (I-129)
Generally, any item (commodities, software or technology, technical information, blueprints, design plans, circuit boards, etc.) subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) that is shipped or transmitted from the United States to a foreign destination is an export. In addition, technology, know-how, and non-encryption source code that is released to a foreign national within the US is “deemed” to be an export to the country where the person is a resident or citizen and could be subject to licensing requirements. This is what is commonly known as the “deemed export” rule.
Effective 2011, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office updated Form I-129 used by employers to petition for H-1B visas by requiring that employers provide a deemed export license determination for the visa beneficiary. For more information about deemed exports review the FAQs on the Bureau of Industry and Security website.
Before an individual can be sponsored for H-1B status, the principal investigator who will supervise the visa beneficiary, or an individual who is otherwise knowledgeable about the beneficiary's intended work, should complete and return an I-129 Deemed Export questionnaire. The form can be accessed below.
Once the I-129 Deemed Export Questionnaire review is completed, it will automatically be sent to the UC Riverside Export Controls office by clicking the Submit button. The Export Controls office will review the information provided and determine whether a deemed license is required to employ the beneficiary at UCR. Once a determination is made, the Export Control office will issue a certifying letter to the sponsoring units. Sponsoring units should include a copy of this letter along with the other H-1B request documents when contacting ISS through ISSonline to initiate document processing.
Green Card
UCR will sponsor permanent resident status only for an individual of exceptional ability who has been offered a full-time, permanent position as a faculty member, researcher, or other professional who is critical to UCR's academic and research mission.
UCR policy requires that an outside attorney be retained to assist with permanent resident cases. ISS will provide counseling in determining strategy for a case and selecting an attorney; review documents prepared by the attorney; ensure compliance with UCR policy, procedure, and format; obtain university signatures; and provide status reports.
For information about UCR sponsorship for permanent resident status, please contact Makbule Koksal by phone (951-827-4113) or email to initiate the process.