Who is eligible for H-1B sponsorship

Questions about eligibility for H-1B status should be directed to ISS. Without exception, all H-1B petitions based on an offer of University of Washington employment must be processed through ISS on behalf of the Office of the Provost. Only the Provost-designee has authority to sign a labor condition application or H-1B petition on behalf of the University. Outside attorneys are not permitted to represent the University's interests in immigration matters. Please contact ISS if you or someone in your department is requested to sign an employee-prepared or attorney-prepared H-1B petition.

H-1B status is an appropriate classification for full-time UW-salaried academic staff, such as Lecturers, Instructors, and Professors, including appointments that are “acting,” “research” and “visiting.” H-1B is also appropriate for Senior Fellows and Research Associates who are currently in the U.S. in “H” visa status, or who have recently completed a doctoral degree from a U.S. institution and are residing in the U.S. The UW also sponsors H-1Bs for Senior Fellows and Research Associates who are exhausting the five years of J-1 eligibility.

The UW does NOT provide H-1B visa sponsorship for the following academic staff titles:

• Visiting Scientists and Visiting Scholars are ineligible for H-1B status. They may qualify for J-1 Exchange Visitor status.
• Senior Fellows and Research Associates who earned the degree abroad and are living outside the U.S. are generally ineligible for H-1B status. They may qualify for J-1 Exchange Visitor status.
• Graduates of foreign medical schools who are coming to the UW to undertake clinical training in a residency or fellowship are generally ineligible for H-1B sponsorship. They may qualify for ECFMG-sponsored J-1 status.

The University does not sponsor H-1B status for professional staff.

The University may in some instances sponsor a foreign national for H-1B status as a Research or Clinical Technologist if the position requires at least a bachelor's degree, no minimally-qualified U.S. workers are available for the job, and the person being sponsored currently resides in the United States. Applicants for other UW classified staff positions are ineligible for H-1B sponsorship. Always contact ISS and your unit's Human Resources Employment Specialist before pursuing H-1B sponsorship of a Research or Clinical Technologist. In order to demonstrate that no minimally-qualified U.S. workers are available, Human Resources must ensure that an appropriate recruitment and candidate assessment is conducted. Advance notice to ISS and Human Resources will facilitate the employment process.