Coming to the U.S. and Subsequent Travel

A "visa" is a stamp on a page of your passport permitting you to travel to the border of the United States to ask an immigration officer for permission to enter the United States. Before you apply for the H-1B visa, the University of Washington must file an H-1B petition with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). Upon approval of the petition, USCIS issues a I-797 Aprroval Notice.

Applicants for visas are interviewed by a U.S. consular officer. Consulates charge a fee for issuing the visa. Whenever possible, apply for the visa at a U.S. consulate in your home country. It is not possible to apply for a visa from within the U.S. The visa does not need to remain valid after you have entered the U.S. Your I-797 Approval Notice and passport, however, must remain valid at all times.

• To apply for the H-1B visa, present the I-797 Approval Notice, photocopies of the I-129 and ETA-9035 Labor Condition Application, offer letter, and passport along with the DS-156 to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Additional requirements may be found at the web site of the U.S. consulate where you will apply for the visa.
• Family members applying for H-4 dependent visas present to the consulate their passports, your I-797 Approval Notice, and evidence of their relationship to you (marriage certificate for spouse, birth certificates for children).
• Canadian citizens do not require visas, but must present the above documents (excluding the DS-156) to the immigration officer upon entry into the U.S.

Be prepared to present the following to an immigration officer when entering or re-entering the U.S. in H-1B status:

• Original Form I-797 Approval Notice.
• Passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of your expected stay.
• If entering the U.S. to begin H-1B status, bring a copy of your UW employment offer letter. If re-entering the U.S. to continue H-1B status, carry with you a letter from your UW employing department confirming you are returning to continue employment in the position described in the I-129 petition.
• Photocopies of the I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and ETA 9035 Labor Condition Application. (Copies may be obtained from your host department or ISS.)
• Valid H-1B visa stamp. If the visa has expired, it may be extended by presenting the documents listed above to a U.S. embassy or consulate. For more information about the visa process, contact the U.S. embassy or consulate in the city where the application will be submitted. (A valid H-1B visa is not required for re-entry to the U.S. following a visit of less than 30 days in Canada or Mexico.) Canadian citizens are visa-exempt.

• Arrange to enter the U.S. no sooner than 10 days prior to the start date indicated on the Form I-797 Approval Notice.
• Always hand-carry your documents (you will not have access to your baggage until later) and be prepared to present them to an immigration officer at the airport. These documents will be returned to you.
• Upon entry into the U.S., you will be issued Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record. You will be asked to write your Seattle (residence) address on the I-94.
• The officer will stamp your I-94 and place this document in your passport.
• The officer will also take your fingerprints and photograph.
• If the officer cannot verify your information or if you do not have all the required documentation, you may be directed to an interview area referred to as "secondary inspection." Be patient and cooperative. If the officer has questions about your affiliation with the University of Washington, suggest that he or she contact ISS.
• Admission to the U.S. will be for the validity period of the I-797 Approval Notice. Occasionally, immigration officers annotate the I-94 with an additional ten-day “grace period.”