Welcome to the University of Michigan. Hopefully, you will find that the information on this page answers most of your questions. Please contact us, if you cannot find what you are looking for.
If you are interested in obtaining or renewing employment authorization for a position at the University of Michigan, please be sure to consult with your unit; all requests must be initiated by hiring departments. The process to obtain an employment-based visa can take a significant amount of time – 4-6 months for an H-1B petition is typical – and involves various offices on campus and several federal government agencies. Therefore, it is recommended that any employment-based immigration process is started as early as possible.
Please note that our office can only advise current and prospective employees and their departments on immigration matters related to the employee's employment and immigration status at the University; we cannot provide legal advice. If you need advisement on immigration-related matters beyond the scope of what FSIS can provide, we may refer you to an immigration attorney outside of the University.
Important Reminders
- If you are contemplating making any changes to your employment, contact us.
- Within ten (10) days of moving, you must report your address change to USCIS.
- Upcoming International Travel? Whenever you travel internationally and re-enter the U.S., confirm your online I-94 record is correct, and send a .pdf copy to [email protected] for verification.
- Visa vs Status
People often use the terms “visa” and “status” interchangeably. However, the term “visa” refers only to the sticker you receive in your passport, whereas “status” refers to your formal immigration classification in the U.S. as indicated on your I-94 record. It is possible to have multiple visas in one’s passport but an individual can generally only have one immigration status while in the U.S.
Note: Canadian citizens are generally exempt from the nonimmigrant visa sticker requirement and can seek admission on the basis of their passport and status documents (e.g. H-1B approval notice) alone.
The visa sticker contains several pieces of information, including your picture, your requested “status,” expiration date, and the number of times the visa may be used. Once you are in the U.S., the visa sticker may expire, as long as your underlying immigration status as indicated on your I-94 remains valid.
If you obtained a change of immigration status, your visa will be for a different status than the status you currently hold. This is very common and is not a problem. However, to re-enter the U.S. after traveling abroad, you will generally need to apply for a new visa for the appropriate status, unless you can re-enter on the basis of the automatic visa revalidation process.
- I-94 Record
The I-94 is the most important immigration document/record that all nonimmigrants have while in the U.S. and serves as your official registration, which foreign nationals 18 years and older must carry by law. It is the only document that confirms one’s immigration status and controls the authorized period of stay. Therefore, once the I-94 expiration date is reached, your status will end, even if your other documents remain valid (unless you receive a new I-94 with your other documents, e.g. as printed on your H-1B approval notice (I-797A)). Note that if you receive an in-country change or extension of status, your digital I-94 record will not be updated.
- It is critical that each time you travel internationally, you confirm that your I-94 information, including the “admit until date” is correct and that you send a copy of the new I-94 to FSIS. If there is an error on your I-94 online record, please consult with the FSIS office.
- You should print the I-94 as you will need it to apply for many benefits in the U.S., such as a driver’s license, Social Security Number and for extensions to your H-1B status.
For individuals coming to the U.S. in E-3/H-1B1 status, it is not unusual to be admitted to the country for a period longer than is indicated on the Labor Condition Application (LCA). In order to continue to rely on the I-94 beyond the validity of the LCA, a new E-3/H-1B1 petition must be filed with USCIS or the status holder must depart the country and re-enter on the basis of a new LCA.
If you find that there is an error on your I-94 online record, or if you cannot locate your online I-94 record, please consult with your FSIS advisor.
- I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification
In the U.S., employers must verify the identity and employment authorization for all new employees within three days of hire (i.e. the first day of employment). To do so, employers must properly complete Form I-9 for every individual hired for employment in the U.S. The I-9 is completed by both the employer and the employee.
For international employees with temporary employment authorization, such as employees in H-1B status, the employer will need to re-verify the employee’s employment authorization when their current employment authorization expires. At the University of Michigan, I-9 processing is handled by the Shared Service Center and generally requires an appointment. Please visit the Shared Service Center for more information or to schedule an I-9 appointment.
Note that you should receive automated emails from the university regarding updating your I-9 well in advance of the expiration date of your employment authorization.
- Maintaining Status and Documents
Once in the U.S. in a given immigration status, it is important that you abide by the rules of your immigration status. If you violate the rules of your status, you are not maintaining your status. The repercussions of not maintaining one’s status can be very severe.
While you are in the U.S. in a non-immigrant status, it is important that your immigration documents, your passport, I-797 Approval Notice (if applicable) and I-94 record, but not your visa, remain valid at all times. If your passport expires, you will need to receive a timely extension or replacement.
Note that upon (re-)entering the U.S., your period of stay may be shorter than the period approved by USCIS. Generally speaking, one should be admitted for the validity of their status documents or until six (6) months before the expiration date of their passport, whichever period is shorter. Citizens of certain countries may be admitted until the expiration date of their passport. If your I-94 is shortened due to the expiration of your passport, action will need to be taken to extend your status; merely obtaining a new passport is not sufficient.
- Maintaining Employment
In the eyes of the U.S. government, employment for the petitioner, and only the petitioner, is the purpose of the H-1B worker's presence in this country. In your case, the petitioner is the University of Michigan, and you have permission to stay in the U.S. until the expiration date shown on your I-94 record.
You may only work during the validity dates of the H-1B and only for the employer who filed the petition. If you cease your employment with the University before the expiration of the H-1B, you are expected to leave the country immediately, unless you qualify for a discretionary grace period.
Please note that the negative consequences of working for an employer without the proper authorization, i.e. an H-1B petition on file with USCIS, can be significant:
- If you worked without the proper authorization, you are considered “out of status” and may not work for U-M.
- You may also be required to leave the U.S. to obtain a new H-1B visa sticker and to re-enter the U.S. before you could resume your activities at the university.
- Employment without the proper authorization may also make you ineligible for certain future immigration benefits
- As stated above, your H-1B status is employer specific. It is also position specific. Should there be any changes to your position, FSIS may need to file a petition with USCIS to amend your H-1B record.
NOTE! Before you change your position, accept a different pay or change the number of work hours, please consult with FSIS.
- Talks and Presentations
Individuals in H-1B, TN and E-3 status may give talks and presentations at other institutions. However, they may not accept any payment – other than reimbursement for actual expenses - from other organizations, unless the appropriate petition is filed for that activity prior to the activity taking place. It is possible to file such petitions for as little as a day though doing so may be cost prohibitive.
- Telecommuting/ Remote Work
Your H-1B approval notice is specific to the location indicated in your H-1B petition. If and when your unit permits or requires you to work remotely (part time or full time), we may need to update your record to reflect this. If your work location changes or if a telecommuting location is added (including a change in home address if you are telecommuting), you must notify FSIS before the change takes effect so that we can determine whether or not an amendment is required.
- Period of Stay
While in H-1B, TN, E-3 or dependent statuses, you have permission to remain in the United States only until the expiration date shown on the I-94 Departure Record (as explained above). Once your status ends, you should make arrangements to depart the U.S. as soon as possible. Unless a new petition to extend your status is filed before your I-94 expires, people who stay in the U.S. beyond the expiration date of their I-94 will accrue “unlawful presence” time and risk being barred from re-entering the country for a period of 3 or 10 years, depending on the length of the unauthorized stay.
- Grace Periods
There is no guaranteed grace period beyond the expiration date of one’s I-94 while in H-1B status.
- You may be granted a discretionary 10-day grace period before your start date and beyond the expiration of your H-1B approval. If you are granted this 10-day grace period at the end of your stay, it will be indicated on your I-94 record. You may not work during these grace periods.
- Individuals in H-1B status are eligible for a discretionary grace period of up to 60 days in cases where their employment is terminated before the expiration date of their employment authorization. If eligible, the grace period ends after 60 days from the end of your employment OR the expiration date of the H-1B approval notice, whichever is earlier. This grace period is intended to accommodate the process of changing positions/employers or to depart the U.S.
- Social Security Number
All individuals in H-1B, TN, E-3 and O-1 status are eligible for a Social Security Number (SSN). SSNs are only issued once (though you can replace the card if you have lost one). If you don't have a SSN, you will have to apply for one in person at the nearest Social Security Administration (SSA) office. When applying for your SSN, you will need to bring:
- Passport,
- I-94 card or record,
- I-797 Approval Notice (if applicable)
- Copy of the packet you received from the IC.
- Offer letter (recommended)
Note that you should wait to apply for your SSN until you have been in the U.S. for at least a week to ensure that your information is available to the SSA office. For more information on how to apply for a SSN, please refer to the Social Security Administration as well as to the Applying for a Social Security Number and Card section of the IC website.
- Driver’s License
Foreign nationals in H-1B, TN, E-3 and O-1 status as well as their dependents are eligible for a Michigan driver’s license though are not necessarily required to obtain one to drive in Michigan. Please refer to "What You Need to Know About Foreign Driver's Licenses", the Michigan Secretary of State License and ID page, as well as Getting a Driver’s License section of the IC website for more information.
Note that your driver’s license validity will generally not exceed the validity of your immigration status. Therefore, it is recommended that you apply for an extension of your immigration status, as early as possible, so as to avoid unnecessary complications when renewing your license.
Most Secretary of State offices, particularly those around Ann Arbor, are familiar with the documents international applicants must present when applying for their license. Many will also accept the formal, original USCIS Receipt Notice for extension petitions as proof of one’s on-going immigration status. Driver’s license extensions based on the Receipt Notice are normally limited to a maximum of one year.
- International Academic Credentials
The relevant immigrations regulations generally require a credential evaluation for all non-U.S. degrees. A credential evaluation is an evaluation by a U.S. credential evaluation organization that confirms the foreign degree is the equivalent of a U.S. degree in the same or similar field. There are many different organizations that can issue credential evaluations; each organization has its own procedures, requirements and pricing structures. While FSIS cannot recommend or endorse any specific credential evaluation company, many people for whom we file petitions choose to obtain evaluations from Morningside, One Earth, Park or Trustforte. For additional evaluation companies, please also refer to the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
- Health Care Positions
Physicians
Some health care positions have additional requirements. To practice medicine or to undergo clinical medical residency or fellowship training in the U.S. in H-1B status, individuals who graduated from a medical school outside of the U.S. must comply with the following requirements. They generally must hold:
- A Medical Doctorate (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree or its foreign equivalent, or a medical license abroad;
- State of Michigan medical license;
- ECFMG Certification, which requires:
- successful completion of United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) steps 1, 2 and 3, and
- demonstrated English language proficiency;
- Instead of the USMLE, Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) may take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX).
- Graduates of LCME accredited MD programs in Canada are not considered foreign medical graduates by the U.S. Department of Education and, therefore, do not require ECFMG certification (but do require completion of the USMLEs). However, individuals who graduate from Canadian medical schools on or after 7/1/2025 will be considered international medical graduates and require ECFMG certification due to a change in accreditation recognition.
- Graduates of U.S. medical schools are exempt from the USMLE requirement to qualify for H-1B status.
Other health care positions
Nurses generally do not qualify for H-1B status, because a bachelor’s degree is not normally required for most nursing positions. Nursing supervisors or other specialized nurses may qualify for H-1B status if the position requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree and the candidate possesses the required degree. In addition, nurses must have a state license and the required certificate from Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to hold H-1B status.
Nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, medical technicians/technologists, speech/language pathologists, audiologists, and physician assistants must obtain a certificate from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) or an equivalent independent credentialing organization before they are eligible for H-1B status. For more information, please see the CGFNS Visa Credential Screening site.