Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Warner Hall, Third Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Tel: 412.268.5231
Fax: 412.268.7832
www.cmu.edu/oie
Students & Scholars: oie@andrew.cmu.edu
Study Abroad: goabroad@andrew.cmu.edu
H-1B (Specialty Occupation) Non-immigrant Status
Explanation and Terms
This information is for use by Carnegie Mellon international students, researchers and professors who are
interested in H-1B (specialty occupation) status. Included is general information as well as specifics for
obtaining H-1B status at Carnegie Mellon University as a researcher, professor, or staff person.
There are 8 subcategories of the H status for the temporary employment of foreign nationals by a specific
employer. The H-1B category is for individuals who will perform services in a “specialty occupation”;
this is the H category most frequently used by students who graduate from Carnegie Mellon and by
qualified international persons who work at Carnegie Mellon. A “specialty occupation” is a position
which requires at least a bachelor’s degree in a specific field as a minimum entry-level requirement.
Further, the individual who will be employed must have the minimum degree required for the position
and relevant licensure, if any.
The employer is the petitioner to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) not the
individual. In effect, the employer requests permission from USCIS to hire a specific individual (or
individuals), for a specific job, at a specific salary. An individual may not self petition. The H-1B
application is submitted to one of four regional USCIS Service Centers with jurisdiction over the
employer’s location (unless the employee is permanently located at a different site); private Pennsylvania
employers use the USCIS Vermont Service Center. Starting in Spring 2008, cap-exempt employers
including Carnegie Mellon submit petitions to the USCIS California Service Center.
Conditions and Limitations
6 year limit. A person may remain in H-1B status for up to 6 years, although an employer may only
petition for a maximum of 3 years at one time. There is no minimum period of time -- an employer may
petition for a visiting professor to be in H-1B status for only a few months, as an example. Additional
extensions beyond 6 years are allowed in limited cases including when elements of the legal permanent
residency petition (“green card”) have been pending for over 365 days and when the H-1B employee has
spent time outside of the US during the period of H-1B employment.
J Status and 2-year home residency requirement. Persons who are or were in J status and are or were
subject to the two-year home residency rule must obtain a Waiver Recommendation from the U.S.
Department of State and a Waiver from USCIS . For more information on obtaining the waiver, visit the
U.S. Department of State at www.travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_info_waivers.html and/or make an
appointment with your OIE advisor. The waiver process typically takes 6 months or more. The Waiver
Recommendation or Waiver must be submitted with the other H-1B application materials.
The cap. The US Congress places a limit (“cap”) of 65,000 on the number of new H-1B employees who
may be processed in a one year period. For the upcoming federal fiscal year (October 1, 2008 to
September 30, 2009), the cap was reached in the first five (5) days of April 2008; so, no new H-1B’s may
be processed or granted until October 1, 2009, barring an action by Congress to increase the cap. An
additional 20,000 H-1Bs are available for workers who have completed their masters- or PhD-level
education in the U.S.; these additional 20,000 quota numbers also were completely filled in the first five
Updated 05/2008
days of April 2008. Note: only new H-1B applications are counted towards the cap. H-1B petitions from
universities (including Carnegie Mellon) and other research and some non-profit organizations are
currently excluded from the cap. Therefore, persons who will work for a university in H-1B status need
not worry about the cap. Graduating students and those completing F-1 OPT or J-1 Academic Training
need to plan carefully for the F-1 or J-1 to H-1B transition period if working in the private sector. A new
regulation passed on April 8, 2008, provides “cap gap” relief for F-1 students transitioning from F-1 OPT
employment to H-1B employment; see the OIE website under “News.”
Travel outside of the US while the H-1B application is pending. For a change of status case, travel
outside of the US while the H-1B application is pending must be discussed with the person processing
your H-1B application in advance of the H-1B petition being filed with the USCIS. Why? If the
employee is in the US in another non-immigrant status (i.e. F or J), at the time of the H-1B application,
the H-1B case will request most likely include a “change of status” request. In this scenario, the H-1B
petition requests that (1) the employer be allowed to hire the qualified person in H-1B status, and (2) the
employee’s non-immigrant status be changed from the current status (i.e. F or J) to H-1B. If the person
exits the US, the status change portion of the application is considered to be “abandoned.” This results in
problems if the person reenters the US, when the H-1B is pending or after it has been approved, without
having first obtained the H-1B visa stamp in order to enter the US legally in H-1B status.
Consular processing. H-1B employees who are living outside of the US or who are in the US but will
exit the US during H-1B processing will want to request “consular processing” at the time that the H-1B
petition is submitted to the USCIS. In this way, a designated US consulate will be electronically notified
of the approval directly by the USCIS. For CMU scholars who are currently in the US, discuss consular
processing options early in the H-1B process with the OIE advisor or attorney who is processing your
petition if you plan any foreign travel during the H-1B application process.
Department of State PIMS system. Starting in April 2008, the US DOS must first verify the approval of
the H-1B petition through the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) in a new report called PIMS
(Petition Information Management System) before issuing the H visa stamp. Prior to this date, only
initial I-129 petitions approvals were entered into the system. Moving forward, all H-1B approvals –
initial, extensions, amendments, and changes of status cases – will be entered into PIMS. If an H-1B visa
applicant is not found in PIMS at time of the H visa application, a two working day process has been
developed to research and enter the missing information into PIMS so that that visa application can
proceed.
Application Process
2-part Process and Timeline. The application for H-1B status is a two-part process: first, the Labor
Condition Application (LCA) through the U.S. Department of Labor, and second, the application for H1B status to the USCIS. OIE advises people to plan for at least 6 months for the processing of the H-1B
from beginning to end – from gathering relevant materials, processing the LCA, submitting the H-1B
application, and waiting for USCIS response. Processing times at USCIS Service Centers vary greatly
and change throughout the year. Ask for updated information on processing times in the region where
you will be employed. USCIS offers “premium processing” of H-1B requests; for an extra $1,000 fee
and with the Premium Processing form, the USCIS guarantees response within 15 days. Even with
Premium Processing, OIE recommends 2 months for the whole related process from beginning to end.
The LCA. The Labor Condition Application (LCA) requires the employer to certify through the U.S.
Department of Labor that the wage which will be paid to the employee is a fair and equitable wage in the
region. This process is meant to ensure that U.S. workers are not undercut by international workers and
also protects international workers from being exploited. The employer also agrees to abide by fair and
legal labor practices. (Note: the LCA process for H-1B status is a different process than the Labor
Certification for employment-based permanent residence and does not involve proving that no U.S.
citizen or permanent resident is qualified and ready to do the job.)
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H-1B application and approval. To apply for H-1B status on behalf of an employee, the employer
petitions the USCIS using form I-129, other required forms, the H-1B fee(s), the approved Labor
Condition Application, letter of request from the employer, and support materials showing the employee’s
qualifications for the “specialty occupation.” The support materials will include items such as the
employee’s resume, copies of academic credentials, proof of relevant professional experience, letters of
reference, proof of publications, and copies of current non-immigrant documents.
The USCIS usually approves the application or requests additional information. An Approval Notice is
mailed by the USCIS to the employer and/or the attorney who represents the employer. The employer or
attorney gives to the employee a copy of the Approval Notice, the new original I-94 card, the approved
LCA, and a copy of the USCIS Form I-129. The employer may keep the original Approval Notice.
Professional H-1B1’s for Chile, Singapore. Based on international trade agreements made in 2004, 6,800
H-1Bs have been set aside from the 65,000 cap for professional workers from Chile and Singapore. The
application process and eligibility criteria differ from the one that is outlined in this handout. In addition,
petitions are only one year in duration and Treaty H-1Bs do not benefit from dual intent that is described
hereafter. However, for a Singaporean or Chilean who will work in the private sector and is impacted by
the cap limits for all new H-1B’s, discuss with your private sector employer or attorney.
Cost and fees. The basic H-1B application fee is $320 and must be submitted with all petitions. New H1B’s or change of employer petitions must also include the $500 anti-fraud fee. And, private companies
must also pay a “training fee” of $1,000 or $1,500 with each petition. University employers (including
Carnegie Mellon) are not required to pay the “training fee.” In addition, premium processing is $1,000;
this service and fee are optional. Further, dependants already in the U.S. and wishing to change status to
H-4, must submit the fee of $300 with the Request for Change of Non-immigrant Status. NOTE: The H1B fee or fees are typically paid by the employer or department at CMU but there is no prohibition
against the employee paying the application and premium processing fee; however, if the H-1B fee or fees
are subtracted from the H-1B wage, the amount must not be less than the prevailing wage as determined
in the LCA process (above.) Employers must pay the anti-fraud and training fees. When an attorney is
hired to process an H-1B petition, expect $1,000 or more in legal fees.
Who prepares the H-1B application? Private companies will typically use an in-house attorney or hire an
immigration attorney to prepare the H-1B application. Most large universities, including Carnegie
Mellon, have staff within the university who prepare the H-1B application.
Carnegie Mellon H-1B Details for Employees of Carnegie Mellon
The LCA Process. At Carnegie Mellon, the Office of International Education (OIE), processes the Labor
Condition Application (LCA) for all H-1B applications. OIE processes the LCA no matter if OIE will
file the H-1B petition or if an outside attorney will file. OIE works with the hiring department and with
Human Resources to file the LCA with the US Department of Labor. By law, the wage which is paid to
the H-1B employee must be (1) in line with the “actual wages” paid to other similarly employed persons
in the department or (2) 100% or more of the “prevailing wage” in the region for that job, whichever is
higher. The actual wage paid must be at or above 100% of the prevailing wage. The approved LCA is a
required part of any H-1B petition.
H-1B application. OIE also prepares and submits the H-1B application for most departments on campus
with the exception of Computer Science, Robotics, Software Engineering Institute, Tepper School, and
others on a case-by-case basis. OIE staff work with a coordinator in each department who has detailed
instructions on the H-1B process at Carnegie Mellon. The Foreign Scholar Coordinator in the department
is responsible for gathering all relevant materials and for submitting a complete H-1B packet to OIE.
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Other important information
Portability. An H-1B employee may change employers after the new employer has filed an H-1B petition
to the proper USCIS Service Center on behalf of the employee. At Carnegie Mellon, the USCIS Receipt
Notice must be received at Carnegie Mellon before a new employee may move from a previous employer
and begin employment at the University.
The H-1B visa stamp and travel in H-1B status. If an employee received H-1B status for the first time
when already present in the US, the new H-1B status is granted at the time that the Approval Notice is
received from USCIS. However, this does not impact or change the actual visa stamp in the passport. So,
if the person in H-1B status travels outside of the US, s/he will need to visit a US consulate to apply for
the H-1B stamp in the passport for purposes of re-entry to the US. The same is true for H-4 dependants.
Refer to Page 2 of this handout regarding the DOS PIMS system and implications for the H-1B visa
application. As with other non-immigrant statuses, a new H-1B stamp must be obtained at a US consulate
outside of the U.S. Read OIE’s “Travel Information for Js and H-1Bs” for additional details.
Tax implications. For international persons in F or J status who are non-residents for tax purposes
obtaining H-1B status will change the tax and tax-filing obligation. An H-1B worker is a “resident for tax
purposes” and is required to pay social security and FICA tax. However, there may also be some tax
benefits to the H-1B worker – for instance, a married H-1B can claim the spouse and child/children as
dependants for a positive tax benefit. H-1Bs may speak with a qualified tax preparer.
Grace period. There is no “grace period” in H status, unlike the 30-day grace period for Js and the 60-day
grace period for Fs. Therefore, if and when a job ends, so too does the status. This can be problematic if
an H-1B suddenly quits or looses employment. An H-1B worker should speak with an immigration
attorney to understand the options – if possible, explore the options before employment ends, not after!
Dual intent. H-1B status carries “dual intent.” This is an important distinction and difference from F and
J status. “Dual intent” implies that a person may choose to return to the home country or may choose to
move into permanent residency (or immigrant) status in the U.S. This issue is particularly helpful when
applying for the visa stamp overseas; unlike an F student or J researcher, an H-1B will no longer need to
“prove” the intention to return home after program completion. This “dual status” is also the reason that
OIE and attorneys will advise a person to obtain H-1B status before applying to US permanent residency.
Dependants. A spouse and minor, unmarried children (under age 21) may be in H-4 status (unless they
hold their own primary visa status, such as a spouse who is in full-time F-1 student status.) Generally,
information about dependant family members who will change status is included with the H-1B
application. For family members already in the US, the family will complete Form I-539, Request for
Change of Non-immigrant Status, submit copies of the I-94 card(s), and the fee of $300 in addition to
other H-1B fees. Dependants in H-4 status may study part- or full-time but may not be employed for
compensation by U.S. employer. If the H-1B status is approved, the dependants will receive a separate
Approval Notice for H-4 status. In Pittsburgh, it often occurs that the H-4 dependant is notified of the
Approval shortly before the H-1B primary status holder.
Additional Resources
USCIS website. Visit the USCIS website for additional information and forms.
www.uscis.gov
U.S. Department of State. For information on the waiver of J-1 home residency requirements or
applying for US visa, visit the US Department of State website:
www.state.gov
The Office of International Education (OIE).
http://www.cmu.edu/oie/
You may make an appointment to meet with an OIE Advisor by calling OIE at x85231 or 412/268-5231.
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