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⇒ Student & Scholar Advising ⇒ Faculty, Staff, & Visitors ⇒ H-1B Employees ⇒ Obtaining H1-B Visa Stamp

Obtaining H1-B Visa Stamp

The H-1B visa stamp must be obtained from a US Consulate outside of the US.  It is no longer possible to obtain an H-1B visa stamp from inside the US.  You should have the documents listed below for the visa application:

• Original H-1B approval notice (I-797)
• Current letter from your department confirming employment, position title and salary
• Photocopy of H-1B petition (Form I-129)
• Photocopy of Labor Condition Application (LCA)
• Documentation of having resided legally in the US, if applicable (e.g. previous I-20, IAP-66 or DS2019, I-797 from other employers)
• USCIS Waiver Approval Notice, if applicable (for persons previously in J status)

When applying for a visa stamp be advised that security clearances can sometimes be required before the US Consulate will issue the visa stamp.  Security clearances, based on name, country of citizenship/birth, or field of study/research, can take 2–6 weeks to resolve.  In rare cases, they can take more than 6 weeks.

When making travel arrangements to your home country or elsewhere, please keep the possibility of these additional wait times in mind.  As always, be sure also that your department is aware of your travel and the possibility of these additional wait times.  If you already have a valid visa stamp and do not need to apply for a new one, the above information will not affect your current travel plans.

For more information on your specific US Consulate abroad, go to www.travel.state.gov, or contact a member of the Scholar Services team.