Immigration

Recruitment Guidelines

During the recruitment process you may ask only two questions regarding visa status or the ability to work in the United States, and if asked, these questions should be asked of all candidates:

Do you have authorization to work indefinitely for any employer in the U.S.?

Will you, now, or at any time in the future, need sponsorship from Northeastern University for a work permit, visa or visa petition?

Once you have made an offer and it has been accepted, you may then inquire as to the individual’s visa status and work authorization, and work with the Office of the General Counsel to determine if sponsorship may be required.

Information on Hiring International Students and Scholars

Students in F-1 or J-1 status may not work off-campus unless they have valid work-authorization. Students who work on-campus are allowed to work 20 hours per week during the academic year and 40 hours per week during vacation periods or when school is not in session. The hours students are allowed to work off-campus is dependent on the type of work authorization approval they have received. The hiring of all students at Northeastern University is handled by the Student Employment Office.

J-1 scholars must have a temporary academic appointment at Northeastern University. This allows the Office of Global Services to issue Form DS-2019 for the scholar to then apply for J-1 visa status to either be hosted or employed at Northeastern University.

Sponsorship for Temporary Work Authorization

Upon hire, the University evaluates and sponsors eligible employees in the appropriate visa categories, including, but not limited to, H-1B, TN, and O-1. The Office of the General Counsel works with the hiring College/Division key contact to process these requests. Only the hiring College/Division key contact can initiate a request for sponsorship by the University as the employer. These requests are initiated through “MyVisa” the Office of the General Counsel’s electronic immigration case management system, powered by Sunapsis.

Sponsorship for Permanent Residency

The University automatically sponsors tenure-track or tenured faculty for permanent resident status (“green card”). All other positions are subject to review and approval by the Dean and the Senior Vice President of the area in which an employee works. There are several avenues and categories available to apply for permanent residency and each request is reviewed on a case by case basis. For more information, please see our Policy on Employment-Based Immigration Sponsorship (PDF).

Immigration Resources

IMPORTANT: All non-U.S. citizens must notify USCIS of any change of address within 10 days of that address change. This can be done online via USCIS’ website.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
For general information about U.S. immigration laws and policies, to check the status of a pending case (please note that you need the receipt number of the case) or the processing dates of applications.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
For information on documents required for entry to the U.S. at land, air and sea ports of entry.

Print a paper copy of an I-94 Arrival/Departure record.

To address any issues with an I-94 Arrival/Departure record, contact the CBP Deferred Inspection Office, located in Terminal E at Boston Logan Airport.

Contact information and instructions for getting an I-94 Record corrected

U.S. Social Security Administration
To locate a local Social Security Office to update immigration status/work authorization information.

U.S. Department of State
For general information about travel to and from the U.S.

U.S. Consulate/Embassy websites

Visa appointment wait times at the U.S. Consulate/Embassy

Visa application status at the U.S. Consulate/Embassy

Immigration FAQ

“A friend of a friend wants to come to Northeastern for the summer to visit our facilities and see what kind of research we do and maybe test his theories on our equipment. He says he does not need a visa because he can come as a visitor (B-1/B-2 visa or visa waiver program as WB/WT). Is this OK?”

It depends. Departments must complete the international business visitor documents that define the nature of the activity and provide additional information to determine whether or not the visit is permitted under immigration laws. B/1/WB (business visitors) may not conduct collaborative research and may not engage in activities that would constitute “work” under immigration and labor laws. They may however engage in independent (non-collaborative) research. They may attend meetings, seminars or give a guest lecture at the University. They may participate in professional or academic conferences.

Contact Information

Faculty and staff with questions about work authorization and other employment-related immigration issues can contact the Office of the General Counsel, 617-373-2157.

Documents

International Business Visitor Documents

B-1/WB Information/Process Sheet
B-1/WB Visitor Form
B-1/WB Department Form
B-1/WB Letter Payment
B-1/WB Letter Non Payment

Stem Opt Documents

STEM OPT Guide
STEM OPT Checklist

Form I-983