H-1B Petition Process

Looking for more H1-B information? Get an overview of the H1-B Visa Type

Bechtel Process Flowcharts

Stage 1: Department's role in preparing requests and documents to submit to Bechtel
Stage 2: Bechtel's role in the H-1 process
Stage 3: The role of USCIS in the H-1 process
H-1B eligiblity parameters, submission timing and length of stay

A complete application consists of:

Workflow transaction in Axess approved at all sequences, in Bechtel's queue.
Paper documentation required for submitting the visa request to the Dept. of Homeland Security.

Need to know the difference between a "new petition" and a "change of status?" What's "consular processing?" See this document to dispel the mystery! See also this reference sheet for Workflow navigation before you start.

USCIS Fees For H-1 Visa

The Workflow Process Step-by-Step in Axess

Workflow provides each approver in the system with the ability to approve, return or deny a transaction. The Workflow sequence is as follows:

Department administrator initiates the visa transaction.
Employee enters biographical, educational and employment history in Axess or through Secure Portal.
Department administrator enters job information details.
The export control questionnaire must be completed by an eligible faculty supervisor/HR manager who has completed STARS course DOR-1130.
Depending on the Stanford classification, the request may be routed to Dean of Research/Office of Postdoctoral Affairs/HR Labor Relations/School HRM for approval.
The request may be routed to the Department administrator for final review.
Transaction lands in Bechtel's queue.

See detailed instructions about completing Workflow panels

Bechtel Process and Approval

When the transaction lands in Bechtel's Workflow queue, it is assigned to an advisor/analyst.
We acknowledge receipt of the transaction and request supporting documentation from the department representative who initiated the Workflow transaction.
With an approved transaction and complete supporting documentation, a case becomes "live," and we will begin work on it in the order received. Our volume of work usually implies a four-to-six week period for a case to rise to the "top of the stack." Processing an H-1 involves the following steps:
- Analyze the nature, scope and relative level of responsibility of the offered position.
- Review documentation for completeness, compliance and accuracy.
- Review the cover letter for compliance with our templates, accuracy, completeness and suitability for presentation to the Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- Consult the US Department of Labor schedules to develop the necessary Actual Wage and Prevailing Wage reports, for compliance with Department of Labor regulations.
- File the Labor Conditions Application (LCA) using US DoL intake site.
- Prepare US CIS form I-129 using information from the Workflow transaction and documentation.
When LCA is approved by US DoL, petition will be compiled and submitted to USCIS, and the department notified by email.
We will notify the department administrator of any subsequent communication with the USCIS including
- Receipt Notices—Once received, the H-1B petition will be issued a receipt notice by USCIS. Departments can inquire about a receipt number ten days after submission. This receipt may be used to track the progress of the petition. Please note that premium processing cases are often approved before the receipt is received by the Bechtel International Center.
- Requests For Evidence—Occasionally USCIS requires additional documentation and the department will be contacted to provide this.
- Approval Notices—When we receive the H-1B petition approval, the department is notified that the form is available for pick up along with copies of the I-129 and LCAs filed with the USCIS. The department should make copies of the documents for its own records and give the original I-797 approval notice, the I-129 and LCA forms to the employee.

Checking the Status of a Workflow Request

The department administrator may check the progress of any submitted request. Sign into Axess and select Employee visa requests and see a list of all transactions submitted. Click on the transaction and open the Approval Schedule to see where the transaction is pending. We do not have access to the transaction until it reaches our queue.

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