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Maintaining H-1B Visa Status

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For non-U.S. citizens, Stanford may use H-1B visas to accommodate temporary employment in professional occupations.  It is your responsibility to maintain lawful H-1B status by following all related regulations and requirements. Failure to do so can have serious long-term consequences on your ability to remain legally in the United States.

Here are some requirements you must follow to ensure that your H-1B visa remains valid:

  1. Keep your passport must be valid at least six months into the future.
  2. Always print your I-94 after each entry to the U.S. and bring errors to the attention of Bechtel International Center. Do not remain in the U.S. past the later of either the expiration date of your CBP-issued I-94 or the I-94 attached to the bottom of your I-797 Approval Notice issued for a change of status or extension of stay.
  3. Notify the USCIS of any change of address within 10 days of moving. (AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card)
  4. Don't accept any employment other than the employment approved under your most recent H-1B petition. Your Stanford-sponsored H-1B allows you to work only at the location specified on your H-1B petition. (See Additional Employment for H-1B Employees.)
  5. Ensure that if your position at the university is being extended, your sponsoring department initiates a request to the Bechtel International Center three to six months before your current I-94 expiration date.
  6. If there are any substantial changes to your job duties, hours, title, department, or work location, have your department notify Bechtel International Center immediately.
  7. Do not engage in patient care duties unless your H-1B petition was approved for such duties. If it wasn't approved for patient care, your department must initiate an amendment with Bechtel International Center. You may not have any patient care responsibilities until the petition has been approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).