Responsibilities regarding status

You are responsible for learning, understanding and complying with U.S. federal laws and regulations governing your H-1B status. Please review the following responsibilities and contact your international scholar adviser if you have any questions.

Maintain a valid passport

You are required to maintain a valid passport at all times. It is your responsibility to renew or replace your passport in a timely fashion and to provide evidence of the renewal or replacement to International Student and Scholar Services.

Review your I-94 record

It is critical that you check your I-94 record online each time you travel abroad and re-enter the United States, and provide a copy to ISSS.

The expiration date at the top of your Form I-797A approval notice shows the validity date requested in the H-1B petition and the period of work authorization. However, the I-94 shows the date and class of admission, and the expiration date of the period of authorized stay. The expiration date of your authorized stay may be shorter than the I-797 validity date. You are not authorized to stay in the United States past the expiration date on your I-94. It is your responsibility to track the end date of your authorized stay.

Obtain re-entry documents before traveling abroad

Before you travel abroad, contact your international scholar adviser to receive copies of the documents that will be necessary for re-entering the United States. Because MU is the owner of the petition, ISSS will retain the original I-797 approval notice when it is not needed for international travel.

Report address changes to USCIS

Federal regulations require you to report a change of address to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within 10 days of the change on the USCIS website.

Report employment changes to ISSS

The terms of employment in H-1B status are very specific. The Department of Homeland Security approves your H-1B status for the specific department, salary, duties and dates listed on the petition. As an H-1B employee, you cannot change employment without authorization. This restriction includes planned or incidental changes in position duties, pay rates or sponsoring departments within MU. See the employment page for more information. If you anticipate a change in conditions of employment, notify your international scholar adviser immediately.

Participate only in unpaid consulting

You are permitted to make occasional speeches and lectures at other institutions or conferences, as long as the activities are not paid (either monetarily or by any other material gain), and are incidental to your employment at MU. You can be reimbursed for expenses incurred in connection with travel to other institutions or conferences. This is not considered employment as long as the payments are truly reimbursements for expenses and not disguised as compensation.

Apply for extension prior to expiration of current H-1B status

The length of time you may remain in the U.S. in H-1B status is indicated on the Form I-797A approval notice and your I-94 record. The maximum length of stay for an H-1B worker, including extensions, is six years. Under some specific conditions, H-1B status may be extended beyond the six-year limit. To see if the required conditions apply in your situation, contact your international scholar adviser.

Your host department will be responsible for filing an application for extension on your behalf. Applications for extension should be submitted to International Student and Scholar Services five to six months before the end of the original program. If ISSS does not receive the application at least two months before the end date of the original program, there is likely to be a gap in your employment eligibility.

Report departure date and reason to ISSS

You and your host department are responsible for notifying ISSS of your planned or unplanned departure. This is especially important if you leave MU prior to the end date of your H-1B approval. If your record is not properly closed with USCIS, it could lead to complications for you. If the department is unable to employ you for the duration of your H-1B status, the department is responsible for offering to cover the reasonable cost of return transportation to your home country.