H-1B Employees

• H1-B Employees

  Immigration Status

  • H-1B/H-4 Guidebook
  • Maintaining H-1B Status
  • Reporting Changes in Employment
  • Updating Local Address
  • Requesting an H-1B Extension
  • Transferring H-1B Status (Portability)

• Travel and Re-entry

  • Obtaining an H-1B Visa Stamp
  • H-1B Visa Stamp Not Required for Canadians
  • Travel Abroad with a Valid H-1B Visa Stamp
  • Travel to Canada / Mexico with an Expired Visa Stamp

• Information for University Departments

  • Overview of H-1B Status
  • Applying for H-1B Status
  • Processing Times for H-1B Application
  • iStart
  • H-1B Filing Fees and Supporting Documents
  • LCA Postings

E-Form Requests through iStart and H-1B Processing Times

In order to request H-1B status on behalf of a new or current foreign employee, the department must submit an electronic request (e-form) through the iStart system.  We request that the e-form be submitted to the Office of International Services (OIS) 6 months in advance of the employee’s start date to allow for OIS, Department of Labor, and USCIS processing.  If less time is available, the department may opt to pay a premium processing fee to DHS for expedited processing.  An e-form requesting premium processing should be submitted to the OIS 3 months in advance of the employee’s start date.  This does not include the time that it will take for an employee located abroad to enter; although on average a minimum of 2 weeks are required, the time required to obtain an interview at a US consulate can vary, as does the time required to receive the visa stamp in the passport from the US consulate.

Departmental access to the iStart system can be requested at istart.iu.edu.  After departmental access is granted, an email confirmation will be generated directing the department to the online e-form.

An “Add New Person” edoc must be requested and approved before the H-1B application can be requested.

Click here to view the section titles of the e-form and what information is required of each section