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

Applying for H-1B Status

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. Departmental access to iStart can be requested at istart.iu.edu. After departmental access is granted, an email confirmation will be generated directing the department to the e-form. Please note that An "Add New Person" edoc must be requested and approved before completing the e-form.

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.

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