INFORMATION FOR H-1B TEMPORARY WORKERS

Pre-Arrival Information for H-1B Employees

Explanation of Documents

The following is a summary of the documents needed to obtain entry to and maintain H-1B status in the U.S.:

Passport:

• Proof that you hold citizenship in a country to which you may return at the conclusion of your stay in the U.S.
• Issued by the passport agency of your home country, then examined and returned to you by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the U.S. port of entry
• Must remain valid (six month minimum validity expected upon arrival to U.S.) during your stay in the U.S.
• May be renewed while in the U.S.
• May be replaced, if lost in the U.S., by contacting your home country’s nearest Consulate or Embassy

Entry Visa:

• Proof that you have demonstrated your admissibility to the U.S. in H-1B status
• Issued by a U.S. Consulate (Department of State), then examined and returned to you by CBP at the U.S. port of entry
• Does NOT need to remain valid during your stay in the U.S. (may expire during your stay without adversely affecting your nonimmigrant status)
• May NOT be replaced (if the passport in which it has been placed is lost) or renewed within the U.S. - a new application must be made outside the U.S. prior to reentry to the U.S.

I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record):

• Proof that you have been admitted to the U.S. in H-1B status for a certain period of time (typically expiration date matches the end date of your H-1B approval notice)
• Issued by airline personnel en route to the U.S., then stamped and returned to you (usually stapled into your passport near the entry visa page) by CBP at the U.S. port of entry
• Must remain valid during your stay in the U.S. in nonimmigrant status-see an international scholar advisor at OISS immediately if the I-94 is stamped with a different expiration date than the end date of your H-1B approval notice
• Must be replaced, if lost, by submitting an application and fee to United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS)

I-797 Approval Notice:

• Document issued by USCIS when the H-1B petition is approved; states dates of H-1B validity and work authorization in the U.S.
• Examined by the U.S. Consulate at the time of entry visa application; then examined and returned to you by CBP at the U.S. port of entry
• Must remain valid during your stay in the U.S. in H-1B status
• Must be replaced, if lost, by submitting an application and fee to USCIS

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Applying for a Visa

Immigration Status vs. Visa
There is often confusion about which document is the visa and which document designates your immigration status. This confusion is compounded by the frequent use of the word "visa" to mean many different concepts. Your Form I-94 card designates your immigration status. The Form I-94 card is the white card issued to you by USCIS when you enter the United States at a designated port of entry. A visa is the document issued by the U.S. State Department at a U.S. embassy and affixed to a page in your passport. The visa grants you eligibility to enter the U.S. in a specific immigration status. An H-1B visa cannot be issued without a valid I-797 Approval Notice.

The Visa Application
All visa applications require a valid passport, a completed visa application, Form DS-160, and visa processing fee. Because the processing of visa applications varies at each consulate, it is important that you visit the website of the consulate where you will be applying for a visa in order to see what additional documentation is required. The time needed for processing an application, which varies by consulate, may also be indicated on the consulate’s website.

Information on individual U.S. consular office procedures for processing visa applications can be found at:
http://usembassy.state.gov

Form DS-160 can be found on the designated consulate’s web page or at:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/forms/forms_4230.html

A note about PIMS
To facilitate visa issuance for H-1Bs, when filing all H-1B application, the Office for International Students and Scholars includes an extra copy of the I-129 petition and supporting documents for submission into the Department of State’s Petition Information Management System (PIMS). Note that at this time, there is a delay of several months before the agencies are able to enter the necessary documentation into the PIMS. If you expect to travel sooner than six months after you have had an H petition approved, you should anticipate a delay of 7-10 days in your visa application.

Security Checks
All visa applicants will undergo security checks. Security checks can delay or even result in the denial of a visa. Because of this, you should apply for the visa well in advance of the date you wish to travel to the U.S. The State Department has its own reasons for running security checks on applicants. There is no way to predict with certainty which applicants will be subject to these checks. However, you are more likely to be subject to an in-depth security check if you meet one of the following criteria:

1. You are applying for a visa in a third country. A third country means a country that is not your country of citizenship.
2. You are coming from or have traveled in certain countries, including the countries on the U.S. State Department’s List of State Sponsors of Terrorism: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria. Experience has shown that persons from Russia and China are usually subject to in-depth security checks.
3. You are engaged either professionally or academically in any of the fields listed on the U.S. State Department’s Technology Alert List ("TAL"). These fields include, but are not limited to, physics, engineering, chemistry, biology, architecture, and urban planning.

For information about the visa application interview, click here.

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Travel Arrangements

Check your start date on your I-797 Approval Notice before making travel arrangements. You may not arrive in the U.S. more than 10 days before your start date on the I-797.

We recommend that you schedule your arrival for a few days before the start date on your I-797 Approval Notice, so that you can search for an apartment and settle in. Remember that immigration laws do not allow you to begin working before your I-797 start date.

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Initial Expenses

• Transportation:
  • Taxi: $30-45 per person, on average, from the airport (depending on destination)
  • Bus & Metro Link: $1.50-$3 per ride
  • Rental Car: $35-$65 per day


• Hotel: $70-$200 per room, per night



• Food: $105 per person, per week
  • Fast Food: $5-$8 per person, per meal
  • Restaurant: $6-$20 per person, per meal


• Tips: 15-20% of the check’s total



• First Month’s Rent: $400-$1,600



• Rental Deposits: $400-$1,600



• Utility and Phone Deposits: $100-$250



• Utility Costs: $50-$150 per month



• Household Furnishings: $300-$1,800

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Items to Pack

In Your Carry-On Luggage:

• Immigration documents: passport with H-1B entry visa and I-797 Approval Notice
• Offer letter from sponsoring department at Washington University
• About $200 cash in U.S. dollars for initial expenses
• Medical records (translated, if possible)
• List of emergency phone numbers and contacts in your home country and at Washington University
• Clothing and toiletries, enough for a few days (in case your luggage is lost)
• Laptop computer and any small electronics you may be bringing

In Your Checked Luggage:

• Clothing and shoes. The weather in St. Louis varies by season, so you'll want to pack accordingly. You can find average temperatures and precipitation here: www.weatherbase.com. Note: Temperatures in the U.S. are measured in Fahrenheit (°F).
• Books, pictures, mementos from your home country. Besides having mementos of your home country for yourself, this is a great way to share your culture with the Americans you'll meet.

Leave at Home:

• Items that you do not need immediately can be shipped, including bulky items that do not fit in your luggage or clothing that you do not need immediately.
• Many items can be purchased in the U.S. rather than bringing them from home, such as home appliances, cookware, glassware, most books, and food items.

For information about restrictions on what you cannot bring in your carry-on or checked luggage, please visit the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website -http://www.tsa.gov/.

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Temporary Housing

• Contact your department to find out if they can offer you any assistance in making temporary arrangements.
• Reserve a hotel room for a few nights to give you time to find an apartment or other housing for your stay in St. Louis. To search for a hotel, visit http://www.explorestlouis.com/visitors/stay.asp

When you check-in with OISS, we will give you more information about finding an apartment or other housing in St. Louis. You can also find more information here.

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