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Traveling in H-1B Status
When traveling outside of the U.S. in H-1B there are many things that should be
considered prior to your departure. Please ensure that you have the necessary
documents for entering whichever country you choose to visit. To find out what
documents you will need to travel to a certain country please visit that country’s
U.S. Embassy or Consulate web site at www.embassy.org.
The next thing to consider is weather or not you will need an H-1B visa stamp in
your passport. Being approved for H-1B status in the U.S. and having an H-1B visa stamp in your p
assport are two very different things. If you changed your status from F or J to H-1B within the
U.S. then you will not have an H-1B visa stamp in your passport and will therefore have to visit a
U.S. Embassy or Consulate to obtain one before you can re-enter the U.S. A Visa is essential a
travel pass that allows you to board a plane or boat and come to the border of the U.S. Your
H-1B approval notice (I-797) is what actually allows you to enter the U.S. and
stay here. To obtain this visa stamp in your passport you will need to make an appointment at the
U.S. Embassy or Consulate closest to where you will be (OIE recommends that you always obtain your
visas in your home country). To your visa appointment you will need to take the
following items with you:
- Valid Passport: this is a passport that has not expired and has at least
6 months of validity left on it.
- Original I-797 approval notice: this is kept in the OIE so you will need
to request it from us before your departure.
- One photocopy of the H-1B application filed on your behalf by UGA:
you should have received a copy of this from our office when we sent your application
to USCIS.
- Letter from employing department (OIE suggests that you have 2
original copies of this. One for obtaining the visa and one for re-entering the U.S.)
that states the following:
- (Name of H-1B1 employee) is currently employed in H-1B1 status in the Department
of (Name of department) in the position of (position title) earning an annual salary
of (dollar amount). (Name of H-1B1 employee) is authorized to work in the department
until (end date of H-1B1 approval period).
- (Name of H-1B1 employee) is traveling to (country name) to (state purpose of
trip, i.e. visit family and friends, or attend a conference) and is expected to
return to The University of Georgia to resume (his/her) H-1B1 employment on (date).
- (Name of H-1B1 employee) is performing research in the field(s) of (state
general field(s) of research, i.e. genetics, molecular biology). The nature and
purpose of this research is to (state the nature and purpose of the research
responsibilities in terms that a mother could understand, i.e. discover the genetic a
nd/or molecular causes of prostate cancer, or improve on therapeutic treatments of
prostate cancer). To the best of our knowledge, this research can only be useful to
persons researching (state general goal of research, i.e. prostate cancer) and could
not be used for a dual purpose.
- Kindly issue (Name of H-1B1 employee) an H-1B1 visa stamp so that (he/she) may
return to the U.S. to resume (his/her) research.
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J Scholars