Immigration

H-1B petitions are filed by an employer for temporary workers who hold at least a Bachelor's degree and are employed in specialty occupations. More information on H-1Bs can be found on the UB Immigration Services (UBIS) website. When a department hires a new faculty member in need of H-1B status, they should contact the SEAS Immigration Assistant to get the process started. The Immigration Assistant will help with all aspects of the H-1B process and will act as a liaison between the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and UB Immigration Services.

The first step for the Department is preparing the H-1B Request Packet. The H-1B Request Packet should be provided to the SEAS Immigration Assistant. They will review the packet for accuracy and completeness and provide the packet to UB Immigration Services for processing. 

After the initial request has been processed, UBIS will send a link for uploading all the required documentation. The SEAS Immigration Assistant will work with the department and the employee to gather all the required documentation and information.

The SEAS Immigration Assistant also drafts and submits eptfs for re appointments for any employees on H-1B status. 

The Exchange Visitor Program is designed to bring, among others, scholars, researchers, professors and specialists to the U.S. for a variety of educational and cultural exchange purposes. UB is designated as an exchange visitor sponsor by the U.S. Department of State. The first step for a department sponsoring an individual for J-1 status is preparing the DS-2019 Request Form, which includes a Certification and Fee Agreement for payment of the costs associated with each J-1 Exchange Visitor. The DS-2019 Request and related forms are available at UB Immigration’s website page here: J-1 - UB Immigration Services. 

Once the Request Form and related documents have been compiled, the request should be provided to the SEAS Immigration Assistant, and they will review the request for accuracy and completeness before passing the request to UB Immigration Services for processing. 

If your department would like to sponsor a J-1 exchange scholar, please contact the SEAS Immigration Assistant.

O-1 status is available for foreign nationals of extraordinary ability. Please see UB Immigration Service’s webpage on O-1s for more information.

If your department would like to sponsor an employee for O-1 status, please contact the SEAS Immigration Assistant. 

TN status is available for qualified foreign professionals from Canada and Mexico. Please see UBIS' website page on TN Employees for more information.

If your department would like to sponsor an employee for TN status, please contact the SEAS Immigration Assistant.

UB Immigration Services files employment-based permanent residency petitions on behalf of international academic and research staff holding permanent positions. Most academic positions are filed under the "Special Handling" provisions of the U.S. Department of Labor or under the "Outstanding Professor / Researcher" provisions of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. 

Please contact the SEAS Immigration Assistant to initiate the process. We will provide the initial required documentation to UB Immigration Services so that the potential for a green card filing and the determination of which category to file under can be analyzed by UBIS. Once determined, the SEAS Immigration Assistant will work with your department and the employee to collect the necessary documentation for filing and will provide guidance throughout the process.

If you have any questions, please contact the SEAS Immigration Assistant. 

The information contained on this web page is provided as a service to the international faculty, researchers, staff, employees and administrators of the University at Buffalo, and does not constitute legal advice on any immigration, tax, or other matter. We try to provide useful information, but we make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this web site or any associated site. As legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, and laws are constantly changing, nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel. Neither the University at Buffalo nor the Office of UB Immigration Services is responsible for any errors or omissions contained on this web page, or for the results obtained from the use of this information.