H-1B Sponsorship Policy

Affected Parties

All Groups

Policy Statement

All H-1B sponsorship requests must be processed through OVIS. Outside attorneys may not file H-1B petitions on behalf of current or prospective Dartmouth employees without the authorization of OVIS.

Dartmouth will sponsor current and prospective international employees for H-1B status if they meet certain eligibility criteria. Dartmouth will file H-1B petitions for full-time, salaried employees with long-term appointments, including:

  • Tenured and tenure-track faculty
  • Lecturers with full-time, long-term appointments
  • Research Assistant Professors
  • Research Scientists
  • Certain other senior research and professional staff where the position requirements and the individual meet the regulatory criteria for H-1B classification

Hiring departments must initiate the H-1B sponsorship process. The department, in coordination with OVIS and the individual, must provide documentation to establish that the offered position is a specialty occupation (the position requires at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field of study) and that the individual holds the requisite credentials for the position.

The department is also required to offer a salary to the individual that meets the Department of Labor's "prevailing wage" for the position. The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) makes the final determination on whether or not the individual is qualified for H-1B classification.

If the individual is in the U.S. in another nonimmigrant visa status, he/she cannot begin working for Dartmouth until the H-1B petition is approved by USCIS.

An individual who is subject to the J-1 two-year foreign residence requirement may not be eligible for H-1B status under immigration regulations.

If the individual is in the U.S. in H-1B status, he/she cannot begin working until the H-1B petition has been filed with USCIS and notification of receipt of the petition issued by that agency. An individual in H-1B status with another employer is not automatically eligible for employment with Dartmouth.

An individual currently in H-1B status with another employer may have limited time left before reaching the six-year maximum period of permissible stay in the United States. OVIS will review the available remaining H-1B time before authorizing H-1B sponsorship.

Any material changes to the H-1B employment, including job duties, job location or salary must be communicated to OVIS before the change becomes effective. An amendment to the current H-1B petition may be required. H-1B employees cannot move from full-time to part-time.

Policy ID

063-0002

Effective Date

November 1, 2021

Division

Office of the President

Office of Primary Responsibility

Office of Visa and Immigration Services (OVIS)

Last Reviewed Date

November 1, 2021

Next Review Date

2024