Checklist for H-1B Application
MIT Administrators > H-1B Visa > Checklist
Please do not submit these items until/unless instructed by
an H-1B advisor in the ISchO. They are NOT the first step in the
H-1B application process. Be sure you have completed all
the preliminary H-1B screening forms (Forms H) before completing
and submitting these items.
If the ISchO has not already received information about and/or approved the H application request, we will send these forms back to you until the screening process has been completed.
As the designated official in your department, center, or laboratory,
we ask you to share these instructions with the scholar and
work together to gather all of the documents on this checklist and
submit them to the ISchO as a complete packet. Be sure to include the
designated number of copies and attach all required documents.
Please submit the following to the ISchO:
From the Department:
- Completed "Statements by Employer"
- Letter from scholar's faculty sponsor: original plus 1 photocopy. Address letter "To Whom This May Concern" and include the following:
-- The scholar's name and job title
-- A statement that the scholar is coming temporarily to MIT to perform services in a specialty occupation, and verifying the dates of employment (dates should be consistent on all submitted paperwork)
-- A detailed description of the specialized services to be performed and the qualifications required to perform the job
-- A detailed description of how the scholar's qualifications match the requirements of the position
-- The amount of MIT salary per year and/or amount and source of any non-MIT funding
- Department section of Data
Sheet: original
only (Updated
October 2008)
- "Anti-fraud" fee: Institute check for $500 payable to Department of Homeland Security (original plus 1 photocopy). The fee applies to all H petitions for new employment. Petitions for extension with the same employer and/or amendment are exempt from the fee. The fee must be paid by the employer, not by the international scholar. Click here for more information.
[Other fees can be paid by either the department or the scholar.]
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From the Scholar:
- Scholar sections of Data
Sheet: original only (Updated
October 2008)
- Evidence of highest degree/diploma [not needed for H-1B extensions]: 2 photocopies. Evidence must be in the form of an official diploma, OR an official letter of certification of award of degree from the registrar of the school conferring the degree, OR an official transcript clearly showing completion of degree.
PLEASE NOTE: If documents or diploma are in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by a translation done by a qualified translator who can certify that the translation is complete and accurate, and explain how he/she is competent to do the translation. One original translation and one photocopy are needed.
If the degree was obtained outside the United States or Canada,
it may be necessary for you to obtain a credential evaluation. The
ISchO will contact you if we believe this is needed. The U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS) may also request a credential evaluation
during their review of the petition.
- Certification of Copies: original plus 1 photocopy. Scholar must sign to verify that copies included are authentic.
- Up-to-date curriculum vitae (resume) [not needed for H-1B extensions]: 2 copies.
- Summary of Visa Status and Employment in the United States: 2 copies. Required if scholar is currently in the United States or has been in the United States in any status other than B-1 or B-2 in the last 10 years.
- Form(s) I-94, front and back: 2 photocopies. Required only for a scholar who is currently in the United States. This is the small white card issued upon entry to the United States and stapled into the passport. (Be sure the red stamp on the card is legible.)
- Previous visa documents (2 photocopies of each document; required only for a scholar who is currently in the United States):
-- For new H-1B applications only (not needed for extensions), please submit copies of current and any previous Forms I-20 (for F status), EADs (employment authorization cards), Forms DS-2019 or IAP-66 (for J status), and/or Forms I-797 (approval notice of H, O, or sometimes TN status).
-- For H-1B extensions, please submit copies of current and any previous Forms I-797 (H approval notices) only.
- Passport information pages (photo page and validity page): 2 photocopies of each page.
- Dependent application packet: If the scholar is in the United States and has dependents who will apply for H-4 status, the dependents must complete Form I-539 and submit the required documents and fee.
- Fees: Check
or money order payable to Department of Homeland Security: Submit
original plus 1 photocopy of each check. If more than one
fee applies, submit separate checks. Please submit all checks
to the ISchO. Do not send them directly to USCIS. [These fees can
be paid by the department on behalf of the scholar.]
-- $320 for Form I-129 (applies to all H-1B petitions)
-- $300 for Form I-539 for dependents (one fee regardless of number of dependents)
-- $1,000 fee for Premium Processing (contact an advisor in the
ISchO to find out if this fee is recommended)
- Proof of continued employment: H-1B applicants who are already in H-1B status at another employer must submit paycheck stubs from the most recent two months or other proof of employment.
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Last Updated: October 2008
