Obtaining your visa is a key part of getting established in your new academic position at Cornell. International Services is here to support you in this process.
You obtain a visa (or immigration) status in the United States by approval of an application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or through admission at a U.S. port of entry. The most common statuses for Cornell faculty and staff are J-1 and H-1B.
After the unit or department that is appointing you determines the terms of your job offer—including the academic job title—the unit contacts International Services to initiate visa sponsorship on your behalf. We can’t advise you directly until you have accepted an academic appointment at Cornell.
When you arrive at a U.S. port of entry, you present your passport with the entry visa and supporting documents to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. The officer then decides if you are eligible to enter the United States and how long you can stay.
Your I-94 indicates the visa status you’ve been admitted in (for example, J-1, H-1B, or O-1) and how long you can stay in the United States. You can typically only remain in the U.S. until the end date on your I-94, even if your visa stamp and/or I-797 approval notice are valid for longer.
You should always refer to your most recent I-94. If you’ve applied for a change or extension of your status since you last entered the U.S., you have a USCIS-issued I-94 at the bottom of your I-797 approval notice. Your CBP-issued I-94 is only updated by international travel.
Be sure to check your new passport stamp and I-94 carefully when you receive them! If you spot an error on your I-94, work with CBP to get it corrected as soon as possible.
Visa Categories
The hiring department has the final say on what visa category (if any) Cornell University will support for a particular position.
Cornell can only act as visa sponsor for international employees working in certain academic job titles. Here’s an overview of common visa types for international academic employees.
Academic Job Titles Eligible for Visa Sponsorship
Some titles [*] can be modified by adding "Visiting."
- Professor (adjunct or acting)*
- Associate Professor (adjunct or acting)*
- Assistant Professor (adjunct or acting)*
- Instructor*
- Senior Lecturer*
- Lecturer*
- Senior Scholar*
- Senior Scientist*
- Senior Research Associate
- Research Associate
- University Professor
- Professor Emeritus
- Professor-at-Large
- Professor of the Practice*
- Associate Professor of the Practice*
- Assistant Professor of the Practice*
- Research Professor*
- Associate Research Professor*
- Assistant Research Professor*
- Clinical Professor*
- Associate Clinical Professor*
- Assistant Clinical Professor*
- Senior Extension Associate
- Extension Associate
- Postdoctoral Associate
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Teaching Associate
- Research Intern/Intern
- Visiting Fellow
- Visiting Critic
- Visiting Scholar
- Visiting Scientist
- Librarian
- Associate Librarian
- Senior Assistant Librarian
- Assistant Librarian
- Archivist
- Associate Archivist
- Senior Assistant Archivist
- Assistant Archivist
J-1 Exchange Visitor
J-1 is the most common visa type for Cornell’s international academic staff.
J-1 work authorization is job- and location-specific. You must work in person on a Cornell campus at least 60 percent of the time, unless you have obtained permission from International Services to work elsewhere. In most cases, additional worksites are not allowed and can’t be added after the J-1 program has begun.
Because this visa status is intended for academic exchange, some J-1 exchange visitors and their dependents are subject to a two-year home country physical presence requirement, 12- or 24-month bars, or both.
Eligibility
As a J-1 exchange visitor, you may be in a paid or unpaid position at Cornell. You may work in a variety of academic roles, including short-term appointments like visiting professor or visiting research scholar. J-1 status is not appropriate for tenure-track and other permanent positions.
You must have nonimmigrant intent—you intend to leave the U.S. at the end of your temporary stay.
You may not be eligible for a new J-1 research scholar or professor program if you are subject to the 12- or 24-month bars. Being subject to the two-year home-country physical presence requirement (212e) does not make you ineligible for a new J-1 program.
Duration
The J-1 visa is used for a wide range of employment durations, from a few weeks up to five years.
Dependents
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age may be able to join you as J-2 dependents. If you haven’t yet submitted a J-1 request in myStatus, you can include your dependents as part of the request.
If we’ve already created a DS-2019 for you, visit Bring Spouse or Children to find out how to make a J-2 request.
J-2 visa holders may request employment authorization after entering the United States, but this authorization is not guaranteed.
Process
- After your hiring department starts a J-1 request in myStatus, you receive an email inviting you to complete your portion of the forms.
- We typically process the request within five business days.
- If the request is approved, your DS-2019 (certificate of eligibility for exchange visitor status, J-nonimmigrant) arrives in myStatus documents for you to download.
- If you are outside the U.S., you apply for a J-1 entry visa. If you are already in the U.S., file an I-539 application to change your status.
As a J-1 exchange visitor, you need to do a few key things to maintain your status. Learn about J-1.
H-1B Temporary Worker
The H-1B visa is for individuals working on a temporary basis in a specialty occupation.
H-1B status is job- and location-specific. You may only work remotely if the H-1B petition has been filed for your specific remote location.
As an H-1B employee, you must receive a salary that meets or exceeds prevailing and actual wage requirements set by the U.S. Department of Labor. International Services can’t assess wage requirements until your department submits an H-1B request in myStatus.
Eligibility
You may not be eligible for H-1B status if:
Duration
Your department may submit requests for H-1B visa status for periods of up to three years at a time, for a total of no more than six years.
You may be able to extend your H-1B visa status beyond six years if Cornell has filed an employment-based permanent residency petition before the end of the fifth year of your H-1B status.
Dependents
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age may be able to join you as H-4 dependents. Visit Bring Spouse or Children to find out how to make an H-4 request.
H-4 visa holders are not allowed to work under most circumstances. H-4 spouses can apply for a status change to an H-1B or other work-authorized visa of their own if they meet the qualifications and find an employer to file the petition.
If you’re an H-1B employee with an approved permanent residency petition, your H-4 spouse may become eligible to apply for work authorization. Learn more about who is eligible to Apply for a Green Card.
Process
- After your hiring department starts a H-1B request in myStatus, you receive an email inviting you to complete your portion of the forms.
- We typically mail the completed H-1B petition to USCIS within 15 business days. It may take longer if we’re missing information from you or your department or if we have not yet received checks.
- USCIS processing takes several months. An optional premium processing fee can speed up the processing time to 15 business days. USCIS sometimes issues a request for evidence (RFE). We will contact you if we need more information to respond to the RFE.
- If USCIS approves your case, it will take an additional one to three weeks for us to receive the physical approval notice. All documents pertaining to your H-1B petition will be mailed to International Services.
- If you are outside the U.S., the physical approval notice is typically required for your visa interview. If you are in the U.S. and not already in H-1B status, International Services must receive the physical approval notice to begin your H-1B employment.
As an H-1B temporary worker, you need to do a few key things to maintain your status. Learn about H-1B.
O-1 Extraordinary Ability
The O-1 visa is for individuals of extraordinary ability or achievement in their fields. Your field may be in the sciences, arts, education, business, or several other specialized areas.
Eligibility
In general, Cornell will only consider sponsoring you for O-1 status if you aren’t eligible for other visa statuses, such as J-1 or H-1B. If you are subject to the two-year rule and have not fulfilled the requirements or obtained a waiver, O-1 status may be an option.
To be eligible for O-1 status, you must be able to document that you are at the very top of your field. Unless you have been the recipient of a major internationally recognized award, such as the Nobel Prize or Academy Award, you must provide substantial evidence of your achievements.
Duration
Your department can request up to three years of O-1 status in your initial petition and unlimited extensions in one-year increments.
Dependents
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age may be able to join you as O-3 dependents. Visit our Bring Spouse or Children to find out how to make an O-3 request.
O-3 dependents are not eligible for work authorization.
Process
To learn more about the O-1 process, request a consultation with International Services in myStatus (under University Employment).
If you’re applying for O-1 status because you are subject to the two-year rule, be aware that you’re not eligible for a change of status within the U.S. If your O-1 petition is approved, you will need to leave the country, then apply for an O-1 visa stamp and reenter in O-1 status.
As an O-1 employee, you need to do a few key things to maintain your status. Learn about O-1.
TN Worker (Canadians and Mexicans)
The TN visa allows citizens of Canada and Mexico to enter the United States to engage in business activities at a professional level.
Eligibility
You must be a Canadian or Mexican citizen working in an accepted professional occupation as per the USMCA treaty (formerly NAFTA).
You must have nonimmigrant intent—you intend to leave the U.S. at the end of your temporary stay.
Duration
You may apply for TN visa status for up to three years at a time and request unlimited renewals in three-year increments.
Dependents
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age may be able to join you as TD dependents. TD dependents are not eligible for work authorization.
Process
Canadian citizens:
- Request a TN support letter from your hiring department addressed to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This TN support letter is different from your offer letter. The support letter must provide your job title and a description of your job duties and list the salary, length of stay, and requirements for degree or licenses. Your job title must mirror one on the list of accepted professional occupations.
- After you receive the letter, apply to enter the United States in TN status at any port of entry along the Canadian border. We recommend applying during business hours and at a designated port of entry for optimized processing.
Mexican citizens: Contact us for guidance on the application process.
If you are interested in applying for TN status within the United States, contact International Services for information. This option is only available if you have an academic job title.
As a TN worker, you need to do a few key things to maintain your status. Learn about TN.
E-3 Worker (Australians)
The E-3 visa is for Australian citizens working temporarily in a specialty occupation.
E-3 status is job- and location-specific. You may only work remotely if the E-3 petition has been filed for your specific remote location.
As an E-3 employee, you must receive a salary that meets or exceeds prevailing and actual wage requirements set by the U.S. Department of Labor. International Services can’t assess wage requirements until your department submits an E-3 request in myStatus.
Eligibility
You must be an Australian citizen. You must have nonimmigrant intent—you intend to leave the U.S. at the end of your temporary stay.
Duration
You may apply for E-3 visa status for up to two years at a time and request unlimited renewals in two-year increments.
Dependents
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age may be able to join you as E-3 or E-3S (spouse) dependents. Spouses in valid E-3S status are considered authorized for employment. Please email us if you have questions about bringing your dependents in E-3/E-3S status.
Process
- Your hiring department submits an E-3 request in myStatus. You don’t have to complete any part of this form.
- International Services files a labor condition application (LCA) with the Department of Labor.
- Once we receive approval, we send the certified LCA to the department or directly to you, usually within 15 business days of receiving the department’s request.
- If you are outside the U.S., you apply for an E-3 entry visa.
If you are already in the U.S. and want to apply for E-3 status within the U.S., contact International Services.
As an E-3 worker, you need to do a few key things to maintain your status. Learn about E-3.
