Most steps you should take to maintain your H-1B status are basic. For example, you need to maintain a valid passport and a valid I-94 at all times, and you need to report any changes in your local address by completing Form AR-11 within 10 days of moving to a new apartment or house.
Changes in employment may also have a big effect on your H-1B status.
The steps to extend your status are the same as the steps to apply for your initial status.
IU departments should contact us three months before an H-1B employee’s position changes or is close to ending. We will help guide the employee through the next steps.
Your H-1B approval is for a specific position, a minimum specified salary, a specific employer, and in a specific geographical region. To avoid violating your status, you should perform only the work described in your approved H-1B petition.
Your position might change, of course. These changes could include new job duties, a new job location (working remotely/telecommuting from another city), a new job title, or a transfer to another Indiana University department.
OIS must review any changes in your employment. You and your host department must consult with us six months before these changes occur. OIS will help you determine if you need to file a new H-1B petition, which requires up to six months for processing.
Your H-1B status ends when you complete your work at IU or your employment is terminated, even if your H-1B approval covers a longer period.
If you complete your work, you should take one of three actions before your last day:
If your employment is terminated, you should plan to leave the United States immediately. Contact us, and we will guide you through this process and help you plan your next steps.
If you do not extend or change your status, you should plan to leave the country immediately when your H-1B status ends.
Some H-1B employees are granted a 10-day grace period before they must leave the country. A Customs and Border Protection officer must add the grace period to your I-94 after admitting you into the United States, which does not always happen. To be safe, assume that you must leave when your H-1B status ends.
