Though the DoM does not process visa requests, we offer this brief overview of visas and the timelines required to process them to help you better plan for hiring international scholars.  Please submit visa requests and direct questions regarding visa processes to the International Office. 

The International Office requires evidence of an approved appointment before it can process a visa request.  Do not wait to submit appointment paperwork while completing the visa application.  Rather, complete the visa application while waiting for the appointment to be approved.  To avoid requesting a change of dates to the appointment later, please submit appointment paperwork to the DoM early enough to allow time for the processing of the appointment by the Feinberg School of Medicine AND the processing of the visa by the International Office and US government.  The International Office can begin to process visa requests up to 6 months before the appointment start date, but no sooner.
 

  
Purpose: The J-1 Visa is for use with short-term appointments ranging from 3.5 weeks to 5 years.  It may not be used for faculty appointments.

New J-1 Visa Process: After you have received the approved appointment from the FSM, submit a request for DS-2019 to the International Office.  After about one week, the DS-2019--a Certificate of Eligibility to be in J-1 Exchange Visitor status--will be sent to the candidate.  The candidate takes this to a US Consulate's Office outside the US (preferably in his or her home country) to be interviewed and finally receive a Visa Stamp.  This may take a month or longer in large countries where there may be waits at the Consulate's office.

J-1 Visa Extension Process: The J-1 Visa extension is processed in the International Office and takes about one week to complete.  It requires an approved appointment form.

J-1 Visa Reviewing Cycle:
J-1 requests will be reviewed in the International Office on a Thursday cycle:  All applications from Thursday until Wednesday will be reviewed on the following Thursday.  For example on Thursday, February 21, 2008, requests received on Thursday, February 14, 2008 through Wednesday, February 20, 2008, will be reviewed and will begin processing.

Timeline: Submit your appointment paperwork to the DoM at least 3 months before the appointment start date for new J-1 visas and 2.5 months before the appointment start date if your candidate requires an extension of the J-1 visa.
 

Purpose: The H-1B Visa is for long-term appointments often leading to permanent residency in the US.

New H-1B Visa Process: After you have received the approved appointment paperwork from the FSM, contact the International Office to request an H-1B Visa.  The International Office will take about one month to process your request, and then send it to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) where processing takes another 4 months. 

H-1B Visa Extension Process: The International Office takes about 3-4 weeks to process an H-1B visa extension, followed by an additional 4 months of processing by the USCIS.  About one month after the paperwork is submitted to the USCIS, the candidate receives a receipt notice allowing him or her to work while waiting for the final approval notice.

H-1B Visa Reviewing Cyle: 
H-1B requests will be reviewed by the International Office on a Wednesday cycle:  All H-1B requests from Wednesday until Tuesday will be reviewed on the following Wednesday.  For example on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, requests received on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 through Tuesday, February 19, 2008, will be reviewed and will begin processing.

Timeline: Submit your appointment paperwork to the DoM at least 6 months before the appointment start date.
 

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*The receipt notice allows the candidate to work while waiting for the final approval notice.