Faculty & Staff Immigration Services

Sacramento State is committed to internationalization the campus by hiring a diverse group of faculty with world-class expertise in a wide range of academic disciplines. Faculty & Staff Immigration Services provides information on immigration and international employment requirements for faculty and staff at Sacramento State.

Please direct further questions to Tina Tilahun, International Program Analyst. E-mail: tihetena.kebede@csus.edu or Tel: 916-278-4882.

• Immigration Resources
• International Employment
• Sacramento State Sponsorship
• Non-Immigrant Visa Categories
• Legal Permanent Residency
• International Hires

Sacramento State Sponsorship

Status: Non-immigrant vs. Immigrant

The proper status to use when hiring international faculty and staff depends on in part, upon the type of position offered.

For individuals hired to fill part-time or full-time appointments for a limited fixed term (a temporary position), a non-immigrant status is appropriate. Temporary appointments for the purpose of visa options would include positions outside the tenure system, e.g., temporary faculty/staff, post-docs, visiting scholars, visiting researchers, and exchange visitors. The visa status that is typically used for temporary or term-limited positions is non-immigrant status, such as F-1 OPT, J-1, H-1B, O-1 or TN. Temporary or term-limited appointments should not carry with them the expectation of Sacramento State sponsorship for legal permanent residency and hires in these positions should be informed of the policy at the start of the employment period.

Hiring departments/schools/units should contact Faculty & Staff Immigration Services to discuss visa/status options appropriate for internationals offered employment based on their individual circumstances and the position offered.

Immigrant status, the intention to pursue a permanent residency in the U.S., is most appropriate for faculty appointed to a tenured or tenure-track position. It’s also appropriate for staff appointed to a continuing appointment. Until permanent residency can be obtained, a process that routinely takes up to two or more years, a foreign national employee can work in a non-immigrant status. An approved H-1B petition certifies work eligibility in three-year increments with extensions beyond six years allowed if adjudication for legal permanent residency takes longer.

The H-1B visa is unique in that it allows for dual intent for both the H-1B petitioner (Sacramento State) and beneficiary (the employee). This means an H-1B employee has the option of either returning to the home country at the end of H-1B validation period or remaining in the U.S. while pursuing legal permanent resident status. The H-1B also allows for an international employee to begin the permanent resident process without jeopardizing work authorization or restricting travel outside the U.S. J-1 Exchange Visitor/Visiting Scholar status is not an appropriate status for employees in the tenure track system or other continuing appointments.

Recruitment and Hiring

For any tenure-track position that could result in the hire of an international, a national recruitment strategy must be carried out. Documentation to establish that the search was national in scope and competitive in nature must be collected for presentation to the Department of Labor. This would include either print or web ad posted for at least 30 days, showing the title of publication and date, in a national outlet common to the discipline as well as print-offs of all websites or other electronic means used to reach applicants.

All letters offering positions to international candidates should include a phrase that “under the regulations of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Sacramento State must verify your identity and employment eligibility within three (3) days of the start of work.”

Upon arrival at Sacramento State, newly appointed non-immigrant faculty and staff will complete the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, at orientation on their first day of employment. An authorized Sacramento State staff member, representing the employer, is required to verify an international’s work authorization and identity and to attest on the Form I-9 that the information provided is true.

International hires should be prepared to present their passport, Arrival-Departure Record (Electronic Form I-94), visa, EAD, or any other immigration documents necessary to complete the employment verification process.