Hiring International Faculty, Staff, or Trainee as a Nonimmigrant Worker

Employers may need to hire foreign labor when there is a shortage of available U.S workers to fill certain jobs. Under certain conditions, restrictions and/or limitations, U.S. immigration law may allow a U.S. employer to petition the U.S. government for a Nonimmigrant Worker. There are numerous nonimmigrant employment-based visa categories. In all cases, the foreign national must meet specific requirements related to the occupation for which the employer is petitioning.

Nonimmigrant work visas are temporary with a limited duration period.

Departments recruiting for positions that are unlimited in duration with an expectation of continued employment should invest in a qualified U.S. worker, especially those positions that may require extensive training.

Departments currently recruiting for regular full-time staff appointments should be aware that these positions will not normally be eligible for permanent resident sponsorship with the university.

Foreign workers will be required to follow the New Hire appointment process for employees of OU.

Positions eligible for sponsorship as a nonimmigrant worker can be found in the IFSS University Appointment Eligibility Chart.

Nonimmigrant Trainees are limited to positions, such as Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Medical Resident and do not include the J-1 Category of Trainee.
See Exchange Visitor.

Information pertaining to job offers for the purpose of obtaining permanent resident status (Green Card) can be found under Employment-Base Immigrant Visa section of this site.