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Office of Immigration Services

The Office of Immigration Services (OIS) is part of the Office of Legal Counsel. The office provides information about bringing international faculty, staff, and scholars to the University of Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, Cameron University, Rogers State University, OU Medicine Inc., and OU Health Partners Inc.. The staff provides immigration services to academic and administrative departments in obtaining and maintaining the appropriate immigration status for the employment of international faculty, scholars, and staff. Our office serves all five campuses governed by the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents. In addition, OIS recently expanded its services to include student immigration services on the HSC campus  From here, you can find information for hiring departments and international scholars.

Our office hours are Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. We are available for in-person meetings and by telephone or Zoom. To schedule a meeting, please contact us by email or by phone. 

Office addresses:
Norman: 905 Asp Ave, NEL 208, Norman, OK 73019;  Phone: 405-325-5970
HSC: O’Donoghue Research Building, 1122 NE 13th St, Room TB038, Oklahoma City, OK 73117; Phone: 405-271-2189
 

News

Scammers Posing as US Law Enforcement are Targeting Chinese Citizens Attending US Academic Institutions for Financial Gain. See more information here.


While many formal restrictions on international travel have been lifted, logistical concerns surrounding flights and quarantine policies, as well as visa operations at numerous U.S. embassies/consulates worldwide, continue to impact overseas travel.

  • Consular Processing: Visa processing in many countries continue to be delayed, with limited visa appointment availability. Third Country National (TCN) visa processing is increasingly limited or has been suspended in certain countries, including Canada and Mexico.   It is strongly advised to schedule a visa appointment prior to departure from the U.S., especially if you will not be processing in/traveling to your Home Country, i.e. a TCN request.  Please use the Department of State Website to better understand processing times at the consulate of your choice. Individual consulate websites will also help you better understand current visa processing procedures at that site, including whether an interview will be required.  First-time applicants for a visa of a given type could be referred for secondary processing resulting in additional delay. For applicants applying for the same category of visa they have held before, this risk is reduced. Remember to consider whether you have any dependent family members that may also require visa processing. 
  • India: Please contact the US Consulate(s) in India for specific information on consular processing which is experiencing significant delays in visa appointment scheduling even for Indian nationals.
  • China: China continues to maintain their Zero Tolerance Policy to COVID-19. Travelers to China may experience a quarantine for a period up to 21 days when entering the country before they can continue on to their final destinations. Travelers have also reported that finding flights into China are hard to come by and, when available, very expensive.
  • Form I-94: An electronic Form I-94 is issued to almost all non-immigrant visa holders during the admission process at the U.S. port of entry. Inspect your Form I-94 carefully each time you enter the US to ensure that you and your family (if applicable) are admitted in the correct status for the full length of your approved status. If either the status or expiration date are incorrect, it may be necessary to take corrective steps to prevent violations of your immigration status and from accumulating time in unlawful presence, which may result in a 3-10 year bar to re-entry into the U.S.
    • Form I-94 at Land Borders: Recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requested that travelers apply for their Form I-94 and prepay online before arriving at a land border. The announcement also contains travel tips, including pointers on monitoring border wait times and understanding customs and other policies surrounding border travel.
  • General Unpredictability: As the nature of the pandemic and global operations evolve, governments and companies continue to adapt and change their policies to ensure the public health and safety. You should carefully monitor U.S. and foreign Covid-related travel restrictions.   

Notice

All requests for the employment of foreign nationals at the University of Oklahoma must be processed through OIS. Only the OIS staff is authorized to sign the legal documents and forms required to sponsor international scholars and staff. 

Consider This

Volunteering and moonlighting refer to activities outside the scope of the foreign national's employment authorization and may not be allowed. Review more information about volunteering and moonlighting.

About OIS

Review the About Us page: 
  • Contact Information
  • OIS Staff
  • OIS Disclaimer