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International Services and Engagement Office ISEO
  1. ISEO
  2. Scholar Services
  3. iServices Instructions
  4. H-1B/E-3/TN Extension/Amendment Requests

H-1B/E-3/TN Extension/Amendment Applications

Please use this page as a resource on submitting H-1B extension and amendment applications in iServices. Your Department must initiate this process. Once they have, you will receive an e-mail from iServices inviting you to log in and fill in information. Once you log into the iServices scholar portal, you will see a pending request on the Home page. Instructions will be provided within the forms. Below is additional information that can help you prepare for your request.

Please note that H-1B extension and amendment requests require resubmitting many of the same documents which were required for your initial H-1B request.

 

Prepare Required Documents

H-1B Documents Quick List

Any document not in English will require a translation and translator’s statement certifying that they are competent to translate the document from that language to English and that the translation is a thorough translation of the entire document.

  • This translation does not need to be completed by an official translation company. However, the translation statement cannot be signed by the PI, scholar, or a family member as it could be seen as biased by an officer.
  • Sample translators statement

Important!
All H-1B extension and amendment requests are treated as new requests. Your advisor may ask for additional documents or information that was not included in your initial request if they deem it important or helpful to the request.

  • Passport biographical page
  • Degree or diploma, of your highest degree earned
    • Transcripts, if field of study not noted on degree
    • Translation, if degree is not in English
    • Credential evaluation, if this is a non-US degree 
  • CV or biosketch 
  • If currently in the U.S.
    • I-94 Record for most recent entry to the U.S.
    • Visa for most recent entry to the U.S. (except Canadians) 
    • If currently in a paid position, your last two earnings statements 
      • Please note: we may ask for updated pay statements prior to filing the H-1B request, depending on timing
    • If currently in F status (F-1, F-2)
      • ALL I-20s since the most recent entry to the U.S.
    • If ever in J status (J-1 or J-2)
      • ALL DS-2019s ever issued to you
      • Copy of USCIS Form I-612 Waiver Approval Notice, if subject to the Two Year Home Residency Requirement
    • If ever in H status (H-1B or H-4)
      • All I-797 H Approval Notices
    • If ever issued an Employment Authorization Document (“EAD card”)
      • ALL cards (front and back)

Clinical Appointments
  • Graduates of International Medical Schools
    • ECFMG Certification (unless a graduate of a Canadian medical school)
    • U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Steps 1-3 --or-- National Board of Medical Examiners (NMBE) examinations – Parts 1-3 --or-- FLEX examination
    • CA Medical License documentation
  • Graduates of Accredited U.S. Medical Schools
    • Internationals with a medical degree from an accredited U.S. institution need only provide ISEO with their U.S. MD diploma and, starting 1/1/2020, the Postgraduate Training License (PTL).
  • Required if the UCSD appointment/job advertisement has as a requirement
    • Medical Residency completion certificate
    • Clinical Fellowship completion certificate
    • Board Certification
    • Documentation establishing Board Eligibility (UC San Diego issued documentation is not acceptable)
  • Required for ALL Clinical Training programs through ECFMG
    • GME exception to policy allowing for H-1B/E-3 sponsorship

iServices Processing

NOTE: Always click the link at the top of each eform listed as MAIN PAGE| FORM NAME to return the to other eforms within the group INSTEAD of pressing the back arrow in the web browser. Dont forget to click submit after completing each eform.

Log in to iServices

Your H-1B request will be initiated by your department.

Once your department initiates the request, you will receive an email invitation from ischolars@ucsd.edu to log into the system and provide your information and documents.

Please click on the provided Link to Update Information and provide the following information:

  • Date of Birth
  • iServices ID number (provided in email)
  • Limited Access Pin Number (provided in email)

Please be sure to save your login information that is emailed to you so that you can continue to access your request.

Once logged in, your current requests will appear, and you can select the request to access your eforms.

Trouble logging in? Please email ischolars@ucsd.edu if you encounter errors or difficulties accessing your record.

H-1B Extension Personal Information

When completing this form, please make sure to use standard roman characters: characters with accents cannot be read by the iServices system and may cause errors in the submitted information. 
 

Please let us know if you have any other names, such as a maiden name, that you have used previously. We will also ask about any dependents for whom you may require a change of status to H-4. 

 

 

Address Information

Your permanent address should be your international address. Your U.S. address will be entered separately after the international permanent address. 

 

Upcoming Travel Information

Are you planning to travel any time within the next several months? Please make sure to list all travel dates, even if they're only tentative. 

Important! International travel while extending an H-1B can require very precise planning. Making your advisor aware of all potential travel plans will help us best advise you and ensure that you have a smooth transition to your H-1B appointment at UC San Diego. Undisclosed travel plans can have repercussions for extending/amending your status or for traveling internationally during this process. 

H-1B Extension Dependent Information

Please let us know if you will have dependents requiring a change to or extension of H-4 status! You will need to provide each dependent's name, gender, country of birth, and relationship to the H-1B applicant. 

If your dependents are outside of the US: 

  • Dependents outside of the US can apply for H-4 visa stamps abroad in order to enter the US in H-4 status. This does not require an I-539 application to be filed with USCIS

If your dependents are inside of the US: 

  • Dependents within the US may either choose to travel and apply for an H-4 visa stamp from outside the US OR can file an I-539 with USCIS to request an extension of H-4 status.
  • The I-539 can be filed concurrently with the H-1B request. These documents can be submitted to ISEO either by a single PDF file in iServices, or with physical copies provided to our front desk 
  • All I-539 applications must be fully completed and reviewed by the applicants - as these are personal applications, ISEO is not able to provide a full review of the I-539

Do you have questions about how your dependents should file for H-4 status or extend their status? Reach out to an advisor so that we can discuss the process with you! 

H-1B Extension Immigration Information

We will need information about your most recent entry to the US, such as your I-94 and most recent visa. Please make sure to have copies of these documents available to upload.

We will also request details about your immigration history, including: 

  • Have you previously been in J-1 or J-2 status? We will need to list all previous J status on the H-1B application
  • Have you ever been subject to 212e? 
  • Have you been in H-1B status before? 
  • Have you filed an I-130, I-140, or I-485? 
  • Are you currently in removal proceedings? 
  • Are you a Canadian citizen? 

If the answer to any of these is yes, you will need to provide additional information and documents, so please be sure to prepare any DS-2019s, I-797 notices, or waiver documentation for upload to iServices. 

As part of this form, you will also need to provide the U.S. consulate (outside of the U.S.) at which you are most likely to apply for an H-1B visa stamp. This is required for all H-1B petitions, even if you are extending from within the U.S.

H-1B Extension Job Qualifications

Reminder:

Any document not in English will require a translation and translator’s statement certifying that they are competent to translate the document from that language to English and that the translation is a thorough translation of the entire document.

  • This translation does not need to be completed by an official translation company. However, the translation statement cannot be signed by the PI, scholar, or a family member as it could be seen as biased by an officer.
  • Sample translators statement


As part of the H-1B request, we will need to show how you qualify for the potion and for H-1B status. 

Please prepare your highest degree received, any medical licenses (if applicable), and supporting documents for your highest degree received. 

Potential additional evidence which may be required: 

  • Translation
    • If your degree is not in English, a translation will be required
    • This includes degrees from US institutions issued in Latin or other languages
  • Credential Evaluation
    • A credential evaluation will be required if your degree was received from an institution outside of the U.S. 
    • Exception: Clinical Care appointments do not need evaluations of foreign MD degrees.
    • The evaluation should include field of study, a detailed description of the material evaluated, rather than conclusions, and a brief description of the qualifications and experience of the evaluator.
    • TN requests will not need evaluations for Mexican or Canadian degrees.
  • Transcripts
    • If your degree does not indicate a specific field of study, transcripts may be required as supporting evidence
    • Note: if the nature of your research is interdisciplinary, we may ask for transcripts if they have not been provided

H-1B Extension Scholar Submission

Thank you for submitting your H-1B application! 

ISEO Review

Department Processing and Submission to ISEO

Once you have completed the above eforms, your department will receive a notification prompting them to review your submission, finish their eforms, and finalize the request and submit to ISEO.

ISEO Processing Information

Standard Processing:

  • 4-8 weeks from submission of complete request
  • The Labor Condition Application (a required part of each H-1B request) can be submitted no earlier than 180 days in advance of the start date. If we receive your H-1B application well in advance, we will let you know roughly when we will be able to file the LCA and continue processing. 

RUSH Processing:

  • Rush processing is required for an H-1B requests with a start date that is less than 3 months from the date we receive the completed application
  • We will make all efforts to submit your H-1B request in a timely manner. However, the H-1B process requires several steps, including with the Department of Labor and USCIS. Some of these processes, such as the Labor Condition Application, cannot be expedited