Maintaining Legal Status

Documents to Maintain while in H-1B Status

• Passport: Federal regulations require you to maintain a valid passport at all times when in the U.S. It is your responsibility to keep track of your passport’s expiration date and to renew it. If you do renew your passport, please provide the Office of International Services (OIS) with a copy of the new expiration page or biographic page with the passport expiration date.
• I-94 Arrival Record: The I-94 Arrival Record is what shows your legal status in the U.S. You cannot stay in the U.S. beyond the end date (or “Admit Until Date”) on your I-94 Arrival Record. Every time that you enter the U.S. on your H-1B visa, it is your responsibility to go online to the following website and print out your new I-94 arrival record. You must check that the “Admit Until Date” on the arrival record matches the end date on your H-1B Approval Notice. If those dates do not match, please contact your OIS advisor immediately so that s/he can advise you on how to get the arrival record corrected. If you applied for a transfer or extension of your H-1B status or changed your status while in the U.S. to H-1B, then the bottom right corner of H-1B Approval Notice is your new I-94 Arrival Record.

Restrictions on Employment

H-1B non-immigrant visa status is specific to an employer and an employment position.  An H-1B approval authorizes you to engage in temporary employment solely as indicated on the H-1B petition (See the copy of the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, provided to you.).  You are not eligible to engage in any other employment or professional activity.    Please be advised that you may not accept an honorarium or provide services for compensation or fees with any other U.S. employer or organization.

UT Health San Antonio does not allow individuals to volunteer in order to perform duties which usually would be performed by a paid employee.  It is allowable to participate in traditional volunteer opportunities on campus, such as those available at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center for patient guides, special event volunteers, Wellness Center volunteers, for example.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

If the terms and conditions of your employment change, it is your responsibility to inform your OIS advisor immediately of the change(s).   Changes in employment which you should notify the OIS of prior to the change occurring include:  Change in job title, change in percentage of time working, decrease in salary, different sponsoring department, new job duties, physical work location, or level of patient contact/care.  Please be aware that federal regulations require that the OIS informs the federal government before your employment changes significantly.  This notification process is done via an H-1B amendment application that will be prepared by the OIS and submitted to the federal government for approval.

Change of Address

The federal government requires that you notify them within 10 days when you change your address.  You can do so online at the USCIS Change of Address Form.  Please submit to the OIS a copy of the printout of the change of address submitted online.  You must also change your address via the employee portal.  Go to “Employee Self Service,” “Self Service,’ and then “Personal Information Summary.”