OIP Services > H-1B Faculty/Staff > H-1B Application Instructions
Instructions For Completing H-1B Visa Application Documents
The H-1B application forms are internal, WKU forms designed to provide the Office of International Programs with the information needed to complete all the necessary immigration-related paperwork. These forms will become a permanent part of the H-1B employee’s immigration file at WKU. It is important to be as accurate and complete as possible when completing each of the forms.
Step 1: Complete the first page of the Hiring Department Application Package and send to the International Student & Scholar Advisor by fax at 745-6144 immediately. This first page will allow the Advisor to complete the Kentucky Department for Employment Services Prevailing Wage. This form can be filed with the Kentucky Department for Employment Services before the rest of the documents are completed. It takes 2-3 weeks to get this form back from the Kentucky Department for Employment Services.
Step 2: The WKU Hiring Department completes the remaining application forms in Part A, and the Employee completes Part B of the H-1B Request Forms. Also, the Department and Employee give the documents listed on the H-1B Request Form Checklist to OIP. This step should be completed within 2 weeks of completing Step 1. The Request Forms and Checklist Documents should be returned in ONE PACKAGE TO:
International Student & Scholar Advisor
Office of International Programs
1536 State Street
745- 4857
Please note that sensitive information (i.e., salaries) is required. Please mark any envelopes routed to the Advisor as “Confidential.”
Step 3: The Labor Condition Application is filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. It takes is complete on-line and will be approved immediately.
Step 4: Upon approval of the Labor Condition Application, the Coordinator for International Student & Scholar Services will complete the I-129 and H Supplement and return the completed form to the Department for final review. When the form is returned to the Coordinator after Departmental final review, it will be sent to the Vice President of Academic Affairs for official signature. Additionally, two copies of the Labor Condition Application must be posted by the Department for 10 business days in two conspicuous places – one in the Department and one in Human Resources.
Once the I-129 and H Supplement is filed with the INS, it takes approximately 3-4 months to get approved, unless the WKU hiring Department pays the $1,000 Premium Processing Fee. This is a new service that guarantees review and approval or rejection of the H-1B application by the INS with 15 days.
Please note: H-1B visas are generally requested for three years. During the time, the non-immigrant often applies for Permanent Residency (Green Card). However, should WKU terminate the employment of an H-1B visa holder before the end of the visa status – three years – WKU is responsible for “reasonable costs of return transportation of the alien abroad (last place of residence), if the alien is dismissed from employment by the employer before the end of the period of authorized admission” in H-1B status.
