Documentation to establish educational requirements for H-1B visa
April 1 is the first date when applications for H-1B visas may be submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") for jobs beginning on October 1, 2009. Immigration attorneys are now gearing up to file these petitions so that they are received at USCIS on April 1.
Recently the liaison committee of my professional association asked officials at the California Service Center ("CSC") to specify what type of documentation they would accept in order to establish that the potential employee had met the degree requirements for the job. The CSC responded that they would accept the following:
- A final transcript; OR
- A letter from the registrar; OR
- A letter executed by the person in charge of the records of the educational institution where the degree was awarded.
If the third option is chosen, then that person must show that they are authorized to issue such letters.
The degree requirements must be completed prior to the filing of the H-1B.
