Faculty & Scholar Services
Faculty & Scholar Services (FSS) delivers administrative and support services to foreign nationals who are sponsored in exchange visitor, temporary worker and employment-based permanent resident statuses. Cooperatively, with university departments and centers, FSS serves a population of approximately 1,500 foreign national faculty members, research scholars and professionals by providing assistance with immigration regulation compliance and orientation to the campus and community.
FSS is responsible for the university’s compliance with federal regulations that related to sponsorship of foreign nationals for research and employment based statuses. The university sponsors the following immigration classifications:
J-1
Foreign nationals who visit the U.S. as J program exchange visitors to conduct research, observe, teach or provide consultation services for a limited period.
H-1B
Foreign nationals who are employed as professionals in the U.S. in positions that are identified as specialty occupations. The International Center views specialty occupations as those positions which are nationally recognized as requiring a bachelor's degree to qualify.
TN
Canada or Mexico nationals who enter the U.S. for temporary employment appointments based on provisions that appear in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
O-1
Foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in the arts, sciences, education, or business who visit the U.S. to perform services in their academic field on a temporary base.
E-3
Australian nationals who visit the U.S. as a temporary worker to perform services in a “specialty occupation” based on provisions that appear in the REAL ID Act of 2005.
USCIS Guidance - Form I-129 for E-3
Permanent Residency
Foreign nationals who have been granted the privilege of living and working permanently in the United States. University employees who meet federal and university requirements for employment-based permanent resident status may be sponsored by their department or center with guidance and authorization from the Faculty and Scholar Services section in the International Center.
Email Listserv for UF Departments
FSS provides information regarding changes in federal immigration law, regulations, and procedures in addition to changes in university policies and procedures that are relevant to the immigration statuses that are sponsored by the university. FSS has established a Listserv service which provides this information, by email messages, on a periodic basis to university administrative staff members. To sign up for this service and to view past messages, visit this link: Department Listserv.