Congratulations on your appointment as a clinical faculty member! IFSIS will work with your department to file petitions with USCIS to secure H-1B work authorization on your behalf. IFSIS contacts department administrators to begin the H-1B process first and will follow up with you later as needed. Please read and follow the instructions carefully both here and in communications from our database, Welcome Client.

H-1B work authorization is available for up to six years in increments of up to three years at a time. IFSIS will strategize with your department to attempt to secure a path to permanent residence for you by the end of your third year of employment, generally via EB-2 PERM or EB-1B sponsorship, depending on departmental needs and other internal factors.

The following information is designed to make the initial and extension H-1B processes as smooth as possible for you.  

Information and Documentation Needed for Initial H-1B Petitions

You will receive an invitation email from our Welcome Client database after you sign an LOI (letter of intent). Log into the database, enter the basic biographic information requested, and review the extensive document checklist. You must upload pdfs (not photos or screenshots) of specific documents confirming your medical education and training, prior immigration history, CV, and two most recent pay slips from your current employer (if you are currently employed in the US). Please read the checklist carefully and upload clear pdfs of all relevant documents to minimize delays due to follow-up requests. All documents should be uploaded in a legible pdf format. The earliest an H-1B petition can be filed is six months before the H-1B start date. It can take 6-8 weeks for all information to be processed to file an H-1B petition. If you are waiting on a J-1 waiver (see separate webpage), IFSIS cannot file the H-1B petition until your attorney provides the USCIS Vermont Service Center receipt notice for the waiver application several months from now. IFSIS will be in touch with you as needed to file the petition. H-1B petitions in the Heersink School of Medicine are premium processed for adjudication (approval) within 15 business days. You will receive emails from our Welcome Client system on the day the petition is filed and the day the USCIS approval notice arrives at our office via US Mail. No other updates will be provided.

Information and Documentation Needed for H-1B Extensions

The earliest an H-1B petition can be filed is six months before the current expiration date. Most extension petitions are filed three months in advance of expiration, since H-1B petitions in the Heersink School of Medicine are premium processed for adjudication (approval) within 15 business days. Our database sends reminders at the six-month mark, and IFSIS will contact your department administrator to begin the H-1B extension process at that time. There is no need to email us and ask if the extension process is beginning. We will contact you later as needed when our workflow reaches the stage where we need information and documents from you. You will receive a second invitation to the Welcome Client database to log in and provide an updated residential address and to upload your most recent CV, most recent I-94 card from international travel, and two most recent pay statements. It can take 6-8 weeks for all information to be processed to file an H-1B extension petition. IFSIS will be in touch with you in a timely manner to file the petition. You do not need a USCIS approval notice to continue working on the basis of an H-1B extension petition--all that is required is that USCIS receives the extension petition before the current H-1B expiration date. IFSIS files extension petitions in the order that accurate, timely extension information is received from both you and your department administrator. We will not provide updates on the extension process. You will receive emails from our Welcome Client system on the day the petition is filed and the day the USCIS approval notice arrives at our office via US Mail. No other updates will be provided.  

Premium Processing

In the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, H-1B petitions are filed via the USCIS premium processing option to obtain approval within 15 business days. If you are dually-appointed (concurrently employed), the primary petition will be filed with premium processing and the concurrent petition generally will be filed via standard processing unless premium processing is also needed for this petition for business reasons. Your department will pay all USCIS filing and premium processing fees on your behalf.

Dependents (Spouse and Children)

Please notify IFSIS if you have a spouse and/or child(ren) who are currently in the US in a different immigration status and who will need H-4 immigration status. IFSIS will include the I-539/A application(s) for dependent(s) along with the H-1B petition if you provide the forms and check in a timley manner. You must pay the USCIS filing fee for any dependents (spouse and children) who will need to obtain or extend their H-4 immigration status. Learn more about the dependent H-4 application process. 

Credentialing and Alabama Medical Licensure

The UAB Medical and Dental Staff Office (MDSO) processes the paperwork necessary for licensing, credentialing, and privileging. Please email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. after you sign your LOI so that you can begin these lengthy processes. While you will not be able to complete your Alabama license application until after the H-1B petition is approved, you STILL MUST BEGIN THE PROCESS OF APPLYING. IFSIS must have proof that you have applied for an Alabama medical license before we can file the H-1B petition. If you are coming to the US for the first time, you will not be able to receive an Alabama medical license until you arrive in the US and apply for and obtain a Social Security number. This is an Alabama Board of Medical Examiners rule, not a UAB, USCIS, or IFSIS rule. Please email the MDSO directly with any questions, as IFSIS is not involved in the licensing and credentialing processes, which are completely separate from immigration processes. 

Please note: If you are issued a restricted or special Alabama license, USCIS will grant H-1B work authorization only in one-year increments (i.e., IFSIS will have to file an H-1B extension petition for you every year). If/when you are issued an unrestricted license, USCIS will grant your H-1B work authorization in up to three-year increments.