H-1B Scholar Procedures
H-1B Specialty Occupation Request E-Forms Launching in January 2026
ISSS is launching the H-1B Specialty Occupation Request e-forms in the MyISSS Departmental Services Portal for Department Administrators who submit H-1B Requests.
- The current DocuSign versions of the H-1B request form will not be available after March 1, 2026.
- ISSS will provide an overview of the MyISSS Departmental Services Portal on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 11 a.m. to noon. (mountain time).
Departmental Services Portal and H-1B Specialty Occupation Request e-form resources are available on the Departmental Services webpage.
Credit Card Payment of USCIS Filing Fees
Effective October 29, 2025, USCIS will only accept credit or debit payment for USCIS filing fees. A university-issued procurement card (P-Card) will be used to pay the USCIS filing fees.
- ISSS staff will schedule a brief Teams/Zoom call with a sponsoring department staff member with a P-Card at the time of submitting the USCIS petition online.
- ISSS will email a confirmation/receipt to the P-Card holder for reconciliation purposes.
- The P-Card holder will be responsible for the Concur reporting for the transaction.
Presidential proclamation – Payment by employer of $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions FAQ
Late in the day on Sept. 19, 2025, President Trump signed a presidential proclamation instituting new entry restrictions on H-1B specialty occupation workers. Under this proclamation, in certain circumstances, approval of H-1B petitions, entry into the United States in H-1B status, and issuance of H-1B visas are prohibited unless the employer pays a $100,000 fee per individual petition.
H-1B Overview
USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service) defines an H-1B occupation as a “specialty occupation” which requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and the attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree in the specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States.
Departments may consider H-1B status for a scholar if:
- The scholar will be employed by the university, with benefits (i.e., not hired as a contractor).
- The H-1B beneficiary must be appointed to a position that establishes an employee/employer relationship with CU and they will not be considered an independent contractor.
- The H-1B beneficiary will be under the direct supervision of a university employee, and there will be a clear and continuous reporting relationship within the university.
- All funding for the H-1B beneficiary’s position will be paid directly from the CU, and not from any outside entity, organization, or third-party source.
- The appointment will be long-term or possibly a permanent one.
- The scholar has at least a bachelor's degree.
- The scholar is in J status and not subject to the two-year home residency rule.
It is possible for an individual to have more than one H-1B employer. An example would be a scholar who is working on a project for one employer and consulting with another employer on similar material. Consult ISSS when contemplating such an arrangement.
The University of Colorado Boulder does not offer H-1B sponsorship for part-time positions.
The H-1B request process is different for each CU campus. Select the applicable campus using the buttons below or the menu to the right.