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 for USCIS filing fees. A will be used to pay the .
- 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 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.