Scholar/Employee Information

The Office of International Services provides programs and services to all of the international scholars in all the departments of Saint Louis University. The Office of International Services on behalf of the university deals with U.S. government agencies concerning visa and immigration matters for all international scholars at SLU. The Office of International Services advises departments on the various visa application procedures necessary to bring an international scholar to SLU. After their arrival in the U.S., the Office of International Services assists scholars and accompanying family members with the settling-in process, employment permission, and other concerns.

As the only Saint Louis University resource knowledgeable in current U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization (INS)) regulations, it is imperative that prospective international visiting scholars, researchers or medical residents and their departments consult only with Office of International Services on these issues. The Office of International Services staff makes every effort to accommodate emergency situations. However, it is important to remember that usually the earlier an application is begun, the less chance there is that a department and a prospective scholar will be disappointed by a delayed employment start date. Four months is not too early to begin any type of visa application.

Who is an international scholar?

Throughout the U.S., an international scholar is usually considered to be an individual not enrolled in a formal degree program, who holds a temporary, non-immigrant visa, and who engages in scholarly activities including teaching, research, and/or training at a university, research institute, or hospital. At SLU, international scholars may be faculty members, postdoctoral research fellows, visiting scholars, or medical residents.

How can my department bring international scholars to the U.S.?

First, the sponsoring department must make the appropriate arrangements for an individual’s university appointment. If the appointment is a non-salaried one, the department should confirm that sufficient funding is available for the scholar. Secondly, the department should consult the Office of International Services in a timely manner to begin the initial paperwork necessary for processing a visa document or a visa petition.

The following sections briefly describe the various visa types for which the Office of International Services offers advice, issues visa documents, and processes petitions to the Immigration and Naturalization Service:

Non-Immigrant Visa Processing Policy
The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program
The H-1B Temporary Worker Visa
O Visa for Individuals of Extraordinary Ability
The TN Visa for Canadian and Mexican Citizens
B-1/B-2 Visas