In most cases (except for Canadian citizens), all workers approved for temporary (nonimmigrant) classification require a valid visa stamp in their passport in order to request entry into the U.S. in the appropriate status that authorizes their employment at the UH. One possible exception to this rule involves traveling to Canada, Mexico or the U.S.-adjacent islands and retuning in less than 30 days while the I-94 card remains valid.

Visa-stamping processes at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad may take weeks or months to complete depending upon appointment availability and delays in security checks. It is imperative that the worker plan the visa stamping process well ahead of time in an effort to ensure a return to their UH employment obligations in a timely fashion.

Employees should also pay careful attention to their passport expiration dates, and ensure that an expiring passport is renewed in a timely fashion before any international travel or H-1B extension application.

International travel is strongly discouraged while an H-1B extension application is in process, as it may delay or disrupt USCIS's ability to process your case. If you have any plans to travel internationally between the time when your H-1B request is initiated and when the I-797 Approval Notice is received, please contact the Immigration Specialist to notify the office of your travel plans.