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Visas for International Scholars

All visas are handled by the Harvard International Office (HIO), which allocates counsellors to every department and scholar. 

J1 vs. H1b

Most incoming FAS postdocs will receive a J1, and occasionally a H1b. For further information about these two visas, please see here.

Information Sessions

In addition, every year, the HIO works with the postdoc offices in Cambridge and Longwood to offer 2 informational meetings, one on each campus, with law firms specializing on immigration. These informational sessions are provided as an overview of options. Attorneys, from a liability perspective, give very general advice at these sessions and then create relationships with clients who want to take the next step moving towards hiring someone. The speakers invite the attendees to contact them directly to discuss their situations, which are then protected by attorney-client privilege.

ImmigrantsIf someone is remaining at Harvard, the HIO office should be contacted for more information. If you're leaving Harvard, you should discuss immigration options with your new employer.

Additional help beyond the HIO

If you need general, personal advice on visa issues, you might try reaching out to:

  • The Harvard Representative Initiative. 

  • KGA, which supports Harvard's Employee Assistant Program to which all FAS postdocs have access. KGA will provide immigration support via a telephonic, 30 minute legal consultation at no charge. After the initial consultation, should someone like to engage further with an attorney, they can help the person find an immigration lawyer.

  • If you're thinking about filing a green card on your own, based on your own merit, that is a personal application, and you should be in touch with an immigration attorney, such as the one listed below, who will guide you through the process.

    • Casseus Law: The Law Office of Rachel Casseus. Casseus Law provides free credential reviews for individuals who are interested in starting the green card process, feel free to email your CV, Google Scholar report, and brief write-up about your work to rachel@casseuslaw.com to obtain your review.

    • See also the following videos on the Green Card Process (2015): Landoli Desai & Cronin P.C. Part 1; Part 2; Part 3. And also this set of slides.