Information for Northwestern Departments

The International Office provides professional support and advising services to newly admitted and currently registered international students; international employees and visitors (including international faculty, researchers, exchange visitors, short-term visitors and staff); and Northwestern University departments who work with international students, employees and visitors. We are here to assist with questions related to acquiring and maintaining nonimmigrant and immigrant visas. In addition, we provide relevant programming and events for international students, employees, visitors and their families.

When bringing foreign nationals to campus, NU Departments should contact the IO as early in the process as possible. Having the answers to the following questions will facilitate the process:

  • Is the foreign national currently in the United States? If yes, which visa status do they currently hold?
  • Type of position you wish to offer?
  • Expected start date?
  • Foreign national’s country of citizenship?
  • Does the foreign national plan to travel abroad at any time in the near future? 

NU Departments should consult with Human Resources, Payroll, Office of Risk Management, Office of Research and other relevant campus units as necessary. 

For more information about specific visa types our office sponsors, see below:

F-1/J-1 Student Full-time NU enrolled degree seeking students and short-term exchange students
B-1/WB Visitor Short-term visitors who come for observation, consultation, or to give a lecture
J-1 Exchange Visitor Collaborators, lecturers, researchers, visiting professors, pre/post-doc's
J-1 Student Intern Current undergraduate students outside the U.S. who come to participate in an internship.
H-1B Beneficiary Specialty occupation employment visa for staff, tenure-track, researchers, post-docs
E-3 (Australian National) Same as H-1B (above) but specifically for Australian nationals
TN (Canadian/Mexican National) Employment for Canadian and Mexican citizens in certain fields
O-1 (Extraordinary Ability) Reserved for extraordinary individuals who have risen to the very top of their field
LPR (Legal Permanent Resident) Faculty, research staff, non-tenure faculty and some non-research staff are eligible.

Note: Any visitors to the U.S. who are in tourist status (B-2 or WT) may not have an affiliation with Northwestern University.

See our Visa Type, Processing Time and Fees Table for more information.

All International Office forms can be found here.