An H-1B extension is possible if an employee is seeking to remain in the same job for a longer period. Extensions are normally granted for a cumulative total of six years (with a few exceptions for more time) as long as the application is received by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before the expiration of the current H-1B Status.
Foreign nationals currently employed at UC Merced in H-1B Status who plan to remain at UC Merced in the same position are responsible for contacting their department administrator to begin an extension at least six months before the end date of their current H-1B status. In H-1B processing, each application — including extensions — repeats all steps of the H-1B process each time beginning with obtaining a Department of Labor (DOL) prevailing wage. Only after OIA has completed the DOL process is it possible to file the H-1B extension with USCIS. Currently, there is no expedited “Premium Processing” for the DOL part of the process.
H-1B Extension Instructions
Complete the following forms below
Note: the documents required for an H-1B extension is almost identical to the process of requesting initial H-1B Status.
Reference Documents for UC Merced Departments
| Immigration Attorney Visa Services Fee Schedule for UC Merced | |
| OIA Visa Services Fee Chart | |
| USCIS Application Filing Fees |
After the Application is Submitted to USCIS
If the extension application is filed with USCIS promptly (before the expiration of the current H-1B status), then the scholar does not have to wait for USCIS H-1B approval notice. With timely filed H-1B extensions the scholar is authorized to continue to work and be paid for up to 240 days after the expiration of his/her current H-1B status. Therefore, in most cases “Premium Processing” is only necessary if the H-1B scholar will be traveling outside the U.S.
