Yes, Furman generally sponsors foreign national tenure–track faculty members for employment authorization. Sponsorship is not guaranteed.

You should alert the Dean of Faculty as soon as possible after accepting the offer of employment extended to you and no later than the date by which the offer of employment expires.  You are invited to copy the Office of the General Counsel on your correspondence ([email protected]).

Once you accept the offer of employment extended to you, you will be connected with Furman’s Office of the General Counsel and an outside immigration attorney, who will work with you to determine the most appropriate nonimmigrant status for you.  H-1B is often the appropriate status, but not always.  For example, TN status may be appropriate for citizens of Canada and Mexico.  Please also be aware that Furman generally requires incoming tenure-track faculty to use time available to them in F-1 status through Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT) before the University commences the sponsorship process. 

If the most appropriate status for you is one that Furman initiates (e.g., H-1B), Furman’s Office of the General Counsel and an outside immigration attorney will be in touch with you promptly after you notify the University that you require sponsorship. Please be prepared to provide the necessary documentation in a timely manner so that nonimmigrant status can be secured for you in time for you to commence employment by your anticipated start date (usually August 1).  If the most appropriate status is one that you initiate (e.g., OPT/CPT in F-1 status, TN status), you are expected to file all documentation necessary for you to have your employment authorization in hand by your anticipated start date (usually August 1). 

Employees in H-1B status can do only the work that is listed on their H-1B petition. The employer (department), title, duties, and location of the job (including working remotely/telecommuting from another city) must match what the petition says. To avoid violating your status, you should perform only the work described in your approved H-1B petition.

Tenure-track faculty who have completed their first semester of teaching will be considered for sponsorship for permanent residence (a green card).  The final decision regarding whether to sponsor an individual faculty member rests with the department chair and the Dean of Faculty. 

How long it takes to receive a green card depends on the faculty member’s country of origin.  Usually, one can expect a green card within 2-3 years of filing.  Citizens of China and India are subject to backlogs imposed by U.S. Customs and Immigration Services, so green card applications for citizens of those countries may take significantly longer. 

Furman pays for H-1B sponsorship for the incoming faculty member.  If there is a business reason that requires an expedited application filing in order for status to be secured by the faculty member’s anticipated start date, Furman will pay that cost.  If the faculty member has a personal reason for wanting an expedited application filing, the faculty member will pay that cost. 

Furman pays for green card sponsorship for the incoming faculty member. 

Furman does not pay immigration costs for spouses and dependents, but Furman’s outside immigration counsel is happy to do this work as an extension of the faculty member’s application at the faculty member’s cost. 

Yes! Additional information on the process, timeline, and specific documents that you will need to provide will be shared with you once you have accepted the offer of employment.

Feel free to reach out to Furman’s Office of the General Counsel.  +1-864-294-2100; [email protected].