Deadline for January/February '24 start dates that require a visa

As many of you know, Berkeley International Office has notified us of their Fall deadlines. As a result, SHARE is asking that any J-1 Scholars or H-1B employees starting in January of February 2024, please submit your request to your HR Generalist or HR Partner by September 1st, 2023.

• Submit J-1 new initial requests with appointment start dates in January and February by October 2, 2023.
• Submit J-1 Exchange Visitor extension requests for any scholars at least 30 days prior to the current DS-2019 end date.
• Avoid start dates in December and on holidays and university closures.
• For scholars starting in January we recommend a start date of Wednesday, January 3, 2024 or later as it is the first business day in 2024. Instruction begins January 16, 2024 and this may be a suitable start date for many scholars starting in January.
• Consult BIO as soon as possible on the feasibility and timing of any request to change status to J-1 if scholars are currently working for UC Berkeley on F-1 OPT. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processing times can vary and BIO advisors can be consulted on the timing and options.

H-1B Reminders:

• All H-1B requests using premium processing with start dates in December 2023 and January 2024 should be submitted to the Berkeley International Office by October 2, 2023.
• New or change of status H-1B requests without Premium Processing should be submitted to the Berkeley International Office at least 6 months before the anticipated start date.
• For detailed information, visit the H-1B petition timing website.
• H-1B employees whose cases are pending and are planning to travel during the holidays should inform their departments and contact a BIO adviser before departing the U.S..