What Happens to Your Nonimmigrant Status When You Leave Caltech or JPL?
When your employment with Caltech ends, your nonimmigrant status will be impacted. While the International Offices can provide information about your current status that is tied to Caltech, we cannot provide legal advice on your next immigration steps.
- General U.S. immigration information is accessible elsewhere on our website.
- For legal advice, we recommend you consult with an immigration attorney.
Prepare for departure. When possible, prior to your departure please contact your:
- International Advisor to discuss your future nonimmigrant plans prior to leaving Caltech or JPL.
- Faculty Sponsor and your administrative support person to complete all necessary administrative paperwork before departure.
- JPL scholars should also contact the Section Supervisor to complete all necessary administrative paperwork before departure.
If you received a paycheck from Caltech or JPL, you will receive a tax document in January or February next year. This piece of mail is critical for filing your U.S. tax documents. Update your forwarding address in order to receive it.
- Caltech students and scholars: Update your forwarding street address and email address on access.caltech before you leave Caltech. If you need to update your address after you have left, please email Human Resources.
- JPL scholars: Update your forwarding address through JPL Human Resources.
Anyone who is a non-resident for tax purposes at the end of their Caltech employment, may request a Sprintax access code for Federal and State non-resident tax return preparation for that tax filing year.
It is important that you retain all documentation pertaining to your immigration status related to your stay in the United States. Examples include:
- current and expired passports
- I-20s, DS-2019s, I-797 approval notices
- I-94s and your Travel History from https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/home
- EADs (Employment Authorization Documents)
- Receipts relating to timely submission of registration (if applicable)
These records are important to establishing your compliance with U.S. immigration laws.
- Inform your F-1 sponsor institution about the end of your Caltech employment. They will provide advice as to your F-1 obligations, including where to report a change of employer or home address, and when to complete the I-983 and where to submit it.
- Be aware of the limits on days of unemployment during OPT and STEM OPT.
- Your J-1 program will end on the same day as your Caltech employment ends.
It may be possible to transfer your J-1 status to another sponsor: you will need to continue with the same research objectives, and a request must be submitted to ISS prior to the end of your Caltech employment. - As a J-1 Research Scholar you are subject to a 24-month bar which restricts you from returning as a J-1 Research Scholar or J-1 Professor for 24 months (2 years). This 24-month restriction also prevents you from returning as a J-2 dependent of a current J-1 Research Scholar. This is a separate rule from the Two-Year Foreign Residence Requirement.
- You will, however, be able to enter the U.S. in J-1 status as a Short-Term Scholar for up to six months, or in any other nonimmigrant status that is appropriate for your future visits.
- You will have a 30-day grace period to prepare for your departure effective beginning the day after your last date of employment at Caltech.
- Your H-1B, E-3, TN, or O-1 employment will end on the same day as your Caltech employment ends.
- If your employment ends prior to the end date of your I-797 Approval Notice, you are allowed to remain inside the United States for up to 60 days beyond your Caltech employment end date, or the end date of your I-797 Approval Notice validity period, whichever is earlier. DHS may eliminate or shorten this 60-day period as a matter of discretion.
- If your employment end date coincides with the end date of your I-797 Approval Notice, your I-94 may include a 10-day grace period. If it does, you may use these days to prepare for your departure.
- If Caltech has been your only H-1B employer, you have not been counted towards the H-1B Cap for industry/for-profit employers. Universities and related nonprofit entities, nonprofit research organizations and government research organizations are exempt from the H-1B Cap. More information can be found on the USCIS website.