In UAB's Office of Graduate Medical Education, residency and fellowship Program Directors determine which immigration status (J-1 or H-1B) their individual programs can support based on program budget, timing, and individual program and candidate factors. The strongly preferred option is for residents and fellows to undertake their training in J-1 status sponsored by ECFMG to allow the maximum time to complete all desired training (especially if you intend to pursue one or more fellowships) before securing a faculty positition. If your program decides to offer J-1 sponsorship for your medical training at UAB, you and your Program Director will work with UAB's ECFMG Training Program Liaisons in a completely separate office, Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)--not with IFSIS. UAB is very aware of the 212(e) waiver requirement that comes with undertaking training in J-1 status and frequently sponsors J-1 residents and fellows for such waivers after they complete their training.
Learn more about the J-1 sponsorship process at UAB
If your program offers H-1B sponsorship for your training, IFSIS will work with your Program Director to file an H-1B work authorization petition on your behalf. Please see below for important information concerning next steps. It answers many common questions.
Initial H-1B – New Hire/First Time in H-1B Status
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What documents do I need to provide?
IFSIS must receive legible pdf copies of your educational and prior immigration documents to begin the H-1B process. You will receive an invitation email from our database, LawLogix Edge, asking you to log in and securely upload pdf copies of ALL relevant documents. Please do not upload pictures or screen shots. IFSIS needs clear, legible copies to file with USCIS. We cannot file the H-1B petition without ALL necessary documents.
Please do not email
ifsis@uab.edu asking if we received your documents or questionnaire. Our database emails us when documents are uploaded and questionnaires completed. Unless you receive an error or bounceback message, you can safely assume that we received your information. Asking for confirmation of automated processes slows down our workflow. -
When can I start working at UAB?
All petitions are filed as far in advance as possible to ensure work authorization in advance of the start date for your program (generally July 1). All H-1B petitions in the Heersink School of Medicine are premium processed to obtain notification of USCIS approval (or a Request for Evidence) within 15 calendar days. While IFSIS will give you a courtesy notification of approval when USCIS emails us, you cannot begin working until the official, hard copy USCIS approval notice (Form I-797) arrives at our office via US Mail. It can take 5-7 business days for US Mail to be delivered from California to Birmingham. You and your department administrator will receive an automated email from the LawLogix Edge database the day the hard copy USCIS approval notice arrives in the mail. Please do not contact your department administrator or IFSIS for updates in the meantime. This email will contain instructions about the very important next step of completing Section 2 of your Form I-9 with Human Resources, located in the John Whitaker Building at 500 22nd Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233. You cannot begin working until Section 2 of I-9 is completed; after it is complete, several downstream onboarding processes (email, patient record access, parking, etc.) can proceed.
H-1B Extension
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What documents do I need to provide?
A few weeks before your current H-1B status expires, you will receive a second email from the LawLogix Edge database to log in and upload documents necessary for an H-1B extension, such as your current CV, most recent Form I-94, and three most recent pay statements. Please upload legible pdf copies of ALL> relevant documents to the Edge database. Please do not upload pictures or screen shots. We need clear, legible copies to file with USCIS. We cannot file the H-1B petition without ALL necessary documents.
Please do not email
ifsis@uab.edu asking if we received your documents or questionnaire. Our database emails us when documents are uploaded and questionnaires completed. Unless you receive an error or bounceback message, you can safely assume that we received your information. Asking for confirmation of automated processes slows down our workflow.To view your pay statements from UAB:
To view your pay statements from HSF:
- Go to the Lawson system.
- Enter your LAWSON ID and password (which may be different than your UAB Blazer ID and password).
- Generally speaking, your ID is your first initial and then your last name.
- Generally speaking, your password is: hashtag, first and last initials, the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, hashtag
- Example:
Your nameJohn Smith
ID - jsmith
Password - #jsxxxx# (with the x’s representing the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number)
- Once you have logged in, click on “Bookmarks” at the top left of the screen to access the drop-down menu. Next, place your cursor on “Employee Self-Service” in the drop-down menu. Then move your cursor over “Pay” and click on “Pay Checks.”
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Do I need to wait until the extension is approved to continue working?
No. Once an extension petition is timely filed with USCIS, you are authorized to work for up to 240 days beyond the end date of your current H-1B expiration date. The Alabama DMV should also accept your USCIS receipt notice as a valid document to extend your driver license, but IFSIS cannot control their policies. All H-1B petitions in the Heersink School of Medicine are premium processed for USCIS approval (or Request for Evidence) within 15 calendar days. If you are dually-appointed with both UAB and HSF, only one of the extension petitions will be premium processed. Premium processing is not always required as a business expense. If you wish to have the extension petition premium processed for your personal international travel needs/wishes, be prepared to be asked to pay the $2,500 fee yourself in certain circumstances.
Credentialing and Alabama Medical Licensure
The Medical and Dental Staff Office (MDSO) processes the paperwork necessary for any necessary licensure during training. Please email the MDSO directly with any questions, as IFSIS is not involved in the licensing and credentialing processes:
If you are issued a restricted or special Alabama license, or do not need a license at all during your first year of training since you will be training under the supervision of a licensed physician, USCIS will approve H-1B work authorization only in one-year increments (i.e., IFSIS will need to file H-1B extension petitions on your behalf every year of your training). If/when you are issued an unrestricted license, USCIS will approve H-1B work authorization in up to three-year increments. Please direct all questions about licensure to the MDSO. IFSIS cannot assist.