Overview
Georgia College’s employment policy currently considers all candidates for employment, including international residents. The Office of Legal Affairs serves as the university’s liaison with federal agencies regarding employment-related immigration matters. It is our commitment to the university administrators, faculty, and staff to provide a more centralized immigration and visa-sponsorship service.
What We Do:
- Service and support of GCSU sponsored non-immigrant visas (primarily H-1B) for full-time faculty and professional staff;
- Service and support of GCSU sponsored permanent residency;
- Research in support of HR for employment eligibility issues;
- Coordination with the Budget Office in regard to residency status analysis for tax purposes; and
- Evaluation and support of non-immigrant employee issues in coordination with Human Resources, Academic Affairs, and Budget Office.
Types of Non-Immigrant and Immigrant Status
Non-Immigrant status are foreign nationals that have the intent to leave the U.S. once they have completed their activity (education or work) or their status is expired.
H-1B Status
This category is for the temporary employment of foreign nationals in a specialty occupation category. It is also the most common work visa found in higher education. It is the university’s policy to ONLY employ internationals in full-time faculty and professional staff positions.
Permanent Residency
Employment based immigration is one of the most common ways to obtain permanent residency. The PR sponsorship must be recommended by the department chair/supervisor and dean/director, with final university approval granted by the Vice President of that division.
More Status Types
TN Status
This non-immigrant status was created as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for individuals from Canada or Mexico employed in specific fields. Persons who qualify may apply at the border or inside the United States. The employment must be temporary in nature and must be found on a list of authorized employment fields published by the US Department of State.
O-1 Status
This category is specifically for the employment of professionals with extraordinary ability. To qualify, the international employee must be in the top 3-5% of his/her field of specialty. This is a difficult standard to meet. The O-1 is valid for up to three years initially but then may be renewed only one year at a time.
F and J Status
All F-status and J-status visas are processed in the International Education Center. Please contact the IEC at 478-445-4789 for more information.
Immigrant Visa Status
Immigrant status are those foreign nationals that have the intent to live in the U.S. permanently.
Additional Resources
Learn more about resources and information provided by the Office of Legal Affairs.