Departments are responsible for submitting requests to PISA, who in turn coordinates the submission through MyISS (an online immigration database) to the counseling unit. Both PISA and the Counselors are part of International Scholar Services.

In general:

• PISA coordinates administrative matters
  • Initiating requests and submitting them to MyISS
  • Monitoring progress through MyISS steps and following up as needed with the host, business office or scholar
  • Issuing invitation letters for visitors (i) who are not attending a conference or workshop, and (ii) who are not a formal delegate from their university for negotiations with Purdue
    • Invitations for Conference/Workshop attendees may be issued by the department upon completion of screening by the Office of Research Security
    • Invitations for institutional delegates may be issued by the department upon completion of screening by the Office of Research Security
  • Issuing invitation letters for visiting scholars
  • Communicating the need for updates to employment offer letters to departmental business offices, if the prospective employee's arrival is delayed
  • Initiating R4P for new incoming Scholars
  • Checking in new incoming Scholars
  • Initiating the payment of the ISS Fee for immigration services
• The Counselors coordinate immigration matters
  • Applying immigration rules to specific fact patterns
  • Determining eligibility for immigration statuses
  • Recommending a short- or long-term immigration strategy
  • Evaluating failures to maintain status

• International Scholar Services is responsible for specific immigration services to Purdue University's campus 
• When a Department wants to request one of those services, it must submit a request to our office, through PISA (PISA@purdue.edu)
  • Ultimately, the request must be submitted using an Intake Form (see next Accordion row below)
  • If the Department wants to ask preliminary questions first, it may email to do so, but until the (fully completed, fully signed) Intake Form is received, the request is not initiated
• Each and every immigration service provided by International Scholar Services carries an ISS Fee
  • The Intake Form includes a field where an account number is provided for payment of the ISS Fee
    • One of the first acts of the PISA Specialist is to log the details of the request, including the account number provided for the ISS Fee
    • At the end of the month, all the request details are moved into iLabs, Purdue's campus-wide billing system 
    • iLabs sends an invoice to the owners of each of the accounts named in our requests, telling them that the ISS Fee is going to be withdrawn
    • The iLabs system allows account owners up to 10 days to contest the charge before the funds are removed
  • The ISS Fee must be paid by the Department. It cannot be transferred to, or reimbursed by, the Scholar
  • If our office does more than 50% of the required work on a request, then the ISS Fee is earned
    • It is irrelevant if the scholar, host or department later changes their mind about the request
    • It is irrelevant if the visa is denied
• Our office begins work once a fully completed, fully signed Intake Form is received (see next Accordion row, below)
  • PISA performs preliminary administrative work
    • As part of this, they will send an email confirming
      • The Salesforce Case Number (an 8-digit number beginning with 0003
      • The costs and fees associated with the request, including the ISS Fee. By continuing the request, the Department is agreeing to these costs and fees. 
  • The Counselors perform final immigration processing
    • For J requests, the Counselors will issue the J-1 DS-2019
    • For other requests, we must submit paperwork to the US government
  • For work visas, if the individual is outside the USA, they often must apply for the visa stamp to be inserted into their passport
    • The exception is Canadians, who are "visa exempt" and may seek admission to the US with only the DS-2019 or other government approval document facilitated by the Counselors
      • This is different from "Visa Waiver" (which is a form of business admission)

Normal response time for emails is 3 business days, under normal working conditions and subject to caseload. Response time for communications clearly (and justifiably) identified as rushes is 1 business day, although we will attempt to respond immediately.  

Our Salesforce System

International Scholar Services utilizes the PanPurdue Salesforce application to manage our cases and emails. (This is separate from the MyISS immigration database. Salesforce is a 'customer relationship management' tool that helps us manage the massive constant flow of emails and requests into our office. MyISS manages the immigration presence and approvals for individual internationals.)

When you email PISA@Purdue.edu you are emailing Salesforce. Salesforce evaluates each incoming email to the PISA@Purdue.edu account to determine whether it is related to an existing case or not. If the email appears unrelated to an existing case, then Salesforce automatically creates a new case for it.

Whenever we email from PISA@Purdue.edu (from within the Salesforce system), that email has a code embedded within it that secretly tells Salesforce which case the email is coming from. When you reply to that email, Salesforce sees the code and moves the incoming email into that specific case record within the database. Whenever you reply to an existing email “chain” or “thread”, the embedded code continues to tell Salesforce to move your reply email into the same case as all the other emails on the chain.

If you send an email relating to a case, but do not “reply” to the existing email chain, then the code is missing, and Salesforce thinks it is an unrelated email and creates a new case record for it. We then must find the existing case, and the new case, and merge them together.

What this Means - Tips for Communicating with PISA

• If you are continuing a conversation about an existing request, then you MUST find the original email chain and reply to that email chain.
  • This ensures that your email arrives into the case and is seen by the Specialist managing it, and they can then timely respond. If you do not reply to pre-existing emails, then there will be a gap in time before the Specialist responds, and depending on our staffing and the volume of “random” emails in the database, this might be several days.
  • A helpful habit is to ALSO include the 8-digit Salesforce case number (0003----) so that if the email is not moved into the case, we can quickly do so manually.
• If you are starting an entirely new Case conversation, then you may send a new email. 
• Emails to PISA should clearly identify the subject matter, in the subject line, using the format listed in the next accordion row.
• If the inquiry is a rush, the email subject line must clearly identify this.

All requests to PISA begin with submission of a complete, signed Intake Form.

A request that is not accompanied by a completed intake form, which includes or is accompanied by all required signatures, is an inquiry, not a request.

Where to Find your Intake Form

PISA intake forms are on the "How to Submit a Request" webpage.

Intakes are updated from time to time for a variety of reasons. Customers must access the most recent intake form from this website.

Colleges that chose to move intakes to Docusign are responsible for continuing to check the PISA website for updated intake forms.

How to Complete an Intake Form

Please answer all questions or select the option to indicate that the question does not apply. There should not be any Part that is blank – without any response. We truly do need all the information we are asking for.

Intake forms must be completed fully. Each row is a new topic. A row that include the phrase “if any” are optional; all other rows must have responses.

If a row requires a response then all questions in that row must be answered – not just the first detail. Dates MUST be provided. Approvals must be included or attached.

Submission of Intake Forms in a piecemeal manner – where a partially complete intake is provided and then answers to missing sections are emailed in, over time – will delay processing of the request. Our timeline does not begin until the Intake is complete.

How to Submit an Intake Form to PISA

Colleges that utilize Docusign for transmission of the intake form to PISA must ensure (1) that the docu-sign intake is separate from the signature bundle, and (2) the information input into the Intake Form is fully readable (not cut off in any place), and (3) PISA is able to “copy and paste” data from the docusigned intake form, as this reduces the opportunity for human error to occur. PISA will reject intake forms that are reduced to images from which we are unable to extract information. 

• You MUST send a new, independent email for this purpose. 
  • You cannot reply to another email, or include the new request in an email discussing multiple things.
• You cannot bundle more than one request to a single email.
• Extensions, changes, amendments each are considered a NEW request – these requests cannot go on the original case
• The email subject should including the word "Intake" and any other helpful details about the scholar or department.
  • Please do not use all capitalization as we internally use that to organize our management of unassigned emails.
  • Please do not put the Host name in the email subject line

Rush Cases

Cases that have short deadlines due to circumstances outside of anyone’s control (eg. new hires where the individual is in the USA with a limited authorized stay remaining, visiting scholar invitations where grant funding or other details are limited in time, etc.) do not need to comply with the above emphasis for complete intakes. We urge hosts/hiring managers and Department Contacts to reach out to PISA as early as possible in the planning stages, and to submit details as they become available, so that we can support the request and timeline.

Cases that have short deadlines because of delays in submitting a fully completed, fully signed Intake to PISA will be charged a Rush Fee. This includes situations where the individual has an expiring work permission, but already is employed by the department such that the upcoming expiration should have been known. 

A short deadline is any deadline that is beyond our default processing time for the kind of case in question. A rough estimate (which is not a substitute for referring to the detailed information about request processing on the College Resource pages) may be:

• J requests where the scholar may lawfully remain inside the USA until DS-2019 issuance: 3 months
• J requests where the scholar is or will be outside the USA: 5 months
• H-1B requests where the employee may lawfully remain inside the USA until H-1B approval: 4 months
• H-1B requests where the employee is or will be outside the USA: 6 months

Email Galina Miller (mille207@purdue.edu) and Amanda Thompson (thomp557@purdue.edu) to discuss.

File labels / Docusign naming campaigns must identify the (1) host/hiring unit, (2) individual international person, (3) request, and (4) urgency.

An example is below. Variations of this are fine, provided all four elements are included. Colleges that use Docusign must remove the “Complete with Docusign” at the beginning of the envelope.

Include "Rush" only if the case is a rush.

• COL_DEPT_LastName_FirstName_Request_Rush
• CLA_Phil_Mouse_Mickey_JVS_Rush
• COE_ECE_Duck_Donald_NEWFac_Rush

PISA supports all international visits  and visiting scholar appointments (namely, requests for international Visitors who need a letter for consular or admission purposes, and all requests for international Visiting Scholars).

Even if the visit or visiting scholar appointment will be undertaken by an international person who does not require Purdue’s immigration support, PISA must still be involved, to facilitate screening and letter preparation. PISA thus supports visits and visiting scholar appointments to F-1 and J-1 students at other US institutions who hold CPT, OPT or other school-approved permissions for activities at Purdue, for example.

Departments may generate visit or visiting scholar letters only for individuals who are US citizens, lawful permanent residents, asylees or refugees. PISA does not support these individuals. 

Departments must generate visitor invitations for conference/workshop attendees and official delegates from non-US institutions, following completion of Office of Research Security screenings. Please email PISA for instructions. 

Confirmation of funding

1. PISA emails the business office as directed by the college (either a person or the general inbox)
2. PISA provide the BO with either the draft Word document where the funding portion is highlighted or an excerpt of the funding paragraph from the letter
3. PISA must receive BO approval or edits to the text before they finalize the letter

Departmental signatures

1. PISA provides the final draft of the letter to the Department Contact
2. The department contact may acquire the departmental signatures in whichever manner the department prefers
3. The Department Contact must provide the final letter to PISA for distribution to the scholar

PISA letters are generated with default signature blocks for the Department Head and Host.

Colleges must notify Amanda Thompson, Director, International Scholar Services if a third signature block is required for letters issued by the college. Departments may provide to their PISA Specialist a written summary of any further customizations wanted for letters (presentation of department name, Department Head title, etc.).

Routing / Notifications / Copies

• Add the host, Department Contact and business office (and 4th notification, if there is one for the college in question) to the Docusign envelope to “receive copy” after the scholar signs, or
• Will forward the scholar-signed letter, via email, to host, Department Contact and business office (and 4th notification, if any), after receipt of the signed letter.

International Scholar Services (PISA) recommends that hosts and Department Contacts consult the timelines available on our PISA resource webpages to understand when a request should be submitted and when the international person might reasonably arrive.

Delays in travel are common. Visa interview scheduling can be challenging. It is common for visa applicants to be placed into “administrative processing” by consular officers, which can delay visa issuance by 1 – 12 months, depending on circumstances.

If there are changes to any aspect of an international visitor’s or visiting scholar’s presence at Purdue, before or during the visit, PISA must be consulted. Departments may not issue new letters to international visitors or visiting scholars without PISA’s involvement. This includes changes arising from delays in arrival, as well as changes to, or additions to funding, activities, assigned locations, hosts, and more.

Initial Requests

Visitor Requests

1 stage

• Attestation Form > MyISS eforms > Screening (which may take up to 3 – 4+ weeks) > Letter

See also our Guide on Requesting to Host a Visitor / Visiting Scholar

See also our summary of activities and limits for international visitors to Purdue

Purdue J Visiting Scholar / Visiting Undergraduate Student (VUGS) requests

3 stages

1. Intake > MyISS eforms > Screening (which may take up to 3 – 4+ weeks) > Letter
2. MyISS eforms > J Processing > DS-7002 issuance and signing (VUGS only) > DS-2019 issuance (up to 4 weeksin most cases)
3. Consular processing (highly dependent on the specific US Consulate, but commonly varies between 1 and 4 weeks), following which the scholar travels into the USA
   • MyISS eforms > J echeckin in PISA offices > validated in SEVIS and Purdue systems

Total time for most cases, assuming highly responsive Host and Scholar, is 12 weeks.

See also our Guide on Requesting to Host a Visitor / Visiting Scholar

See also our Guide for Requesting to Host a Visiting Undergraduate Student

Purdue J Employees

3 stages

1. Intake > MyISS eforms > Screening if the employee is a citizen of an embargoed country (which may take up to 3 – 4+ weeks)
2. J Processing > DS-2019 issuance (up to 3 weeks in most cases)
3. Consular processing (highly dependent on the specific US Consulate, but commonly varies between 1 and 4 weeks), following which the scholar travels into the USA
   • MyISS eforms > J echeckin in PISA offices > validated in SEVIS and Purdue systems

Total time for most cases, assuming highly responsive Host and Scholar, is 10 weeks.

Visiting Scholar requests without J visa sponsorship (Fulbright, Cultural Vista, CPT/OPT, etc)

2-stage

1. Intake > MyISS eforms > screening (which may take up to 3 – 4+ weeks) > Visiting Scholar Invitation Letter
2. Consular processing (highly dependent on the specific US Consulate, but commonly varies between 1 and 4 weeks), following which the scholar travels into the USA
   • MyISS eforms > J echeckin in PISA offices > validated in SEVIS and Purdue systems

Total time for most cases, assuming highly responsive Host and Scholar, is 1 month to issuance of the invitation letter.

Extensions

Scholars need not travel to obtain new visas following extensions. The paperwork issued by ISS as part of the extension request authorizes the continued presence at Purdue and continued engagement in activities, without the need for a US Consulate to issue a new visa. Visas are needed only to enter the USA, not to engage in activities while in the USA. 

Extensions of Purdue J Employees (Postdocs, staff)

1 stage

1. Intake > MyISS eforms > Screening if the employee is a citizen of an embargoed country (which may take up to 3 – 4+ weeks)
2. J Processing > DS-2019 issuance (up to 3 weeks in most cases)

Total time for most cases, assuming highly responsive Host and Scholar, is 6 weeks for employees who are citizens of embargoed nations, and 3 weeks for everyone else.

Extensions of Purdue J Visiting Scholars

2 stages

1. Intake > MyISS eforms > screening (which may take up to 3 – 4+ weeks) > Letter
2. MyISS eforms > J Processing > DS-2019 issuance (up to 3 weeks)

Extensions of Visiting Undergraduate Student (VUGS) requests

3 stages

1. Request for exception / Inquiry about whether extension is permitted (up to 2 weeks)
2. If extension is permitted, Intake > MyISS eforms > screening (which may take up to 3 – 4+ weeks) > Letter
3. MyISS eforms > J Processing > DS-7002 issuance and signing > DS-2019 issuance (up to 3 weeks in most cases)

Total time for most cases, assuming highly responsive Host and Scholar, is 8 weeks on most cases.

Note that extensions of Visiting Undergraduate Students is not routine. Extensions are provided only by exception, and are rare. As a result, the first step in the extension request process for a visiting undergraduate student is to verify that circumstances justifying such an exception are present. For more details, please review the information about "visiting undergraduate students" on this page. 

Work Visa requests have the same processing times and workflows reagrdless of whether it is an initial request or extension. This is because US law makes no accomodation for the legal standards and requirements for extension requests. 

Work Visa requests (H-1B, E-3, TN) involving USCIS petition

5-stages, minimum

1. Intake + offer letter > MyISS eforms > Deemed Export Considerations (which may take up to 3 – 4+ weeks) 
2. (H-1B and E-3 only)
   1. Wage analysis / evaluation of case details (2 weeks, depending on how responsive the Hiring Manager is)
   2. Submission to Department of Labor of electronic Form eta 9035 Application for Labor Conditions (8 - 11 days, by law)
3. Preparation / collation of paperwork, and internal peer review (3 - 6 weeks, dependind on the complexity of the case)
4. (H-1Bs, and those E-3 and TN cases proceeding by USCIS petition)
   1. Filing with, and adjudication by, USCIS
      • "Premium processing" takes not more than 3 weeks. Regular processing varies, but tends to range between 4 and 6 months.
      • Once approved, USCIS mails hard copy approval to Purdue (averages 2 weeks)
5. If foreign worker is outside the US, they must apply to a US Consulate for a visa stamp. The length of time required for consular processing depends on the specific US Consulate where the application will be made, but commonly ranges between 1 and 4 months. Note: Canadians are exempt from this requirement.

Total time involved:

• New, incoming H-1B employees: ~5 months
• New, incoming E-3 employees: ~3-4 months
• New, incoming TN Mexican employees: ~ 3 months
• New, incoming TN Canadian employees: ~2 months
• Extensions of H-1B, TN or E-3 status via USCIS petition: ~3 months to filing
• Extensions of TN, E-3 status by border processing: ~6 - 10 weeks to submisson of paperwork to the employee

If the available timeline is less than ~ 4 months, Department Contacts should email intlscholars@purdue.edu to discuss, as soon as the potential for a request is identified. 

Note: upon timely filing with the USCIS of a request for extension of the same visa status, an interim authorization to continue residing and working in the employment arises by law, for 240 days beginning on the day after the prior status expires. 

O-1 request 

5-stage

• Request for evaluation > Worker submits "Awesomeness" eform > law firm issues recommendation (up to 3 weeks, depending on the employee's responsiveness)
• Outside Counsel agreement is distributed through worker, supervisor and business office and submitted back to ISS (up to 2 weeks, depending on the Department's responsiveness
• ISS assigns case to Outside Counsel > Outside Counsel conducts launch meeting with ISS and foreign worker (up to 2 weeks, depending on availability)
• Preparation / collation of O-1 petition and supporting documents by law firm (generally takes 4 - 6 months but prompt responsiveness by worker is required)
• Filing with, and adjudication by, USCIS
  • Once approved, USCIS mails hard copy approval to Purdue (averages 2 weeks)
• If foreign worker is outside the US, they must apply to a US Consulate for a visa stamp

Total time involved is roughly 9 months, for new, incoming employees. Note that, before this process may begin (before the initial assessment can begin), ISS requires an account from the Department to which the ISS Fee for this service can be charged. Please see our webpage summarizing our ISS Fees and other costs, for more information. 

New Faculty

Incoming tenured, tenure-track, clinical and professional faculty must also be sponsored for permanent residence (greencards) in addition to work visas (H-1B). See https://www.purdue.edu/IPPU/ISS/Scholar/immigration/new-faculty.html. This applies to all international faculty in these appointment categories, regardless of whether they are Dual Career partners. 

ISS will determine and recommend which permanent residence path is best suited, once we receive the request and preliminary information.

Intakes for new faculty must be submitted to PISA as soon as the offer is accepted, regardless of whether it is deferred or when the appointment begins. Most permanent residence processes take at least 2 years to complete. For individuals born in China or India, US law creates bottlenecks in their process that impose additional delays. For more information, read our summary about permanent residence. 

New Staff

Departments may request permanent residence for incoming staff after they complete 1 year of employment at Purdue within the department, with one favorable performance review.