International Scholar Servies' Counseling Services team leverages their mastery of US immigration rules, agencies and procedures to support the colleges, departments, administrative units and research centers of Purdue and its affiliates, and their international faculty, staff, postdocs and scholars. 

The Counseling Service team-

  • reviews and analyses documents and information relating to the opportunties at Purdue, and from the hosted or hired internationals, to determine the best immigration strategy for the host unit's immediate and long-term goals and business needs
  • submits and updates information in US government databases, including the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) 
  • prepares and files petitions and applications with US government agencies requesting or supporting US immigration benefits such as work visas (nonimmigrant classifications) and permanent residence, and monitors those petitions or applications until approved
  • meets with our customer units and internationals to answer questions and provide guidance about the US immigration processes being navigated, about how best to support and maintain the immigration benefit requested (work visa or eligibilty for permanent residence), and adapting or accommodating any changes to circustances as needed
  • maintains awareness of changes around the world, within the US immigration system, the agencies with which we work, or the Purdue organization that can impact our immigration requests, the opportunities at Purdue, or our sponsored internationals
  • develops and disseminates information and resources on immigration topics of interest to our customers, and coordinates presentations and guest speakers on relevant issues

The immigration requests currently supported by the Counseling team include

  • Work Visas (nonimmigrant classifications)
    • H-1B and H-1B1
    • E-3
    • TN
    • O-1 (processed by our outside immigration counsel under supervision of our office)
  • Exchange Visitor Visas
    • J-1 Professors, Research Scholars and Short-Term Scholars
    • J-1 Student Interns (which includes the Visiting Undergraduate Student - VUG - appointment category but which is not limited to non-US institution ungraduate students)
    • J-1 Specialists
  • Permanent Residence
    • EB-2 Advanced Degree Professionals 
    • EB-3 Professionals
    • EB-1 Outstanding Researchers and Professors (processed by our outside immigration counsel under supervision of our office)
    • EB-2 National Interest Waivers (processed by our outside immigration counsel under supervision of our office)