Visa Sponsorship Duration for Foreign National Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows

Description

Recognizing the time and financial burden of the visa renewal process for many international postdoctoral trainees, faculty mentors may offer the standard one-year postdoctoral appointment with a multi-year visa sponsorship duration when appropriate.

Visa sponsorship may be extended based on:

• The faculty mentor’s intention to reappoint the postdoctoral trainee, contingent upon satisfactory performance;
• the number of years of available funding to support the postdoctoral position;
• compliance with the University’s five-year total postdoctoral appointment limit.

This option may be used at the time of initial appointment or reappointment, at the faculty mentor’s discretion.

A multi-year visa sponsorship duration does not guarantee reappointment or continued employment. Postdoctoral appointments remain subject to University policy, school and departmental procedures, funding availability, performance expectations, and applicable visa requirements.

Appointment Letter Requirements

If a faculty mentor chooses to offer a longer visa sponsorship duration to be reflected in the DS-2019, the appointment letter must include appropriate language documenting the visa sponsorship request. This language is required for the visa sponsorship application processed by International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

The appointment letter must include at least one specific funding source. Examples may include:

• [mentor’s name] start-up funds
• [funding program name] fellowship
• [grant name]
• R01 funds

The requested visa sponsorship period must not exceed the University’s five-year total postdoctoral appointment limit.

Please note that H-1B sponsorship can only be extended in three-year increments. Postdoctoral trainees who hold a visa other than J-1 or H-1B should contact ISSS to determine eligibility for longer visa sponsorship.

If the postdoctoral trainee is in the biomedical sciences, Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs (BPP) will provide additional guidance specific to the generation of appointment letters.

Consultation with ISSS

Requesting a multi-year visa sponsorship duration does not guarantee approval. ISSS will review the appointment letter and determine eligibility.

Departments and faculty mentors should consult ISSS and the appropriate school or departmental administrators before offering or documenting a multi-year visa sponsorship duration.

Termination of Employment and Visa Sponsorship

Visa sponsorship by the University ends on the postdoctoral trainee’s termination date.

If a postdoctoral trainee is terminated earlier than the end date of the visa sponsorship, the termination date supersedes the original end date for sponsorship. The department is responsible for notifying ISSS.

A multi-year visa sponsorship duration does not guarantee reappointment or continued employment.

Appointment Letter Language (example)

The mentor has sufficient funds from [specific funding source, such as R01 funds, start-up funds, fellowship support, or grant name] to sponsor you for the period of [start date] to [end date] and intends to extend the appointment during the funding period, contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued funding availability. This may be considered by ISSS in the preparation of your visa documents.

Penn Policy and Related Guidance

For University policy guidance, postdoctoral trainees, faculty mentors, and administrators should review the Policy for Postdoctoral Trainees at the University of Pennsylvania.

Visa sponsorship questions should be directed to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) through the appropriate department contact.