H-1B Degree Certification Letter Information and Procedures

Eligibility Criteria for H-1B Degree Certification Letter

• Apply to graduate for Winter term in Axess
• Completion of school/department and University degree requirement
• If currently enrolled in courses required for graduation: degree certification letter will not be issued until all grades have been submitted for course work and the Registrar’s Office and the school/department have recommended student for graduation.

Fill in this HELPSU request to initiate request for H-1B degree certification letter.

As the H-1B application deadline is April 1 and Winter degree conferral does not occur until after this date (or just before), the Office of the University Registrar provides an H-1B Degree Certification Letter for eligible students graduating Winter term who are applying for the H-1B visa and have completed all school/department and University degree requirements.

The Office of the University Registrar is responsible for determining degree candidates to be recommended to the Academic Senate for degree conferral. Departments, chairs, and schools do not have authority to confirm completion of both University and department/school requirements and thus should not provide certification letters confirming completion of all degree requirements.

Students conferring degrees in all terms except Winter term should request an official transcript in their student Axess account after the degree conferral date of their graduation term. The official transcript indicates the results of all work completed and degrees awarded. Students can also request an official degree certification via Axess, or by completing a Degree Certification Request Form (pdf). See Certifications and Verifications for details on requesting degree verification.

Bechtel International Center organizes H-1B workshops which students are encouraged to attend if they have any questions regarding H-1B issues. If students are interested in learning about Optional Practical Training (OPT), they should attend a mandatory practical training workshop. Information regarding Optional Practical Training (OPT) can also be found at Bechtel International Center web site.

The H-1B Degree Certification Letter states the following:

• School and University requirements are complete
• Degree to be awarded
• Anticipated conferral date upon approval of Academic Senate of Winter degree candidates

An Enrollment Verification will be included with the H-1B Degree Certification Letter. The Enrollment Certification states a student’s enrollment history, current program of study, major, expected degree, and expected degree conferral date. This document bears the University seal and signature of the University Registrar.

Procedures:

Step 1: To initiate request for H-1B degree certification letter, submit a HelpSU ticket

• Request Description: Complete the following
  • Degree certification request for H-1B application
  • Name & student ID number
  • Department
  • Expected degree
  • Delivery Method (postal mail, student pick up, certified electronic Pdf)

Step 2: If course work in progress is required for graduation: work with instructors to ensure that grades are submitted by grade submission deadline; see the Stanford academic calendar for these dates.

Step 3: Contact the student services administrator in your department who is responsible for the quarterly graduation recommending list to ensure that all department requirements have been satisfied. Request that your student services administrator a HelpSU ticket to verify that department/school requirements are complete. If you have more than one major/minor or more than one degree being conferred, each department/program should submit a separate help ticket confirming that degree requirements have been satisfied.

Note: Undergraduates in the School of Engineering should contact Engineering’s Office of Student Affairs.

Step 4: The student services administrator will receive email confirmation after submission of the help ticket. Request that s/he forward a copy of this email to you for your records.

Processing Time

The Office of the University Registrar cannot guarantee that the H-1B Degree Verification letter will be ready by a certain date; however requests should be processed by the April 1 application deadline. Requests are processed in the order in which they are received and are contingent upon the date in which confirmation is received from the department/school confirming that major requirements have been met. Students are encouraged to initiate requests as early as possible to ensure that grades are submitted on time and to allow time for department/school and University to evaluate for degree clearance.