Who can Come to UMMC in B-1 Status

• An individual who will be conducting laboratory research that could result in services or any benefit to UMMC must meet one of the following criteria:
  • He/she must have a foreign employer and be coming to UMMC on behalf of the foreign employer to consult with associates in the field.
  • He/she must be the recipient of a foreign grant awarded for the specific research that will be conducted at UMMC (this may include students coming to conduct research as part of their dissertation).
• An individual who is coming to UMMC to conduct research that clearly will not result in services or any benefit to UMMC, such as a research volunteer.
• An individual that is coming to UMMC for observation only (such a scientist or a student coming to observe a technique in the lab).
• An individual that is coming to UMMC to participate in a scientific conference or seminar (such as a scientist giving a lecture).

When is B-1 status inappropriate?

• It is inappropriate for a foreign scientist to join UMMC holding B-1 status with the intention of changing immigration status (e.g., to J-1 Exchange Visitor). This is often interpreted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as misrepresentation of intent and can be cause for denial of entry into the U.S. and a bar from future admissions to the U.S. or, for those who succeed in being admitted in B-1 status, a denial later by DHS of a request for a change of status.
• It is inappropriate for an individual whose J-1 status at UMMC has expired to leave the U.S. and immediately return in B-1 status to finish a project, if that individual does not have an employer in the home country who will be the principal beneficiary of the research.
• It is inappropriate to invite an individual to UMMC in B-1 status to do work that will displace a U.S. worker.

Note: A B-1 scientist should not be involved in any element of patient care services.