You will encounter several institutional, state, and federal bureaucracies throughout your time at UAB. Please see below for pointers on navigating the most commone ones. IFSIS cannot assist with the processes described below but has provided contact information and relevant websites wherever possible to guide your inquiry.
Completing Form I-9 to Begin Working
UAB employees will receive an initial email from the Perfect Compliance/Guardian system asking you to log in and complete Section 1 of Form I-9 online. This can be done well in advance of your start date. However, you will generally not be able to complete Section 2 of Form I-9 until the USCIS approval (or receipt) notice for your work authorization is received. You will receive instructions on the I-9 process in the automated approval emails generated by the IFSIS LawLogix Edge database after the institution's work authorization petition on your behalf is approved. Please follow the instructions there to book an appointment with UAB's International Payment Compliance Specialist to pick up your government documents and complete Section 2 of I-9.
If you are dually-appointed by both UAB and HSF, you will need to complete two separate I-9s: one for UAB and the other for HSF. You will receive instructions on the I-9 process in the automated approval emails generated by the IFSIS LawLogix Edge database after the institution's work authorization petition on your behalf is approved. Please follow the instructions there to book an appointment with
Please do not email IFSIS to inquire about the I-9 process. We do not process I-9s. Direct all I-9 questions to
Applying for an Alabama Driver License
The location with staff most familiar with international documents for non-US citizens is the ALEA Driver License Office located at 908 Bankhead Highway. You could also try the Shelby County office. Schedule an appointment online here first: https://alabamadl.alea.gov/_/#2 under "Plan Your Visit" and choose either Foreign National New or Foreign National Renewal/Replacement. Appointments are not generally scheduled after 3:00 PM. Alabama allows a 60-day grace period for driving on out-of-state, international, or expired licenses. Take your USCIS Form I-797 Notice of Approval or Notice of Receipt, your most recent Form I-94, and any other relevant documents after reviewing the information to the license office at any time 30 days before or no later than 60 days after your license expires in order to renew it. The license office staff will expect to see an immigration document proving your authorization to remain in the US for at least 160 days. Do not try to renew your license by using an H-1B approval notice or I-94 that will expire within 160 days. It is more efficient to wait until your H-1B extension approval notice is available before renewing your license. Please review the Alabama Department of Public Safety website carefully and contact the license office directly with any questions. IFSIS cannot assist with driver license applications, the road test, or any other driver license matters.
PROBLEMS WITH THE SAVE SYSTEM: If you recently held F-1 status and were/are currently employed pursuant to OPT or STEM OPT, there is a decent chance that you will not be able to obtain an Alabama driver license until after the expiration date of your OPT/STEM OPT card. IFSIS has received multiple reports of glitches in the federal SAVE system that the Alabama Department of Public Safety uses to verify immigration status and eligibility for driver licenses. There is no "fix" for this glitch at the moment. Be prepared for a significant delay obtaining a driver license if you are changing status from F-1 to H-1B and your OPT card hasn't expired yet--even if the H-1B petition has been approved. This glitch can also occur if you have recently changed your immigration status from F-1 or J-1 to H-1B or received an extension of your H-1B status. Follow the steps below to help resolve SAVE issues between you and the license office. IFSIS will not be able to assist. The license office will not accept letters from IFSIS, your supervisor, or anyone else explaining your authorization to be in the US. The systems must be able to verify your immigration status internally based solely on official government documents. You must continue following up with the license office until the SAVE system has updated so that the office can issue your license.
If the license office official says they cannot issue a license on the day you apply, they will issue you a SAVE ticket/number. This number kicks off an effort to resolve system discrepancies on your case between the local and federal systems. Only get one SAVE ticket – do NOT get a second ticket. Getting a second ticket on a second visit to the license office lengthens the time it takes to fix the problem and complicates the process. Each ticket is resolved sequentially. Only one SAVE case number is necessary. Regularly check the SAVE system using your number. It will eventually say “returned to agency,” which means that your current immigration status has been verified. The license office should be able to issue your license at that point.
Applying for a Social Security Number
To apply for a Social Security number, please take your offer letter from UAB/HSF, your Form I-94, Form SS-5, and your passport to the Birmingham Social Security Administration building at 1200 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35285. Please email UAB's International Payment Compliance Specialist at
Updating Your Residential Address with USCIS When You Move
You must update USCIS with your new residential address within 10 days of any move. Do this by filing Form AR-11 online. Please also update your address in Oracle HR & Finance by logging in through UAB Admin Systems so that you continue to receive important mail from UAB. If you have any questions about how to update your address in Oracle, please contact your department administrator directly.
Applying for an Alabama Medical License and the Credentialing Process
The UAB Medical and Dental Staff Office (MDSO) processes the paperwork necessary for you to obtain permission to work as a physician in UAB and HSF clinical spaces. This process runs in parallel with the immigration process to the extent possible, but at the very least IFSIS must have proof that you have applied for an Alabama medical license before we can file a work authorization petition on your behalf. If you are coming to the US for the first time, you will not be able to receive an Alabama medical license until you arrive here and obtain a Social Security number. This is an Alabama rule, not a UAB, USCIS, or IFSIS rule. Please email the MDSO directly with any questions, as IFSIS is not involved in the licensing and credentialing processes:
Applying for Health Insurance and Other Employment Benefits
Employees generally have 30 days from their official date of hire to enroll in health insurance and other benefits. IFSIS is not involved in this process and cannot assist. If you are employed exclusively by UAB, or are dually-appointed clinical faculty and have questions specifically about UAB-provided benefits, email