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U.Va. Human Resources
Procedures for Making Emergency (time sensitive) Payments to International Visitors
Statement of Problem: Some international visitors invited to the University for the primary purpose of conducting research may arrive in the U.S. without sufficient funds to travel to the University, obtain housing, food or other necessities. For the most part, these international visitors are post-doctoral research fellows who are not recognized as employees or students; some however are treated as employees. In a few cases, the visitors may be students on F-1 or J-1 student/scholar visas. Normal payments to these visitors are either fellowships paid through ISIS/Accounts Payable, or wages paid through the payroll system. Departments have requested procedures for expediting payments to these visitors so that funds can be made available to them almost from the moment they step off the plane. These extraordinary procedures differ according to whether the visitor is to be treated as a fellow and paid a fellowship, a student receiving a scholarship or fellowship payment, or an employee who will be paid wages through the payroll system. This procedure should not be used to make honoraria payments to short-term visitors on B-1, B-2, W-B, or W-T visas (See https://etg07.itc.virginia.edu/policy/policydisplay?id='FIN-014' for procedures governing honoraria payments).

The following procedures are provided to enable departments to pay these international visitors while complying with all federal and state laws. The University depends on the department to be responsible, both before and after arrival, to insure that the proper documents are obtained in order to comply with federal and state laws and external audit requirements. Therefore, failure of a department to comply with these procedures will result in non-approval of all future requests. We strongly recommend that departments plan well in advance in order that all requirements are met and payments generated in a timely manner.

  1. Visitors treated as employees: Departments must:
    • Set up these employees in the HRMS Payroll system prior to making a request for the emergency payment; enter an approved salary proposal (in most cases goal pay); assist the visitor in applying for a social security card (http://www.ssa.gov/employer/hiring.htm) after the visitor has been present in the U.S. for at least ten days, and provide proof of application for a SSN to University Human Resources (UHR will assign a temporary Social Security Number for the visitor in HRMS until the Social Security Administration issues a number).
    • Obtain copies of the following immigration documents preferably before the payment is processed but no later than the second day that the foreign visitor is in the country: (1) I-94 card; (2) DS-2019; (3) U.S. visa; (4) picture page of the passport; (5) I-9, and bring these copies to University Human Resources/Payroll.
    • At least one day before the payment is needed, request a special check from University Human Resources/Payroll by calling (924-4350) or emailing (jsw2f@virginia.edu); pick up the check and Bank of America positive pay form letter which will allow the check to be cashed that same day from University Human Resources/Payroll; assist the visitor in depositing or cashing the check which will be issued in the name of the foreign person (We strongly recommend that the visitor be taken to the Bank of America branch on University Avenue and present both check and form letter).
    Note on Taxation: Payments will be taxed according to federal rules for withholding on wage payments to Non Resident Alien employees: withhold at the prescribed "single /1 exemption" rate. FICA taxes will not be withheld. The payment and taxes withheld will be reported on form W-2 at year-end. Foreign visitors eligible for tax exemptions under international tax treaties will not be granted the benefit of such exemptions on the emergency payment; those eligible for treaty exemptions on subsequent payments must apply in person at University Human Resources after their arrival at the University and after receiving their Social Security Number card.
  2. Visitors treated as fellows: Departments must:
    • If the payment is to come from grant funds, contact Laura Jensen at Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) to determine if the charge is allowable and the correct expenditure type to use. Use the email address, OSP-info@virginia.edu. Please provide the following information in the email: award number, project number, PI name and date of arrival. If the charge is allowable, OSP will respond with the appropriate expenditure type to be used for the transaction and an OSP approval number that needs to be entered in the payment voucher description field.
    • Process a manual pay voucher at least two days prior to arrival through the Integrated System/Accounts Payable module; add the payee to the vendor file; the "NRA Supplier" vendor type must be used; the "Foreign supplier" type CANNOT be used; use the "Travel, Subsistence, Lodging" expenditure type if the payment is not coming from grant funds; if the payment is coming from grant funds, see bullet 1 above; pay voucher should be made "hold for pick up." Please use the following in the "Description" field of the pay voucher: "Time sensitive scholarship/fellowship payment." Please code the invoice number field as follows: Computing ID, Month, Day, Year Number, and a sequential number indicating the number for that date. Example: ALB2B 082008 001.
    • Obtain copies of the following immigration documents preferably before the payment is processed but no later than the second day that the foreign visitor is in the country: (1) I-94 card; (2) DS-2019; (3) U.S. visa; (4) picture page of the passport; and bring these copies to University Human Resources/Payroll.
    • Execute the Procurement Services-Individual Payee Registration Form (https://www.procurement.virginia.edu/forms/IndividualPayeeReg.html) and submit on line.
    • Obtain a copy of a completed Form W-7 (application for a federal ITIN number) (http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf) and submit to Procurement Services.
    • Notify Accounts Payable of the payment PRS-Vend@virginia.edu.
    • Communicate with University Human Resources/Compliance and Immigration Services (924-4350/alm3f@virginia.edu) that a request for an Emergency Payment is being processed so that the NRA hold can be released.
    • Pick up the check from Accounts Receivable-Cashiering and deliver to foreign visitor; assist the visitor in depositing or cashing the check which will be issued in the name of the foreign person.
    Note on Taxation: Payments will be taxed according to federal rules for withholding on fellowship payments to Non Resident Alien fellows: withhold at the prescribed 14% rate. The payments and taxes withheld will be reported on form 1042-S at year-end. Foreign visitors eligible for tax exemptions under international tax treaties will not be granted the benefit of such exemptions on the emergency payment; those eligible must apply in person at University Human Resources subsequent to their arrival at the University and after receiving their Individual Tax Identification Number.
  3. Visitor treated as students (not paid through payroll): Departments must:
    • If the payment is to come from grant funds, contact Laura Jensen at Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) to determine if the charge is allowable and the correct expenditure type to use. Use the email address, OSP-info@virginia.edu. Please provide the following information in the email: award number, project number, PI name and date of arrival. If the charge is allowable, OSP will respond with the appropriate expenditure type to be used for the transaction and an OSP approval number that needs to be entered in the payment voucher description field.
    • Process a manual pay voucher at least two days prior to arrival through the Integrated System/Accounts Payable module; add the payee to the vendor file; the "NRA Student" vendor type must be used; the "Travel, Subsistence, Lodging" expenditure type must also be used if the payments are not coming from grant funds; if the payment is coming from grant funds, see bullet #1 above; pay voucher should be made "hold for pick up."
    • Obtain copies of the following immigration documents preferably before the payment is processed but no later than the second day that the foreign visitor is in the country: (1) I-94 card; (2) I-20; (3) U.S. visa; (4) picture page of the passport; and bring these copies to University Human Resources/Payroll.
    • Execute the Procurement Services-Individual Payee Registration Form (https://www.procurement.virginia.edu/forms/IndividualPayeeReg.html) and submit to Procurement.
    • Obtain a copy of a completed Form W-7 (application for a federal ITIN number) (http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf) and submit to Procurement Services.
    • Notify Accounts Payable of the payment PRS-Vend@virginia.edu.
    • Communicate with University Human Resources/Payroll (Andy Meade 924-1377/alm3f@virginia.edu) that a request for an Emergency Payment is being processed so that Andy can release the NRA hold.
    • Pick up the check from Accounts Payable-cashiering and deliver to foreign visitor; assist the visitor in depositing or cashing the check which will be issued in the name of the foreign person.
    Note on Taxation: Payments will be taxed according to federal rules for withholding on nonqualified scholarship/fellowship payments to Non Resident Alien students: withhold at the prescribed 14% rate. The payment and taxes withheld will be reported at year end on form 1042-S. Foreign students eligible for tax exemptions under international tax treaties will not be granted the benefit of such exemptions on the emergency payment; those eligible must apply in person at University Human Resources subsequent to their arrival at the University and after receiving their Individual Tax Identification Numbers.