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Information for Nonresident Aliens with Visas from Other Institutions
If you are currently in the United States sponsored by an institution other than the MBL and you anticipate receiving a stipend or honoraria from MBL, you must posses a visa that allows you to receive such a payment. If you do not posses the appropriate visa, MBL will only be able to reimburse you for your travel expenses plus room and board. The following is a brief list of visas and the payment authorization that is needed:
F-1 visa holders must obtain an "Employment Authorization Document" (EAD) through their home institution in order to receive payments from MBL.
J-1 visa holders must obtain written authorization from the Responsible Officer at their home institution.
B-1/B-2 visa holders may only receive payment if they are in country for less than 9 days, and have not received payments from more than 5 institutions within the previous 6 months.
H-1B visa holders are NOT permitted to receive payments from institutions other than their home institution. The MBL is permitted to pay your home institution for your services, but we must receive a letter/invoice from the Controller’s Office at your institution requesting the payment. All authorizations must be presented to our office before any payment can be made.
If you posses a visa other than the ones stated above, please contact the International Office at your home institution or the MBL to determine if you are allowed to receive payments from the MBL. The MBL does not want to jeopardize your status in the United States nor do we want to jeopardize our status as a foreign national host, so we will strictly adhere to our payment policies. Therefore, it is important that you take the following steps:
- Obtain the appropriate authorization for your visa status;
- Obtain a U.S. Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number if you do not already have one; and
- Submit your information through the Foreign National Information System (FNIS), an automated system that helps us determine the necessary tax forms and withholding for your stay at the MBL
It is also important to note that based on the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, any stipend or honoraria that you receive is subject to tax withholding. A tax treaty may exist between the United States and your country of residence that will exempt or reduce the withholding, but that can only be determined after you submit your information into FNIS.
Contact Information:
Kate Ahern-Wolseley
Financial Services Administrator
Marine Biological Laboratory
7 MBL Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1015
Office Location: Homestead 212
Phone: (508) 289-7275
Fax: (508) 289-7931
E-mail: fnational@mbl.edu
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