If you are currently in the United States sponsored by an institution other than the MBL and you anticipate receiving a stipend, travel reimbursement or honorarium from MBL, you must posses a visa that allows you to receive such a payment. The following is a brief list of visas and the payment authorization that is needed:

F-1 visa holders must obtain authorization (CPT or OPT) 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.

TN visa holders are NOT permitted to receive payments from institutions other than their home institution.

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 current or future 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:

It is also important to note that based on the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, any stipend, travel reimbursement or honorarium that you receive may be 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/Foreign National Coordinator
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