Onboarding International Hires
This information is to assist departments and hiring units with the processing of onboarding international hires. As a general rule, your new international hire should go through the same onboarding process as any new employee, with a few additional considerations and exceptions specified below.
Because many international employees may not be familiar with US onboarding or employment requirements, additional time may be needed to review factors such as health insurance and other benefits, such as housing, transportation, US taxes, and similar requirements. Contact the International Center for more information.
International hires should undergo the same New Employee Orientation available to other employees. Employees will receive emails from Human Resources regarding the completion of new hire paperwork More information about orientation will be scheduled by HR. You can find additional new hire information at Access Tufts.
In addition, international employees in J-1 or H-1B status are required to check in with the International Center following arrival and attend a visa orientation with the International Center. Visa orientation dates and registration links are available on the International Center calendar. While the International Center will notify employees of visa orientation dates, we appreciate the assistance of departments in encouraging their employees to attend.
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Tufts currently uses I-9 Everywhere, a third party online identity and immigration status verification system, to facilitate the I-9 employment eligibility verification process. See Access Tufts for more information. NOTE: international employees may not complete the I-9 process until after they have arrived in the US in the appropriate immigration status.
Employees with questions or wishing to confirm the veracity of emails from I9Everwhere.com should contact TSS.
Tufts cannot provide advice or assistance in completing tax forms when onboarding international employees. However, TSS provides tax treaty analysis for international employees potentially eligible for tax treaty benefits on withholding. TSS has additional information about Tax Treaties for International Employees that can be useful as well.
The International Center provides basic information orienting international students, scholars, and employees to US Income Taxes. In addition, the International Center provides tax software for tax non-residents for purposes of the annual tax return filing.
International employees who have never been issued a US Social Security Number (SSN) should apply for a SSN following arrival in the US. It is generally recommended to wait ten days after arrival before initiating the SSN application process, to ensure that SSA systems are updated with the most recent immigration arrival information. The International Center provides Social Security Number application information here. International hires who were previously issued a SSN do not need to re-apply since the SSN is a lifetime, permanent number.
International hires should wait at least ten days following arrival in the US before applying for a Massachusetts driver's license or state ID with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Currently, documentation of authorized stay for a minimum of one year is generally required to qualify. The hire should also apply for a SSN, if necessary, prior to initiating RMV application procedures.