Visas, Employment Restrictions, and Payments

If you are currently in the United States sponsored by an institution other than the MBL and you will be receiving a stipend, travel reimbursement or honorarium from MBL, you must possess 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 appropriate authorization (CPT or OPT) through their home institution and USCIS (for OPT and STEM OPT) 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 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.

B-2 visa holders are NOT permitted to receive payments from the MBL.

H-1B visa holders are NOT permitted to receive payments from institutions other than their sponsoring institution.

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

If you possess 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:

• Obtain the appropriate authorization for your visa status;
• 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, 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:

Visa Questions
E-mail: immigration@mbl.edu

Financial Services / FNIS Tax Analysis
Email: FNIS-TaxNav@mbl.edu