To be eligible for payment for services or reimbursement of travel expenses, foreign visitors to UW-Whitewater must obtain the appropriate visa prior to coming to campus. Campus staff should plan well in advance if intending to provide a payment to a foreign national. For honorarium or travel reimbursement payments please contact Joe Kolosso in Financial Services at 472-1375 as soon as you are aware that you will be making a payment. If this person will be an employee of the University, please contact Human Resources.

B-1 Business / B-2 Tourist

People who enter the US with a B-1 or B-2 visa may be reimbursed for travel and may be paid an honorarium. Honorarium payments to B-1s and all payments to B-2s are limited to a maximum nine-day stay. It is important to note that the visa stamp in the passport indicates both B-1 and B-2; the INS inspector at the port of entry into the US determines which classification applies. If the person will be receiving travel reimbursement and/or honorarium, it is necessary to have an invitation letter from the University detailing the activities in which the person will be engaged, expenses to be reimbursed, and the amount of honorarium if applicable. This letter should be presented by the visitor at the US consulate for visa issuance at the port of entry to apply for B-1 rather than B-2 designation, if necessary. It is the responsibility of the visitor to ensure the B-1 classification is assigned by the INS official at the border. This should be clearly stated in the invitation letter.

Individuals from many countries do not need a visa if they are coming to the US for business or pleasure for less than three months. They will be granted WB (business) or WT (tourism) at the port of entry, and the same criteria for the B-1 apply to WB and B-2 apply to WT.

TN Trade Nafta

The NAFTA trade agreement created a non-immigrant category for Canadian and Mexican professionals to enter the US and work. It is for professional positions which require a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a specific field, and the individual must have the specific degree. Although the TN applies to Mexican citizens, it is used almost exclusively for Canadian citizens ("landed immigrants", the Canadian equivalent of permanent residents, do not qualify). This is a temporary status and TNs should not intend to immigrate. The main advantage of TN status is that no prior INS processing is necessary; the Canadian can get the classification at the border.

Payments for honorariums or travel are possible for some other visa types, but those shown here are the typical ones. If a different visa type is encountered, the department should contact Financial Services immediately to see if payment is possible. Additional information is also available at the UW-Madison web site. This web site is maintained by a UW-System staff person trained in tax and INS rules. www.bussvc.wisc.edu/acct/tax/foreign/acimmtax.html