Independent Services and Payments to Foreign Nationals
When inviting foreign national guests to perform independent services in the U.S., SDSU is limited by very specific regulations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Labor regarding payment and honoraria.
Departments are required to confirm if a foreign national, who is not an SDSU employee, is allowed to perform independent services and receive payment. An individual's visa status and work authorization must be verified BEFORE services are rendered. Failure to confirm an individual's ability to work and receive payment may have negative effects to their immigration status in the future.
For specific information on how to requisition a payment for a foreign national (non-SDSU employee), please visit the Accounts Payable website and review the Nonresident Alien Payment Checklist.
Common Visa Types
Below are the common visa types and whether or not they may receive an honorarium or reimbursement for expenses. While these are the most commonly seen visa types for foreign national guests, some individuals may have visa types not listed. Please contact [email protected] to inquire about visas not listed in the chart.
| Visa Type | Visa Description | Honorarium | Reimbursements for Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Parolees | Employment authorization document | Yes | Yes |
| B-1 | Visitor for business | Yes* | Yes* |
| B-2 | Visitor for pleasure | Yes* | Yes* |
| E-3 | Temporary worker in a speciality occupation (Australian citizens only) | No | Yes |
| F-1 CPT | Student enrolled as an undergraduate or undergraduate student at a U.S. institution and authorized for employment while pursuing their studies | Yes | Yes |
| F-1 OPT | Student recently completed undergraduate or graduate studies at a U.S. institution and has been authorized for employment after graduation. | Yes | Yes |
| H-1B (not SDSU sponsored) | Temporary worker in a speciality occupation | No | Yes* |
| H-4 (not sponsored by SDSU) | Spouse of an H-1B temporary worker in a speciality occupation | No | Yes |
| J-1 Scholar (not SDSU sponsored) | Temporary exchange visitor who is in the U.S. to teach or conduct research in their field (short-term scholar, professor, or research scholar categories) | Yes* | Yes |
| J-1 Student (not SDSU sponsored) | Temporary exchange visitor who is enrolled in classes at a U.S. institution | Yes | Yes |
| Legal permanent resident | Green card holder | Yes | Yes |
| O-1 | Temporary worker with extraordinary ability or achievement | No | Yes* |
| TN | Canadian or Mexican citizen under the NAFTA agreement | No | Yes |
| WB | Temporary business visitor under the Visa Waiver Program | Yes* | Yes |
| WT | Temporary tourist visitor under the Visa Waiver Program | Yes* | Yes |
| *Some restrictions apply. See "Document Requirements and Additional Information by Visa Type" for more information. | |||