People who enter the US with a B-1 or B-2 visa may not be employed and
paid a salary. B-1s however, may be reimbursed for travel and living expenses
and may be paid an honorarium. It is important to note that the visa stamp
in the passport indicates both B-1 and B-2; it is at the port of entry
into the US where the INS inspector determines which classification applies.
If the person will be receiving travel reimbursement and/or honorarium,
it is necessary to have an invitation letter from UCONN detailing the
activities in which the person will be engaged and the expenses that will
be reimbursed and/or amount of honorarium. This letter should be presented
by the visitor at the US consulate for visa issuance and at the
port of entry to apply for B-1 rather than B-2 designation.
It is the responsibility of the visitor to ensue the B-1 classification
is assigned by the INS official at the border. New provisions have been
added to allow visiting professors to combine business with a pleasure
trip and be paid an honorarium plus expenses.
Please note your visiting professor is limited to a nine-day stay
and cannot receive payments from more than five institutions
in the last six months. Also the Social Security Administration
(SSA) will not issue social security numbers to aliens who cannot currently
demonstrate their work authorization in the U.S., and the SSA adjudication
manuals say that B classification aliens are not entitled to work and
therefore cannot receive social security numbers. It should be noted anyone
who does not already have a social security number will have to obtain
an individual number (ITIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) via
form W7.
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 apply as for the B-1 and B-2. |
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