Employment Process for Foreign Nationals

Employment of Foreign Nationals

The International Student and Scholar Office provides information, services, and programs that help international students and visiting scholars achieve their individual educational and personal goals. The ISSO, in conjunction with Human Resources and the Tax office, supports hiring officials with the hiring of non-immigrant visas holders (H-1B, F-1, J-1, J-2, TN, and O), business or visitor visas (B1, B-2, and visa waivers), and/or immigration petitions (permanent residency). Additionally, ISSO maintains the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) – a database managed by the US government to track the arrival, enrollment, and departures of international students, scholars, and their dependents.

The International Student/Scholar Office maintains fluency with all relevant US Citizenship and Immigrant Services (USCIS), US Department of State, US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and US Department of Labor regulations and policies to serve as an invaluable resource for the University community to promote both understanding and compliance. The International Student/Scholar Office is located in room 202 in the College of Health and Human Services Building. For more information regarding all programs and services offered by this office, please visit https://isso.charlotte.edu/

The hiring process for a Foreign National employee

  • Prior to the time of job offer, ISSO should have been contacted to start the inquiry about the visa/immigration status to work in the United States. For more information about sponsoring/hosting a visiting faculty or scholar, please visit isso.charlotte.edu/faculty-scholars/resources-departments
  • When hiring a non-US Citizen (foreign national) to work for the University and they are being paid from University funds (state, grants, others), you must direct your new hire to the Before you Start webpage.


How to Obtain a Social Security Number If you are new to the United States and need to apply for a Social Security number, this must be done within your first 90 days of hire. Failure to apply for a social security number and present it to Human Resources will lead to termination of employment. For students, a hold will be placed on your student account. New Faculty can take their employment agreement directly to the Social Security Administration to apply for your SSN. You do not need an additional letter from Human Resources or the International Student Scholar office to apply. More information can be found here: https://www.ssa.gov/number-card/request-number-first-time

Additional Resources

The Tax Office advises international students and scholars on tax treaty benefits and tax withholding and reporting requirements. It provides advice to the University community regarding international tax withholding and reporting requirements on payments made to the University’s population of international students and scholars.

The Tax Office does not have a receptionist, so to ensure that they can efficiently serve you, please make an appointment with Lisa Hall, Tax Accountant, by emailing lhall57@charlotte.edu or calling 704-687-5742.