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Foreign nationals who receive money from American University are subject to tax withholding. Follow the steps below to determine what you need to do to receive your payment.

  1. Determine if you need an appointment

    If you are a foreign national and receive any of the following payments, schedule an appointment:

    • Wages/Salary/Compensation
    • Graduate fellowship/assistantship
    • Room and board/Financial Aid Scholarship
    • Prizes/Achievement awards/Student support payments
    • Honorarium/Consulting fees/Per Diem
  2. Get a Social Security Number (SSN)

    After the hiring paper work is complete, a letter of employment will be given to you to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). This letter must be signed by ISSS before going to the Social Security Office. Please schedule another appointment with a Foreign National Specialist once you receive the SSN to update your I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) form.

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  3. Schedule an appointment

    Follow the directions below to schedule an appointment with a foreign national specialist:

    1. Login to the myAU Portal
    2. Highlight 'Work@AU', then click 'Payroll'
    3. Select 'Foreign National Appointment Schedule'
    4. Follow the prompts on screen and enter the required information, then submit the appointment request

    Please cancel your appointment if you are unable to make it.

  4. Setup a GLACIER account

    You will receive an email from "support@online-tax.net" with a subject reading "Payments from American University"

    1. This email will contain a temporary password and user id to access the GLACIER online tax compliance system
    2. It is recommended you update your contact information in GLACIER before you attend your appointment.
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  5. Bring required documents

    Bring your original immigration documents to your appointment.

For your appointment

  • Passport with Visa
  • I-20 or DS-2019 (if staff or faculty has J visa)
  • Social Security card (if any)
  • AU ID card (if any)
  • Form I-94 is the admission number from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) connected with your arrival to the U.S. Please print a hard copy of your form I-94 from here: .
  • Employment authorization card (if applicable)
  • Letter from sponsoring organization authorizing your employment (if J-1 visa was not sponsored by AU)
  • I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification)
  • W-4 (Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate)
  • Tax withholding form for state of residence (DC, MD, VA)
  • Tax summary report from GLACIER
  • Treaty forms for tax treaty benefits such as 8233, W-8BEN or W-9 (if applicable)

If you have a US checking or savings account, a Foreign National Specialist will also assist you with signing up for direct deposit through Eagle Service. You will need your bank's routing number and your account number to complete this item.

After your first appointment

  1. Schedule another appointment

    Your foreign national specialist will tell you if an additional appointment is necessary to complete or maintain your documentation.

Follow-up Items

Request on-campus employment authorization for each semester you will be working at American University through iEagle on the myAU Portal.

After the hiring paper work is complete, a letter of employment will be given to you to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). This letter must be signed by ISSS before going to the Social Security Office. Please schedule another appointment with a Foreign National Specialist once you receive the SSN to update your I-9 form.

If you applied for and received an OPT employment authorization card, schedule an appointment with a foreign national specialist to update your I-9.

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