Purpose of Foreign National Hiring Guidelines

This document provides hiring managers with clear guidance for planning, onboarding, and supporting foreign national employees. It outlines timing considerations, compliance requirements, and recommended practices to ensure a smooth onboarding experience and minimize operational, payroll, and regulatory risks.

Departmental Resources for International Employees

KSU employees must have valid proof of employment eligibility in the U.S. due to citizenship, status as a permanent resident, or status as an employment-eligible non-resident. This proof of employment eligibility must be secured prior to the expected start date and must be maintained throughout the period of employment. For non-residents, there are a variety of visa types that permit employment. Some require KSU sponsorship, others do not. The Departmental Resources for International Employees provides a chart of the most common visa types for employees at KSU and considerations surrounding these visa types.  

International Student and Scholar Services within Global Education manages the process and recommends the following processing times prior to the intended start date:

  • H-1B: approximately 10+ months
  • J-1 Scholar: at least 3 months prior 
  • F-1 Optional Practical Training: dependent upon the student’s filing for OPT and the status of their OPT request with USCIS

Impacts To Onboarding: Social Security Number (SSN) Delays

Foreign national employees who are new to the United States and have not applied for a SSN with their immigrant visa application, cannot apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) until they are present in the United States, and the SSN cannot be issued until after their immigration status is verified by the Department of Homeland Security.  As a result:

  • SSN issuance, which historically took 2-6 weeks now takes an average of 10-12 weeks
  • Employees must provide a copy of the SSN application receipt on Day 1 of employment as proof that the SSN issuance process has been initiated
  • Employees may experience delays in completing certain onboarding steps tied to payroll, benefits enrollment, or system access
  • HR and Payroll teams must take additional steps to process new hires without a SSN increasing administrative workload and potential for errors
     

To minimize disruption for both the employee and hiring teams, we strongly recommend thoughtful planning when considering an offer recommendation to HR and confirming start dates.

Recommended Hiring Window

To support timely onboarding and reduce operational challenges, we recommend that foreign national hires begin employment between January 1 and August 1.

Why This Window Matters

Beginning employment outside this window may still be possible, but it will require review and approval by HR to ensure compliance and continuity of operations.

Support and Escalation

HR representative shaking hands with foreign national

If you have upcoming foreign national hires or need support navigating timing concerns, compliance questions, or onboarding dependencies, please reach out to HR, Payroll or Global Education for guidance.

Our goal is to ensure that every foreign national hire has a positive onboarding experience while protecting the organization from compliance, operational, and payroll risks.