Important Documents
I-9 Form
This confirms your employment eligibility in the U.S. and you will fill it out with your employer. When completing the I-9 form, you only have to fill out Section 1 and give your full name, U.S. address, date of birth, and Social Security Number. If you don’t have your SSN yet, you can give it to your employer once you do. Put a check mark in the box verifying that you are a non-resident alien authorized to work in the U.S. and fill in your DS-2019 end date. Sign and date the form.
Federal W-4 Form
This form will determine the federal tax that will be deducted from your paycheck. Work with Human Resources to ensure that you fill the form out correctly, so that you are not over or under taxed, resulting in possible penalties. Note that you must complete a new W-4 Form if you change your employer or have more than one job.
Note that you are classified as a non-resident alien, which means that the standard instructions on the form do not apply. Use the following instructions when completing the W-4 Form:
- Personal Allowances Worksheet: Ignore this section.
- On the bottom half of the W-4 Form:
- Box 1: Enter your personal information including U.S. address.
- Box 2: Enter your Social Security Number (SSN). If you have not been issued a Social Security Number but have applied for one, write “Applied For.” Give your employer your SSN once you receive it.
- Box 3: Check or fill in withholding as “single,” regardless of actual marital status.
- Box 4: Leave blank.
- Box 5: Enter “1.” There are no exceptions to this.
- Box 6: Write “NR” to indicate Non-Resident Alien status.
- Box 7: Leave blank. Non-Resident Aliens cannot claim “Exempt.”
- Boxes 8 – 10: Leave blank.
- Sign and date the form.
State W-4 Form
This form determines the amount of state tax to be deducted from your paycheck. Although it may look different from the Federal W-4 Form, it asks for the same information and you should complete it as above.