Policy Service Announcements (PSA)

Policy Service Announcements (PSA) are brief reminders or tips for users which appear in the eNews.

BUSINESS EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT - FOREIGN INDIVIDUAL (BER Vendor Type)
Foreign Individuals who do not have a prior payment relationship with Harvard, and are only being reimbursed for legitimate business expenses (e.g., travel expenses), may be set up in Oracle using vendor type “Business Expense Reimbursement – Foreign Individual (BER)”. Use of this vendor type does not require the individual to complete GLACIER; however, the paying department must instead obtain from the individual required immigration documentation listed in the instructions here. Additionally, B-2 visa holders or individuals on a Visa Waiver for Tourism must also submit a signed certification form. Signed certification forms and required copies of immigration documents listed in the instructions must be submitted with the Nonemployee Reimbursement (NR) payment request. Payments cannot be processed without this information.

As always, prior to any formal agreements being offered, departments must confirm any foreign individual is legally allowed to be paid by Harvard. See Most Commonly Seen Visa Types of Foreign National Guest Speakers for guidance. Keywords: BER, Business Expense, NRA, 1042S, documentation, B-2, visa, certification, NR, vendor type, foreign nationals

HIRING NON U.S. CITIZENS IN PEOPLESOFT
Reminder – when hiring a non U.S. citizens (non-resident alien) in PeopleSoft, be sure to include an email address – either Harvard or personal is OK. An email is required in order for the employee to receive a GLACIER email.GLACIER is Harvard's online tax compliance program and is used to classify an individual's tax withholding rate. Failure to complete GLACIERwill result in the individual being taxed at a higher rate.

PeopleSoft Email for Non US Citizens

Keywords: PeopleSoft, non U.S. Citizen, Foreign National, 1042S, GLACIER

IMMIGRATION STATUS UPDATE
Please remind returning students or any returning foreign nationals that they should update their GLACIER record. This includes submitting an updated GLACIER Tax Summary Report, new tax forms, and copies of immigration documentation if their status or income type has changed or has been extended (e.g., new visa type, extended immigration status end date, or to renew a treaty if it has expired). Individuals can login to
GLACIER or find additional information at GLACIER FAQ Keywords: non U.S. Citizen, Foreign National, 1042S, GLACIER

PAYING INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
Please remember that HCOM is the only acceptable method of paying independent contractors. Independent contractors cannot be paid using the Corporate Card, PCard, or out-of-pocket. Payment to independent contractors using PayPal is not allowable.

These restrictions and additional details may be found in the Independent Contractor Policy.
Keywords: Independent Contractor, IC, payment, PayPal

MOVING EXPENSES - EMPLOYEE MOVING EXPENSES MAY NOT BE PROCESSED USING THE ADD PAY FORM OR UPLOAD
Effective 1/1/2018, all permanent staff and faculty moving expenses are considered taxable. Payroll Administrators may process new employee out-of-pocket moving expenses which do not require being grossed-up using the Pay Form – Addl Pay Preparer Form. Use earnings code MVN and object code 6200. Payments which must be grossed-up or payments to 3rd parties (such as movers or Citibank) must still be processed using an Additional Compensation 3rd Party Payment Form using earnings code MV3 or MVN and object code 6200.

SETTING UP HARVARD STUDENTS AS A VENDOR
When setting up a Harvard student as a vendor, please be sure to select the correct vendor type for their legal status.

  • Select: “Harvard Registered Student – US Citizen” If the student is a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident (i.e., has a green card)
  • Select: “Individual – Non US Citizen” if the student is a foreign national. If you do not know their visa type, select “NA – Not Available” and it will be corrected by the vendor setup team (VST) upon receipt of their GLACIER and documentation forms. Under withholding, due to an error in the vendor setup process, can result in taxes being charged back to departments in order to remain compliant with IRS regulations.
    Keywords: vendor, student, non US citizen, 1042S, foreign nationals

VENDOR SETUP
Reminders when requesting new vendor type – Individual – Non US Citizen and selecting certain visa types:

  • If you know the individual will not be entering the U.S. – select NE – No Entry/No U.S. Presence. No GLACIER email will be sent to the individual.
  • If you know the individual will be entering the U.S., but do not know their VISA type, select NA – Not Available. This will trigger a GLACIER email to the individual. The vendor setup team (VST) will correct the visa type upon receipt of the GLACIER tax summary report and immigration documentation.

  • Prior to setting individuals up as a vendor, please be sure to confirm if an individual will or will not be entering the U.S. Selecting an incorrect visa type can result in a delay when activating new vendors.
    Keywords: vendor, 1042S, GLACIER, visa, foreign national, non U.S. citizen

VISA REPORTS

Be sure to run the PeopleSoft Visa Expiration Report to track and collect new visa documentation for employees with expiring visas. This report is the definitive report regarding expiring visas.

Quick Tip: The PeopleSoft visa/permit history screen sorts visa types alphabetically and then by date. The most up-to-date visa may not be the first visa which shows when reviewing an individual’s identification data.Keywords: visa, PeopleSoft, Expiration, permit history, 1042S, foreign nationals