International Employee Onboarding

After you've received an offer for your UC employment and have accepted the position, you will work with Human Resources and UC International to complete the job acceptance process.

As a new international employee:

• You are required to complete onboarding, including Form I-9.
• To complete your onboarding, you must be in the United States. You cannot be outside of the US.
• You cannot begin working until you have completed the onboarding process.

This webpage will explain how to:

• Complete the onboarding process
  • Provide your personal information
  • Complete the e-signature
  • Complete Form I-9, section 1
• Submit a request for I-9 onboarding in iBearcatsGlobal
• Verify your documentation in person with UC International
• Begin working and provide a copy of your Social Security Card
• Fill out your W-4 tax forms

You will receive two emails from UC Human Resources to complete your I-9 Onboarding Process:

1. Email #1 - titled "Activate your account for SuccessFactors": This email provides an activation link you will use to create your password and finish setting up your account.
2. Email #2 - titled "Welcome to UC!": This email contains your account login credentials and provides you with a link to access your onboarding account. You will use this link once you have reset your password and activated your account using Email #1.

Once you have logged into your account, click the "home" dropdown and then click "onboarding." You will need to complete the following tasks on or before your start date:

1. Provide personal data
2. Complete e-Signature (on several UC forms)
3. Complete Form I-9, section 1 (including an e-signature on compliance forms)

This is how we suggest answering some questions while completing your Personal Data:

• Name: Fill in your name as it appears on your passport. If you only have one name, type it in the surname field and type "unknown" in the given name field.
• National ID information: Select your country/region and choose a national ID to submit. Type in that national ID number.
• Address: You will need to select the county you live in. For example, if you live in Cincinnati, it is "Hamilton."

Proceed to complete your contact information, direct deposit information and emergency contact information. After all this information is completed, click "submit."

You will be required to sign multiple compliance forms before you begin employment. Review them, and then sign and submit all the forms.

Confirm the information provided is accurate. If it is not, click "correct my personal data" and make changes as needed.

Once accurate, complete the following:

• Type of Citizenship: select "An alien authorized to work."
• Select YES for the question "Is there an expiration date for your work authorization?"
• The work authorization expiration date will be the end date of your immigration status. The end date of your immigration status is on your official immigration document, not the end date on your visa.
  • F-1 visa, I-20
  • J-1 visa, DS-2019
  • H-1B, TN, O-1 or other visas, EAD card

Next, you will be given three options to choose from to show immigration status for employment authorization. You may choose any of the three options, but we recommend selection "Passport" (the third option).

Confirm the information is accurate to the best of your knowledge by checking the "employee attestation statement" and submitting your Form I-9.

You will then see a new task to pop up to sign the compliance form. Read and confirm you will sign the form, then make sure you submit it.

You will know you have completed all required tasks once they show a green 'completed' message on the task.

After you have finished your online forms, log in to iBearcatsGlobal to complete the appropriate employment e-form for your case:

• Student workers, paid by UC: "On-Campus Student Employment Onboarding Checklist" 
  • Complete this checklist if your job is with a UC department. It is located under Biographical Information in iBearcatsGlobal.
  • If you are receiving a UC paycheck, your title will be "Student Worker" or "Graduate Assistant."
  • The job may be on Main Campus (Uptown), Medical Campus (East) or at any of the Branch Campuses.
  • Examples of UC employers/departments include Student Affairs, UC Libraries or the Learning Commons. 
• Student workers, not paid by UC: "On-campus Employment Request: Non-UC Paycheck Employee"
  • Complete this checklist if your job is on campus, but your employer is not UC.
  • This e-form can be found under F-1 Student Services or J-1 Student Services, depending on your student visa status.
  • Non-UC jobs include any of the resaturant on Main Campus or Medical Campus and the bookstore. Examples include Subway, Starbucks and UC Dining Services (Sodexo).
• UC researchers, scientists, visiting scholars, professors, faculty, full-time staff, post-doctoral fellows, and OPT employees: "Employee / Visitor Scholar Check-In"
  • You must submit the required "Employee/Visitor Scholar Check-In" e-form.
  • This e-form is located under the Biographical Information section in iBearcatsGlobal.

After you have submitted the appropriate e-form in iBearcatsGlobal and UC International has reviewed the request, you will receive an email to come to our office and complete your in-person document verification with one of our UC International staff members.

Once your in-person document verification has been approved by our office, you will receive a final work authorization email with instructions about:

• how to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN)
• how to set up direct deposit
• US taxes
• and more

It is extremely important that you follow these instructions to successfully complete your I-9 onboarding process and get paid by UC.

Once UC International confirms your onboarding, you may begin working on your start date, even if you do not have a social security number (SSN) yet. After you apply for an SSN with the Social Security Administration, it takes approximately 10-15 days for the social security card to arrive at your home.

After you receive your social security card in the mail, you must provide a copy to UC International. We will run it through E-Verify and UC HR will review for final processing.

You must complete your W-4 tax form in your UCFlex account. 

Some common answers by non-residents for tax purposes to questions on this form are:

• Students/scholars should select 'Single/married filing separately' in Step 1.
• Leave Steps 2-4 at "0" or blank and the system will default the rest of the form.
• Are you exempt from taxes: No [you are not exempt]

If you think you may be a resident for tax purposes, visit the UC International tax webpages for more information.