New foreign national employees on F, J, M, and Q visas should not be coded as benefits eligible upon hire in HRFE. Employees on these visa types must pass the Substantial Presence Test (SPT) and be considered resident aliens for tax purposes to be eligible. UPB Foreign National Service Center completes the SPT analysis through a Tax Status Review. A foreign national employee can request a Tax Status Review.
On a weekly basis, UPB Foreign National Service Center updates the Residency Status Report notifying Central HR of tax residency changes. If applicable, Central HR will complete an HRFE Employee Group Change (EGC) to update the employee classification. When UPB Customer Service receives the EGC, benefit eligibility is verified based on the job and length of appointment. Employees determined to be eligible for State of Illinois insurance benefits will be given access to the Benefits Forms within the NewHire Application. This will guide them through registering for a Benefit Overview Session and electing insurance benefits.
An employee who is eligible and enrolled in SURS, and who maintains an appointment of 50% time or greater measured over the nine-month academic year, is eligible for state-sponsored health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits. A valid Social Security number is required for the employee to be eligible for CMS insurance.
Employees who are not eligible for the State Universities Retirement Systems (SURS) are not eligible for State of Illinois insurance benefits. Also, resident aliens for tax purposes who are not eligible to contribute to SURS must contribute to Old Age Survivors & Disability Insurance (OASDI).
