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) to be considered resident aliens for tax purposes. A Tax Status Review can be requested through the Business & Finance website.
On a weekly basis, UPB Foreign National Service Center notifies the Central HR Offices that the Residency Status Report has been updated. Upon notification, Central HR will complete a HRFE Employee Group Change (EGC) to update the employee classification as needed. When UPB Customer Service receives the EGC, benefit eligibility is verified based on the job and length of appointment. Employees who are determined to be eligible for State or university 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 9-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 or university insurance benefits. Also, employees not eligible to contribute to SURS must contribute to the Old Age Survivors & Disability Insurance (OASDI)/ Social Security.
