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Onboarding Procedures


Congratulations on your position with Case Western Reserve University! 

ONBOARDING

Visit the Human Resources website at https://case.edu/hr/careers/new-hire-information for current onboarding procedures.

IMMIGRATION CHECK-IN

Depending on your visa type, you may have to complete different paperwork and follow different procedures for checking in with the VISA Office. 

J-1 Visa holders are required to complete their VISA Check-In after they complete their HR paperwork. Please note: J-1 scholars must check-in with the VISA Office within 30 days of the start date listed on their DS-2019 and before any work is performed at Case Western Reserve University. Failure to do so will result in termination of your SEVIS record and your J-1 status. 

Check-In MUST be completed prior to any work being performed at Case Western Reserve University. 

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TAX TREATY ANALYSIS

The University uses Sprintax Calculus to help us determine appropriate payroll deductions for nonimmigrant employees based on their visa status. You will be provided with additional information on Sprintax Calculus during the onboarding process. 

Note that nonimmigrant employees who are considered by the Internal Revenue Service to be "nonresident aliens" for tax purposes must complete a new tax analysis every year or when they change their visa status. If you have questions about Sprintax Calculus, please contact the VISA Office. 

Please note: VISA staff are not tax professionals and we cannot give advice on tax-related matters beyond the use of Sprintax Calculus. We recommend you seek the assistance of a tax attorney or accountant.

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ORIENTATION

Depending on your department or position, you may have to attend various orientations for onboarding and/or safety reasons.
  • Postdoctoral Scholars and Fellows are required to attend the monthly Postdoc Orientation, which takes place in person on the first Thursday of every month. Please see the Postdoc Affairs office for further information. 
  • CWRU staff are required to join the Staff Orientation, which is held weekly via Zoom. Your onboarding email should include additional information and a link to join the presentation. 
  • You may have to complete additional training for customer service, compliance, and/or safety if your position requires it. Your hiring department should provide further information for completing these requirements.

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GETTING A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR ITIN

If you are getting paid in the United States, you will need to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) if you do not already have one.  This is a unique identifying number that is used primarily for tax and employment purposes. You can find more information on the process and required documents on the Social Security Administration website. Please note that you must wait until you are physically present in the United States before you can apply for an SSN. Furthermore, it is highly recommended that you apply for an SSN as soon as possible, as this number can take weeks to be generated and assigned to you. This number is also required to receive your pay from CWRU. 

As soon as your SSN card is received, please take your card to the Records Department in Human Resources (2nd Floor of Crawford Hall). This is necessary to receive payment from the University. 
 
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Again, Welcome to Case Western Reserve University! We are excited and honored that you chose to join our large community of educators, researchers and scholars. If there is anything we can do to further support you during your time at the University, please do not hesitate to contact us at visa@case.edu.