Guide to Processing a Salary Advance Payment for a Foreign National  

The information provided in this guide is intended to assist a Department Payroll Coordinator in processing a Foreign National salary advance payment. Assistance is available for your salary advance-related questions from the Payroll Office.

  1. Before you start
  2. Eligibility
  3. Authorizations and approvals
  4. Requesting a salary advance for a foreign national
  5. Repaying a salary advance
  6. Tax withholding
  7. Where to get Help
Forms
Quick links to forms referenced in this guide are provided below.
 
Important Form Information:
Direct_Payment.pdfDirect_Payment
Direct_Payment.xlsDirect_Payment
What to KnowFilter
Before you start

A Foreign National salary advance initiated by the Home Department is issued to a newly appointed non-citizen (Foreign National) employee as a short-term loan.

  • Maximum amount of advance is $8,000.00
  • Maximum payback period is 6 month

Note:  A Foreign National salary advance is to assist in covering the cost of subsistence and transportation en-route to the employee’s place of University employment when currency restrictions prevent them from taking adequate funds from their own countries.

Eligibility

A newly appointed foreign national employee who meets the following criteria is eligible to receive a foreign national salary advance:

  • Currency restrictions prevent the employee from bringing funds to pay for the cost of subsistence and transportion to UCSC.
Authorization and approvals

The employee’s home department initiates the advance request.

  • All requests must be approved by the Department Head
  • Requests to be recovered in two months or less can be approved at the Department level
  • Requests to be recovered in three to six months require pre-approval of the Payroll Office
Requesting a salary advance for a foreign national
  1. Submit a written or e-mail request to the Payroll Office that includes the following information:
    • Full name of the non-U.S. citizen
    • Salary rate and title of the new appointee
    • Proposed length of appointment
    • Amount of salary advance request
    • Proposed payback schedule
  2. Complete a UCSC Direct Payment Form (Excel | PDF).  Be sure to include the following information:
    • Employee's full name, employee ID number and mailstop. 
    • Indicate any special check handling requirements, such as an alternate campus mailstop or a hold for pick-up at the Accounting Office.
    • Any payroll approved exceptions to policy need to be indicated on the Direct Payment Form in the "notes" section
  3. Fax or mail the completed Direct Payment form to the Payroll Office (fax 9-3702; mailstop: payroll) for processing.
    • The form must be submitted by 10am on Wednesday for Friday pick-up/mailing.
    • All salary advance checks are sent to the employee's campus mailstop unless a different campus mailstop is indicated on the Direct Payment Form or a hold for pick-up at the Accounting Office was submitted via a Special Check Handling Form.

Note:  For requests requiring Payroll Office pre-approval, you will be notified if the request is approved.

Repaying a salary advance
  • Repayment is made through monthly deductions from the employee's payroll payment.
  • The monthly repayment amount and duration is based on the approved Foreign National's advance request.
Tax withholding
Where to get help

  • Assistance is available for your salary advance-related questions from the Payroll Office.