Information for Foreign Nationals

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Information for Foreign Nationals

Welcome to NIH! For the next few days you will be working closely with us at DPSAC and the NIH Division of International Services (DIS) to satisfy all of the federal requirements for working with the U.S. Government before you can start your new position or be given access to NIH facilities and information systems.

If you are a non-immigrant Foreign National (FN) or a non-U.S. citizen, please visit the DIS website to get an understanding of legal status/work authorization requirements that will be needed prior to visiting us at DPSAC. Please note: DIS does not process Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR).

Prior to DPSAC processing, all FNs or non-U.S. citizens (with the exception of U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents) must have their employment eligibility and legal status validated by DIS. Additionally, FNs must obtain a valid U.S. Social Security Number prior to being initiated into any DPSAC process. Be sure to provide proof of citizenship to your assigned Administrative Officer (AO) to avoid errors that can cause significant delays downstream.

Planning Your Visit to DPSAC

Foreign nationals must bring two forms of valid U.S. Government issued identification, one of which contains a photo, to all appointments. Please see the list of Acceptable Identification Documents.

Please be aware of the following prior to visiting DPSAC:

Foreign Nationals (non-U.S. Citizens) and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents must be prepared to provide any one or more of the following documents to establish identity, legal status and/or employment authorization:

Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
Foreign passport that contains a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa
Employment Authorization Document that contains a photograph (Form I-766)
For a nonimmigrant alien authorized to work for a specific employer because of his or her status, please refer to the DIS website.
Passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or Form I-94A indicating nonimmigrant admission under the Compact of Free Association Between the United States and the FSM or RMI

U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents must be able to provide proof of their Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Card (aka Green Card). An Employment Authorization Card is not a Lawful Permanent Resident Card.

If you were born outside of the U.S.:

Do not select a state abbreviation for your Country of Birth when you are completing your registration.