OFFICE OF ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR-
BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
Disbursements Division
November 17, 1998
KEY ADMINISTRATORS / KEY SUPPORT STAFF
SUBJECT:	Honoraria and Travel Payments to Foreign Visitors with Either B-1/B-2 Visas or on a Visa Waiver Program (WB/WT)
Campus Notices were issued on September 1996, January 1997, and July 1997 explaining the limitations applicable to payments made to B-1/B-2 visa holders, as well as to visitors from certain countries who enter under either a WB (waiver program-business) or a WT (waiver program-tourist). On October 21, 1998, President Clinton signed the "American 
Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998." This bill increased the annual cap on the number of temporary visas available for highly skilled immigrants who work in academia and other industries in the U.S. The bill also included a provision that allows for payment
of honoraria and actual travel expenses to B-1 and B-2 visa holders for "usual academic activity" provided if the following conditions are met:
1) service/duration of travel does not exceed nine days at a single
institution;
2) payment must be offered by an institution of higher education, a
nonprofit organization affiliated with an institution of higher education, or a nonprofit or a governmental research organization; 3) visa holders cannot have accepted payment of honoraria and/or
actual travel expenses from more than five such institutions or
organizations in the previous six-month period; and 4) that such visitors must either have or have applied for a Social
Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number if they are to receive an honorarium payment. This new law became effective for activities occurring on or after October 21, 1998. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has not issued regulations clarifying the law, however, UC's outside immigration counsel advises that the provision also will include payments to Waiver for Business (WB) and Waiver for Tourist (WT) visa holders. Accordingly, B-1, B-2, WB, and WT visa holders meeting all noted conditions for payment, can receive payments for honoraria and/or actual travel expenses. We have prepared a "Certification of Academic 
Activity" form to assist you in determining whether a visitor is eligible to receive a payment. This form can be downloaded from the Forms Page on the Travel Web Site at:
http://www-bfs.ucsd.edu/dis/travel/home/forms.htm
The visa page on our web site will be updated to reflect these changes.
If either you require further assistance or are unable to obtain this
information from the web site, please contact:
Travel: E-Mail at travel@ucsd.edu., campus mail 'Travel' at Mail Code 0955,
or by Fax 822-1546.
Honoraria: E-Mail Robin Posner at rposner@ucsd.edu., campus mail 'Robin' at
Mail Code 0955, or by Fax 534-8177.
Faye E. McCullough
Manager
Disbursements