1. International Student
Amherst College
Instructions for
International Student
Employment Forms

2. Introduction
As a new international student employee of Amherst College there are several forms you are required to complete before you can be entered into the student payroll system. The following pages will show step-by-step instructions for each employment form.
Print the forms from:
or stop by the Office of Financial Aid to pick-up paper copies.
Department of Homeland Security I-9 form
Federal Withholding W-4 Form
Massachusetts State Withholding M-4 Form
Directed Deposit
Foreign National Information Form

3. Introduction - continued
Once you have completed the employment documents please schedule a short appointment with Nancy Robinson, Student Employment Coordinator in the Office of Financial Aid.
You must bring the completed forms AND the documents listed below to the meeting:
Current Passport /Visa – Canadian students will only have Passport
I-20 Form
I-94 Form found at:
Social Security Card or
Receipt for Application for Social Security Number if your S.S. Number has yet to be received
A printed copy of your banking information that will show your account number and the bank’s A.B.A. Transit Routing Number

4. Employment Document Terminology
Social Security Number
A Social Security number, also known as your taxpayer I.D. number, is required by everyone who works in the U.S. This number is needed by your employer for wage and tax reporting purposes. Once you apply for/receive the unique 9 digit Social Security Number (SSN), that is your number for life in the United States.
I-9 Form
The Eligibility for Employment Verification Form, required by the Department of Homeland Security, is used to certify that an individual is eligible to work in the United States. It must be completed the first time you work for Amherst College.
W-4 Form
The information on this form instructs the College that you are a Non-Resident Alien and your wages are subject to Federal withholding - in anticipation of a tax liability you might have with the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) at the end of each tax year.
M-4 Form
This form gives instructions to your employer to deduct Massachusetts State withholding from your paycheck. You are be eligible to claim “exempt” from state withholding as long as you are a full time student earning less than $8000 per year in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Withholding
Money that employers withhold from an employee’s paycheck. This money is forwarded to the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) to be credited against the employees' potential tax liability.
Gross Wages
The amount you earn in a pay period (number of hours worked multiplied by your hourly rate of pay) prior to taxes being withheld.
Net Pay
The amount a pay you receive after Federal (and possibly State) withholding(s) are deducted from your gross wages. The amount will be distributed to you either by a paper paycheck or by Direct Deposit. We encourage all employees to sign up for Direct Deposit. If you choose to receive a paper paycheck and you lose/destroy it, you will be required to pay the $25.00 stop payment fee the bank charges Amherst College.
Direct Deposit
A safe and convenient way to deposit your net pay directly into your personal checking  or savings account. This is a free service that is offered by the college, saving you the time and hassle of going to the bank every other week to deposit a paper paycheck.    

5. Form I-9
Identity verification and employment authorization for individuals hired in the United States
Use Amherst College Address
Leave blank if Social Security Number has not been issued
Check Box 4
Program End Date found on Form I-20
Found on Form I-94
Sign and Date
Use Passport Number and Country of Issuance

6. Form W-4
The information provided on this document allows for the calculation of Federal withholding from your bi-weekly paycheck
If no Social Security number has been issued, leave blank
Enter “1” in Box 5
Use Permanent Home Address
Sign & Date
On the dotted line to the left of Box 6 write NRA (for Non Resident Alien)

7. Use Permanent Home Address
Form M-4
The information provided directs the Payroll system to deduct (or not*) Massachusetts withholding from your paycheck
Use Permanent Home Address
* If you are a full time student who will be earning less than $8,000 per year check Box 5 D. No state tax withholding will occur.
Date & Sign

8. Foreign National Information Form
Use your Permanent Home Address
Leave blank if you have not received your Social Security number yet
F-1 or J-1
Leave blank if not different
Program End Date, Found on Form I-20
List all entry/exit dates and Visa types if applicable
Sign & Date

9. Direct Deposit
Self-Service Banking Information is now available to all employees, including student employees, via AC Data.  New online functionality allows employees to easily enter and change direct deposit and bank account information themselves.  
Additions or changes to direct deposit bank account information may take up to two pay cycles to become effective.  Any changes to bank account information must be verified first with your bank.  The verification process is performed within the College’s payroll system – there is no additional action needed by the employee at this point of the process unless your bank is unable to verify the account information.  Once the account information has been verified, the changes will be included in the next payroll run.
REMINDER - all students can view and print their pay stub online via AC Data. Amherst is encouraging student employees to "go green" by choosing not to receive a paper pay stub.
Student employees are encouraged to use direct deposit and online pay stubs as they are more secure and are accessible 24 hours, 7 days a week (with internet access). Pay stub information is available online one day ahead of the funds being deposited in the student’s bank account.
Any questions, please contact Rachel Robinson in the Student Payroll office at or by at
You can also visit their FAQ page for answers to many common questions at:

10. End of the Year Tax Terminology
Tax Year
The tax year in the United States begins on January 1st and ends on December 31st.
Tax Deadline Filing Date
The deadline to file your Federal Income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) is April 15th each year. If you owe additional tax beyond what was withheld through the tax year, you will need to make the payment to the I.R.S. by this date.
Form W-2
A W-2 is a statement of earnings produced to show how much you earned during the previous calendar year and how much was withheld in taxes. You will need your W-2 form to file your federal and (possibly) state tax income tax returns. W-2’s are issued by the Payroll Office and can be retrieved electronically via your AC Data account -Employees tab -Tax Information. The Payroll Office is required to have the W-2 wage statement available by the last day of January each year.
1042S
An end-of-the-year statement issued to a Non Resident Alien who received scholarship and/or a prize from the College above and beyond the cost of Tuition, Book and Supplies. The overage becomes taxable to the Internal Revenue Service. If you come from a country that does not have a tax treaty with the United States with regard to scholarship/fellowship, the College will make a payment to the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) on your behalf. Treaty eligibility will be determined when you complete your work documents. The 1042-S form will be made available to you electronically via the Foreign National Information System (FNIS) by the end of February each year.
Federal Tax Return
As an International student you are required to file a Federal income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service each year if you have earned money from a job, have received taxable scholarship, or have received a taxable prize from the college. You will be reporting this information to the I.R.S. via a 1040NR or a 1040NR-EZ form. You will also be required to include a Federal Form 8843 when you complete your tax return.
You must file the Federal tax return by April 15 each year that you were in the United States.
As tax filing time approaches, the International Students Office will provide information about the process, along with instructions on how to use a helpful online tax preparation service (Sprintax).