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What is Glacier and how does it impact my department/division?

Glacier is online tax compliance software used by UWSS Service Operations to determine how to report and tax income paid to foreign nationals.  Once an individual's Glacier account is opened by UWSS Service Operations, they receive emailed instructions on how to enter their immigration information into Glacier and where to deliver the Glacier-generated reports, forms, and copies of their immigration documents.

Does individual need a Glacier Account?

All foreign nationals paid through the University of Wisconsin payroll system need a Glacier account.  Data values in Glacier impact how income paid to foreign nationals is reported and taxed. Glacier accounts are required for both nonresident aliens and resident aliens. Permanent U.S. residents (green card holders) may or may not receive a Glacier account depending on when their Permanent Resident information was entered into HRS. Permanent U.S. residents who receive a Glacier account will have minimal Glacier data entry requirements, after which time their account will be terminated.

How does a foreign national obtain a Glacier account?

Glacier accounts are created at least two times a week for individuals with both an active paid position and a visa type other than Permanent Resident. If the individual has a valid email address in HRS when the Glacier account is created, they will receive two emails; one from uwhradministration@uwsa.edu and one from support@online-tax.net. Individuals who did not receive the expected emails should check their spam filter. If the emails are not there, they should contact the appropriate office as instructed at the bottom of this document.* 

How does a visa type get entered into HRS?

• Campuses: During the hire, campuses (other than Madison) must enter a visa type into the foreign national’s HRS record at the following path: Workforce Administration > Personal Information > Citizenship > Identification Data > Visa/Permit Data tab. The effective date should be left at the current date. If the visa type and immigration dates are not known, enter a dummy visa type of ‘FNL’ and list ‘other’ as the purpose.
• Madison: The dummy visa type of FNL populates into the visa screen when the ‘foreign national’ checkbox is selected during the JEMS hiring process. For all other hires, an individual's actual visa code or the dummy FNL code must be manually entered into HRS if the individual has indicated on the W-4 Supplemental Form that they are not a U.S. citizen. Departments should collect the form from all new hires, make sure it lists an email address, and forward the it to the Madison OHR office.  https://uwservice.wisc.edu/docs/forms/pay-employee-withholding.pdf

How can I determine whether a foreign national has a visa type in HRS?

Visa information may be viewed at the following path: Workforce Administration > Personal Information > Citizenship > Identification Data > Visa/Permit Data. To request access to that view, please contact your supervisor to request the following role:  Visa View Only role. [View Only Access] This role will only be able to view citizenship/passport and visa/permit information.

How do I read the Glacier-related visa information listed in HRS?

1. 1. Example of Glacier account indicator in HRS but foreign national's action needed:The record below shows a dummy ‘FNL’ visa type was entered into HRS on 7/11/2016. Select “Include History” and review all rows. If there is only one row (as indicated by “1 of 1” in the example) and it shows a visa type of “FNL” it means the foreign national either:
      1. did not receive a Glacier account because they do not have a paid position in HRS
      2. did not complete their Glacier entry by the time the last Glacier/HRS data interface ran.  (The interface runs twice each pay period.  The first run begins the morning of the first preliminary calc, unless it's a non-business day, in which case it will be the morning of the prior business day. The second run begins after the payline deadline and is expected to finish by noon on the day of the FICA deadline.)
         
         
   2. Example of indication that a foreign national has acted in Glacier:

When the Issuing Authority field lists either "Glacier Demographics Interface', ’Temporary Value’ or otherwise includes the word 'Glacier’ this indicates that the individual has entered their immigration information into Glacier and that it has been brought into HRS. However, the absence of this wording does not necessarily mean the individual has not entered some of their information into Glacier.

How do I read the HRS visa page information populated through the HRS/Glacier interface?

• (Visa) Type: individual's immigration status.
• Effective Date: Should reflect date the visa row was added to HRS (not date the status began). Visa rows are in alpha order, scroll through all to find the most recent effective-dated row.
• Date of Entry into Country: Should be the date the individual last entered the U.S. following an absence of one year or more (regardless of the visa type in effect at the time of that entry).
• Expiration date: Should be the end date on individual's immigration documents or work authorization (i.e., I-20, DS-2019, I-797, EAD card, PR card, I-94).
• Issuing Authority: If lists 'Glacier Demographics Interface', ‘Temporary Value’ or includes the word ‘Glacier’, indicates the individual entered that visa information into their Glacier account.  However, there could be exceptions.
• If an individual’s current visa information is not shown on the individual’s most recent effective-dated row, they should should update Glacier if needed and submit materials/questions as instructed at the bottom of this document.*

What if there’s a visa type in HRS, but the individual did not receive a Glacier account?

Have the individual check their spam filter for emails from uwhradministration@ohr.wisc.edu and support@online-tax.net. If the individual is not able to locate these emails, they should contact the appropriate office as instructed at the bottom of this document.* 

What if the individual not receiving a Glacier account is a Permanent U.S. Resident?

If they became a Permanent U.S. Resident before hire, and their most recent effective-dated visa row lists the PR status, they will not have a Glacier account opened for them.  If they became a Permanent U.S. Resident AFTER hire, they should have received a UW-issued Glacier account on initial hire.

What if the foreign national has a Glacier account but can’t remember how to access it, or doesn’t remember their login and/or password?

They should go to: https://www.online-tax.net/ click ‘Login Now’and then click: ‘Forgot Login.’ When requested, they should enter the email address associated with their Glacier account. If they don’t know what that is, they should try each of their campus and personal email addresses. Once the correct email address is entered, Glacier will send login and password information from support@online-tax.net.  If they need assistance, they should contact the appropriate office as instructed at the bottom of this document.*

What if the foreign national needs help answering the questions asked in Glacier?

They should contact Glacier’s support team at: support@online-tax.net

Are there ongoing Glacier account requirements?

After an employee, fellow, scholar or trainee (paid through UW-Payroll/HRS) has completed their initial Glacier account entry, they must keep it up-to-date. Information must be updated in the Glacier account and a new Tax Summary Report with supporting documents must be delivered every time any of the following conditions occur:

• Individual completes initial Glacier entry.
• Individual receives ITIN and/or SSN.
• Individual changes or extends their immigration status.
• There’s a change in paid relationships and/or income types. Relationship and income type in Glacier must reflect all paid relationships in current calendar year.
  • Fellow/scholar/trainee job codes = non-service fellowship/scholarship income
  • Employees (including Research Assistants) = salary/wages/compensation
• Individual who previously accepted tax treaty now declines it.
• Nonresident alien renews tax treaty for new calendar year (must renew annually).
• Change in country or state where individual is living while working for the University. (Individual must also resubmit UW W-4 Supplemental Form: https://uwservice.wisc.edu/docs/forms/pay-employee-withholding.pdf)
• Change in expected date of final departure from the U.S. (with no re-entry for at least 365 days).  This impacts eligibility for tax treaties containing a retroactive clause (i.e., students from Germany, non-students from India, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, etc.).
• Change in number of days present in U.S. during each calendar year. Individuals should update their Glacier account to reflect the number of days they were actually present in the U.S. during each calendar year. However, a new Glacier Tax Summary Report does not need to be delivered to payroll unless the adjustment to U.S. presence impacts the Tax Residency Status and FICA Tax Status as listed on the initial and revised versions of the Tax Summary Report. (see image below).

• If all paid appointments have ended, and the individual will not be paid by or enrolled at any UW institution through the end of the next calendar year, they should update Glacier and their campus portal with their permanent email and mailing addresses.  They should also contact the UW Glacier account administrator for their institution and request their account be terminated*.  (A new Glacier Tax Summary Report does not need to be delivered in this instance).
• If the foreign national is rehired after their Glacier account has been terminated, they must contact the UW Glacier account administrator for their institution to request an account reactivation*. 

What must a foreign national do when their relationship with UW Payroll is ending, and they will not be enrolled or employed through end of NEXT calendar year?

• The foreign national should review their Glacier account information and make all necessary updates.
  • The paid relationship and income type, immigration status and immigration expiration date should reflect what was in effect during the individual’s affiliation with the University of Wisconsin.
  • The expected date of final U.S. departure, total days of U.S. presence, mailing addresses, and email contact information should be updated to reflect the individual’s current information.
• Update the contact information in their campus portal. This is essential for delivery of wage, tax, treaty and fellowship statements at annual income tax filing time.
• Send an email to the appropriate contact for their institution*, advising them of:
  • Their final date of employment with the University of Wisconsin
  • The date they left, or will leave, the U.S. (with no plans to return for at least 365 days)
  • The total number of days they will be present in the U.S. during the current calendar year (itemizing by immigration status if they'll be present under more than one status during the year)
  • Approximate future date the foreign national anticipates he/she may return to employment at any UW institution, if applicable
  • Approximate future date the foreign national anticipates he/she may enroll at any UW institution, if applicable
  • If the foreign national has ended all paid relationships and indicated he/she will not return to the UW for at least one year, the UW Glacier administrator will terminate the individual’s Glacier account.
  • If the foreign national is rehired after their Glacier account has been terminated, they must contact their UW Glacier Responsible Administrator* as soon as possible, to make certain the Glacier account is reactivated

*Where should the foreign national deliver Glacier materials and who should they contact if they have questions?