Practical Considerations for Engaging Staff to Work in Foreign Countries

Departments that have a need to employ personnel in counties outside of the United States need to consider the following issues:

1.   Is Georgetown University allowed to employ personnel in the foreign county?
   
2. Will Georgetown University need to register as doing business in the foreign country?
   
3. How will Georgetown University comply with local employment law in the foreign country?
   
4. What are the immigration implications?  Will the employee who will be working abroad need a visa or a work permit from the host country?
   
5. Can employees be paid through Georgetown University's payroll or is there a need for a local mechanism in order to pay them?
   
6. What are the tax implications - to the employee and to the University - of employment in the foreign country?
   
7. What are the liability and insurance implications of employment in a foreign country?
   
8. Will Georgetown's benefits apply to personnel employed in a foreign country?
   
9. Will the department be able to bear the cost of hiring foreign legal counsel to advise on the issues outlined above, as required?

Before employing personnel abroad, be sure to consult with Human Resources on these questions.  Click here for a listing of the Human Resources Generalists: contacts.html