Non-SU Payees (visitors) are invited to Stanford from around the world to speak, collaborate, and study. This page covers the process of inviting and reimbursing domestic visitors to travel on behalf of the university, including visits to campus. For information on inviting foreign visitors, refer to Topic Overview: Inviting and Paying Foreign Visitors.
Please note: If the individual requests, requires, or negotiates a fee for the visit, their services must be purchased through the procurement contracts process. If a visit is tied to an existing contract, the payment for related travel or business expenses is made through the associated PO.
A formal letter of invitation should be provided to the visitor to summarize the terms of the visit. Visitors should be advised that they are expected to adhere to Stanford’s Travel guidelines for planning and booking travel. Departments may utilize the Visitor Invitation Letter Template to summarize guidance and tailor the content as needed. The letter should include the following components:
- Purpose of the visit
- Period of time when the visit will occur
- Reference to applicable business and travel expense reimbursement policies and guidance on planning and booking travel
- The payment and reimbursement method that will be utilized for the visit and related activities (see section below)
- The department contact that the visitor should reach out to with questions about their visit
Summarized in the table below are the types of activities visitors are generally invited to perform, available payment or reimbursement types and process, and tax guidance.
| Activity | Available Payment and Reimbursement Types and Process | Tax Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Travel on behalf of the university not associated with a contract (such as to participate in a conference, as a Human Subject, or as part of the staff recruitment process). | To pay for eligible travel expenses, the options are:
| In accordance with the IRS Accountable Plan, all visitor travel expenses should be submitted within 60 days of the completion of travel. With Stanford Easy Pay, a third party facilitates registration, and payment. Refer to specific tax considerations for staff recruitment. |
| Participate in-person as an event speaker or conference attendee. | The department can provide an honorarium as a one-time gratuitous payment made as a gesture of goodwill (the individual cannot request, require, or negotiate a fee for the visit). | Paid via Stanford Easy Pay who facilitates the payment, including tax reporting and withholding. |
| Works in a Stanford lab while permanently employed by another institution; or invited by a faculty host to collaborate on research. |
| Appropriate income tax reporting will be facilitated through temporary worker or independent contractor status. |
| Participates in a study as a Human Subject. | Human Subjects can be provided with in-kind or monetary incentives. | Visit Human Subjects for incentive options and related tax information. |
To process a standard, non-taxable reimbursement, DACA individuals should provide the documentation to support their status (DACA documentation, employment authorization documents, Social Security Number). If an individual is undocumented but indicates that they have been in the United States since 2001, they will have passed the Substantial Presence Test for tax status and will be considered a United States resident for tax purposes. They must provide the same information as other United States residents.