Global U Office for Global Engagement

For All Employees

• Review the Human Resources New To The U page. 
• For additional orientation, onboarding, and job-specific details, please contact your department chair and/or direct supervisor.

For Faculty

• The Faculty Handbook contains a checklist for new faculty. This list helps outline steps you can take to best prepare for your transition into the University of Utah. 
• Review the Office for Faculty onboarding and resources page.

For J-1 Scholars

• International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) offers many resources specific to those with J-1 visas; including Pre-Arrival Resources and a page about Bringing Your Family.

On-Campus

• The Cottonwood Family & University Employee Housing is available to graduate students, postdocs, and employees. It is located close to campus, rent encompasses all utilities/fees, and they host a variety of resident programs. They additionally have childcare services for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years. The team at Sunnyside Apartments is welcoming and invites people to contact them with any questions about their possible stay there.

Renting Off-Campus

• The University of Utah is not directly affiliated with these resources, but some local websites to search for a rental housing off campus include Utah Real Estate, Find My Place, KSL Homes, and Partners in Medicine.

Preferred Realtor Program

• Looking to buy a home? The University of Utah offers a Preferred Realtor partnership through one of Utah’s top real estate agents, Joel Carson. His website also has a helpful guide to exploring the wide variety of neighborhoods in Salt Lake City.

Schools

Residents who choose public schools for their children most often attend the school that is "in boundary," meaning the school assigned to their neighborhood. 

• Utah School Districts
• Salt Lake City School boundaries
• Granite School District boundaries
• Canyons School District boundaries
• Davis School District boundaries

Many districts also allow families to attend an "out of boundary" school. This process requires a special permit. Please contact the school district directly for information about this process.

Some parents choose private schools for their children.

You can use this school directory tool to find which school may be closest and/or most appropriate for your child.

How to register: 

The process for registering your child for school will be partially dependent on which school they are attending. You will need to register your student each year. Registration for your child can be initiated online for most schools, however, please contact the intended school directly to verify the process.

Registration will typically require a certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate or other form of proof of their identity/age (ie. a passport).

You will also likely be asked to provide proof of residency to the school. Here is the State of Utah's example list of documents that qualify.

The State of Utah has different immunization/vaccine requirements dependent on different age/grade levels. Immunize.utah.gov provides more on what immunizations are required, how to vaccinate your child, and what exemptions may be applicable to your child.

More about education in Utah:
Utah State Board of Education 

Childcare

• Employee Childcare
  Help with finding both on- and off-campus childcare.
• Student Parent Support Center
  Focused on support for students with children, with additional resources about the variety of childcare options at the University of Utah.

The University of Utah's Human Resource Management (HR) manages trainings, work status, and work benefits. Their teams can help answer any questions you might have about your employment here at the university. They also have a dedicated Solutions Center to help employees directly when they have questions about the above topics and more.

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) has a designated resource page for students and scholars on how to apply for a social security number. Though this specifically applies to J-1 visas, there is still helpful information such how to find a Social Security Administration Office.

The United States Social Security Administration is the department of U.S. government that provides financial protection to the nation (website languages available). Social Security Numbers (SSN) are used for a multitude of things; they help with filing taxes, housing applications, state issued identification cards (driver's license), and more. Application for an SSN can be done at the same time as a visa.

Federal and state taxes are due every year in the U.S. by April 15. The University of Utah has a few different resources to help with filing taxes for employees. Here are some helpful links for how taxes are applicable to you and teams to contact if needing more support.

• Financial Services maintains a Tax Services and Payroll Accounting webpage with various helpful resources; their most applicable may be their Foreign Nationals support. You can take their online course or contact them directly.
• ISSS offers an overview of United States Taxes for F1 and J1 visa holders.
• The Financial Wellness Center offers Financial Counseling for employees, including tax filing services.
• The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States national authority over taxes and tax services. It is not expected that you become familiar with all that they do. They do, however, have the set parameters on how taxes are filed for "Foreign persons."

A Limited-Term Driver License is the license for non-U.S. citizens to permit them to drive what is considered a Class D vehicle (most vehicles, excluding motorcycles and large commercial trucks/buses). 

You can apply for a license through the Driver License Division. International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) has a guide on how to apply as well.

If you are looking for a State Issued ID as an additional form of ID to your passport; the State of Utah also issues Limited-Term ID Cards. These do not permit the use of motor vehicles, but can be used as an extra way to identify yourself. 

Please contact your supervisor, department chair, and/or the international faculty and staff liaison Alex M. Leger if you have questions on what forms of ID you should have at all times.

These legal resources listed are NOT an endorsement/referral from the University of Utah; nor is this a complete list of all resources available.

• Local Immigration Attorneys
• American Bar Association Free Legal Answers: Immigration and Veterans
• American Bar Associate Free Legal Answers: Utah
• Licensed Lawyer: Online Directory
• Salt Lake City Lawyer of the Day

Utilities are resources such as electricity, gas, and water/sewer that are billed monthly depending on how much a household uses them. This can be new for some people and these following links are for helping to understand what they are and how they can sign up for them if buying a new home. Each utility may be through a different company depending on what area of the state you live in.

Office of Consumer Services: This link is specifically for the state of Utah's Office of Consumer Services who describe themselves as Utah's utility consumer advocate. They have a helpful page describing the different Service Providers throughout the state.

Energy Information Administration: The EIA functions as an independent statistics and analysis organization for the U.S. government. They have a helpful explanation for different forms of energy and how those resources are used in Utah specifically. It will not have directions on how to pay bills, but can help with understanding how utilities are billed.

SLC Public Utilities: This may be the website you need to pay your utilities, and if you do not currently (nor plan to) live in Salt Lake City it still acts as a wonderful example of how to pay for these sort of services. Utilities costs/payments can depend on what city (municipality) you live in. It's worth looking to see if your city or even specific neighborhood has a website you can rely on for bill payments or even local support and events.