HR Operations
HR Operations is a functional area of the Human Resources office at UMKC that facilitates the daily administrative needs of the organization. Some of these functions include: employment onboarding, time & labor, payroll management, personnel actions and records, document imaging, HRIS, and international employee tax.
Our current* employment-population consists of:
Benefit Eligible:
Staff – 1,197
Faculty – 1,230
Non-Benefit Eligible/Variable Hour:
Staff – 155
Faculty – 734
Graduate Student employees – 521
Undergraduate Student employees – 1093
*This information is from Human Resources census data which is captured each year on November 1st . For more detailed information, please reach out to umkchrdatagroup@umkc.edu for further assistance.
Nonresident Alien Payments
The majority of payments for Nonresident Aliens are processed through payroll. Our department will perform a tax assessment for individuals receiving these payments to determine their taxable nature and provide as many benefits to the employee receiving the payment, as possible.
Employees:
For information on UMKC hiring procedures, obtaining a social security card, receiving scholarship and award payments and filing tax returns, refer to Nonresident Alien Payments link under Resources.
Departments:
For information on NRA hiring procedures, and issuing payments for Honorarium, Prizes and Awards, and Scholarships, refer to the Resources on our Nonresident Alien Payments page.
Employee Files
Employee records are maintained by the HR office on campus. If an employee would like to view their personnel file, schedule an appointment with a member from the records team
H-1B Process and Fees
The H-1B process requires case preparation, Department of Labor approval of the Labor Condition Attestation (LCA), a Department of Labor prevailing wage determination (in some cases, if required or requested by the employer), and review and approval by the USCIS.
The time it takes to complete these steps is quite variable. A typical case will follow this timeline:
- Immigration attorneys will first prepare the case and the file it with the Department of Labor
- The Department of Labor will take several days to issue the LCA and several weeks to issue a prevailing wage determination.
- The USCIS may take as little as 2 months to review a filed H-1B through normal processing or longer than 6 months. Unless the case is premium processed*
*The USCIS offers premium processing of H-1B petitions for $1,410, which will guarantee review in 15 business days after the case is filed. The USCIS is not required to approve the case in 15 days, but they must approve it or issue a Request for Evidence if they have questions about the petition. Premium processing may be requested at the time of filing or a case may be “converted” to premium processing after filing. Generally, the employer is not required to cover the cost of premium processing for an H-1B extension case, but may be required to cover the cost if for an important business purpose.
Typical Costs:
| USCIS Filing Fee: | $460 and an additional $500 for new H-1B employees |
| USCIS Anti-Fraud Fee: | $1,500 for the first H-1B and extension |
| Legal Fees: | $1,750 to $1,950 (depending on position) |
| $350 to set up an account with the Department of Labor | |
| Dependent fees: | $295 with a USCIS filing fee of $370 – $410 for H-4 visas |
| Estimated Total: | $4560 + any premium processing if necessary |
Please be in contact with an HR Operations team member to begin the H-1B process for someone in your department and documentation will be distributed to you and the beneficiary.
The University of Missouri System only allows specific immigration attorneys to file employment petitions on behalf of the University. Please contact a HR Operations team member and they will provide you with the name and contact information of the most appropriate attorney for your specific case.
Other Helpful Information
Immigration attorneys practicing in the area
For an extensive list, go to aila.org.
Missouri agencies that assist persons in immigration proceedings
Centro Latino de Salud, Educacion y Cultura
206 Austin Ave., Suite G
Columbia, MO 65203
phone: +1 573-449-9442
International Institute
3800 Park Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110
phone: +1 314-773-9090, ext. 150
Legal Aid of Western Missouri, West Office
1125 Grand Ave., Suite 1900
Kansas City, MO 64106
phone: +1 816-474-6750