Working Here

Find a Job | Visas | Taxes | Orientation/Termination | Pay | Security

Los Alamos National Laboratory is a multi-program national Laboratory of the United States Department of Energy operated by the University of California. Los Alamos National Laboratory consists of a large central administrative area and many outlying research sites scattered across the mesas.

Benefits: The University of California provides a rich, competitive benefits package for you and your family. For more information, visit the Laboratory Benefits Web site.

Mailing address: Los Alamos National Laboratory, P. O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 U.S.A.

Note that the Laboratory’s Zip Code is different from the Zip Code for any other address in Los Alamos (all other addresses use 87544).

If you are writing to an individual at the Laboratory, include the name of his or her group and mail stop (MS), if possible.

If you need to telephone the Laboratory, you will save time and money if you dial the number of the person to whom you need to speak. If you do not know a particular number, call the Laboratory operator at 505.667.5061 for information between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. New Mexico is in the Mountain Time zone (i.e., two hours earlier than our East Coast, and one hour ahead of our West Coast).

FIND A JOB

People working at Los Alamos National Laboratory come from broad and varied scientific, technical and professional backgrounds. The Laboratory requires expertise in a wide variety of science subject areas and hires individuals in several basic job categories:

• Technical Staff Members
• Specialist Staff Members
• Technical Support
• Organizational Specialist
• Administrative Specialist
• Supplemental Contract Personnel

Los Alamos National Laboratory welcomes your interest in employment with us. All applicants are considered without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, handicap, age, veteran status, medical condition (as defined in section 12926 of the California Government Code), ancestry, marital status, or citizenship (within the limits imposed by law, Department of Energy and University of California regulations).

Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities who need assistance and/or accommodation should contact the Staffing Group at 505.667.8622. Applicants with Teletype Devices for the Deaf (TDD) may call 505.665.4536 to request job information.

The University of California is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

To find out about job opportunities, please refer to the following Web site: http://www.hr.lanl.gov/FindJob/index.stm.

VISAs

Generally, a citizen of another country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Persons planning to travel to the U.S. for the purpose of employment must apply for a visa in the appropriate category. The consular officer can provide additional information, or you can find information online at the U.S. Department of State Web site at http://travel.state.gov/.

A U.S. visa is a multicolored stamp or laser-printed decal affixed to the page of a travel document, such as a passport, reentry permit, refugee travel document, or laisser-passez document. A visa almost always has an expiration date and is valid for entry to the U.S. through that date and for a specific number of entries.

U.S. visa policy permits citizens of certain countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa. For information on the Visa Waiver Program and travel for citizens of Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda, see http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1261.html.

The Laboratory cannot pay you unless you hold a visa status that allows you to accept salary/fees for work performed in the United States. If you are already in the U.S. and have a visa issued through another institution, contact the Immigration Services Office (immigration@lanl.gov) for assistance. Please note that you cannot accept a salary or fee in the United States if you hold a B visa (business visitor employed by an employer in another country, or visitor for pleasure).

Working closely with the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Visa Services in the Consular Affairs Bureau, Department of State, oversees the processing of immigrant (IV) and nonimmigrant (NIV) visas to the U.S., by consular officers as governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended.

Types of Visas: It is important that you carefully review the terms of the visa you hold, particularly the constraints on the length of your stay and requirements for changing your status.

Most visitors obtain a nonimmigrant visa for their initial visit to the Laboratory. Nonimmigrant visas are used to enter the U.S. for a specific, temporary purpose. People holding nonimmigrant visas must maintain a residency outside the U.S. and must not have immediate intent to immigrate to the U.S.

The two most common visa types that the Laboratory sponsors are the J exchange visitor visa and the H-1B temporary worker visa for specialty occupations. H-1B visas may require approximately 3 to 6 months to process and obtain approvals. J-1 visas require approximately 1 month.

Applying for a Visa: The Laboratory’s Immigration Services Office (ISO) staff prepares all applications for Laboratory-sponsored H-1B and J-1 visas. To begin the process, you must complete and submit Form 1859, “Foreign Visits and Assignments Visa Information Form,” which will be sent to you in your new hire packet, along with any other forms that may be required. Do not make final travel arrangements, i.e. cancel your apartment lease, terminate your employment, etc., until you have obtained your visa.

When the application has been approved, ISO will notify you and forward the required original documents to you by mail courier. You will need these documents to apply for the visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Be sure to keep these documents with your records. You will need them when you enter the United States.

As soon as you receive this paperwork, contact your nearest American Embassy or Consulate (http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/embassies/embassies_1214.html) to determine what else you will need to provide. With limited exceptions, nonimmigrant visa applicants aged 14 to 79 are required to schedule an appointment for an interview with a U.S. consular officer. Interviews are by appointment only. For information on the visa wait time, see http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/wait_2018.html.

Apply for your visa well in advance of your travel! As you plan your date of departure for the United States, allow plenty of time for your visa application to be processed and sent to you. Make your visa arrangements well in advance.

Important steps to remember:

1. Review your visa status, and find out if you need a U.S. visa or a renewal.
2. Contact the Embassy Consular Section to learn about time frames for visa interviews and other issues, such as how to pay fees. Waiting time for an interview appointment is usually a few weeks or less, but it can sometime be considerably longer.
3. Plan for an interview at the embassy or consulate, which is required for most visa applicants. As part of the visa interview, expect a quick fingerprint scan. Applicants who need additional screening will be given specific details during the application process.

In addition to the documents that ISO sends you, most embassies and consulates require the following information. (This list is not all-inclusive. Please contact the United States consulate where you will apply for the visa for a complete list of documents that will be required.)

• Completed Form DS-156, the standard nonimmigrant visa application and DS-157, nonimmigrant visa supplemental application form, required for male (and if requested by the consulate, female) applicants ages 16 to 45. If you are applying for a J-1 visa, completion of form DS-158 is also required. Besides the $100 visa application fee, the J-1 visa application requires an additional $100 SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) Fee. You must pay the SEVIS fee before your scheduled interview with the United States Consulate. You will need to provide evidence of having paid the fee. Information and instructions on paying the SEVIS fee is available at http://www.ice.gov/graphics/sevis/i901/index.htm. Visa application forms are available at http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_1342.html, or you may obtain the required forms from the United States Consulate.
• A passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant’s intended period of stay in the United States.
• For a J-1 exchange visitor, visa Form DS-2019; for an H-1B visa, Form I797.
• One photograph taken within the last six months; 2 inches (50mm) square, with the head centered in the frame. The head (measured from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin) should measure between 1 and 1-3/8 inch (25mm to 35mm) with the eye level between 1-1/8 inch and 1-3/8 inch (28mm and 35 mm) from the bottom of the photograph; in color, or black and white against a white or off-white background. Photographs taken in front of busy, patterned, or dark backgrounds are not acceptable; unmounted, full face, with the face covering about 50% of the area of the photograph. In general, the head of applicant, including both face and hair, should be shown from the crown of the head to the tip of the chin on top and bottom, and from hairline side-to-side. It is preferable that the ears be exposed. Head-coverings are acceptable only when the applicant’s face is completely exposed. May contain a small (one-quarter-inch) white border on one side.
• An application fee (if any).
• Machine-readable visa (MRV) fee of $100.
• Evidence that the applicant has a residence outside the U.S. as well as other binding ties that will ensure their return abroad at the end of the visit (this is not necessary for H-1B visa applicants).
• Proof of dependent relationship, such as a marriage or birth certificate for any dependents that are accompanying you, or may be entering separately.

Visas for Family Members: Your family—as defined by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service—includes your spouse and unmarried children under age twenty-one. They normally will be issued visas compatible with yours. For example, if you are eligible for an Exchange Visitor (J-1) visa, your family members will be issued J-2 visas.

A separate nonimmigrant visa application, with supporting documents (including photographs of the applicant and a separate MRV fee of $100), must be submitted for each family member. A separate application must be submitted even for infants—even if the children are included in the passport of one of the parents.

Other family members who accompany you and do not fit the definition above must enter the United States on another type of visa, normally a tourist visa (B-2). People holding B-2 visas are usually admitted to the United States for a maximum of six months. The decision is entirely at the discretion of the immigration official at the port of entry.

Length of Stay Permitted: A visa gives permission to travel to a country, but it does not specify how long you may stay. That decision is made by the immigration official at your port of entry. Normally, the official will allow your stay to coincide with the dates on your visa application. He or she will write the expiration date of your authorized stay on Form I-94, “Arrival-Departure Record,” and staple it onto your passport. This form may also indicate whether a visitor may accept employment in the United States, depending on the visa classification given on the I-94.

Work permission for your spouse and children: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service regulations determine whether your spouse and children are eligible for employment in the United States. Those who hold B visas (visitors for business or pleasure) or H-4 visas may not work. An Exchange Visitor’s (J-2 visa status) spouse or children may apply to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service for permission to work after arriving in the United States. The ISO staff can assist your family member(s) in applying for work authorization.

The ISO staff can be contacted by FAX at 505.667.8650 or through e-mail at immigration@lanl.gov.

Additional Links:
United States Customs and Border Protection Agency, http://cbp.gov/
Document Requirements for entry to the United States, http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/documentary_req.xml
Photograph requirements for nonimmigrant visa, http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/niv/photo.html
Immigrant Life, http://www.ilw.com/immigrants/life/

TAXES

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides free information to help you make tax arrangements appropriate to your particular situation. IRS Publication Number 513, Tax Information for Visitors to the United States, and IRS Publication Number 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens are essential sources of information. You can order these, or download them, and other IRS publications from the IRS at http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html

Depending on the type of payment you receive, you will need to have either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN). Your individual situation will determine which identification number you will need to obtain. Please contact the Laboratory Payroll Office at 505.667.4594 for assistance.

ORIENTATION | TERMINATION

New hire orientation occurs every Monday at 8:00 a.m. unless otherwise indicated. It includes an introduction to Los Alamos National Laboratory, a presentation by the staff of a Laboratory’s Visitor and Immigration Service, a brief presentation from CCN (Computing, Communications, and Networking) and a Benefits presentation in which choices for insurance are discussed and made. Be sure to bring your Social Security number (if you have one), your home address (if you have one), your spouse’s Social Security number (if he/she has one), the birthdates of your spouse and children, and beneficiary names and addresses. Plan on the presentations lasting until about 5:00 p.m. On the following Tuesday, you will be expected to go to General Employee Training (GET) training.

Upon terminating from the Laboratory, you will need to follow the Laboratory process.

PAY

Laboratory/University of California employees get paid biweekly. Social Security is automatically deducted from each paycheck. Further deductions are taken from either one or the other paycheck depending on which payroll deduction is being taken.

(Be sure to scroll down a little bit for information on when paychecks are issued, when deductions are taken, and for the holiday schedule. You will also find contact information.)

Administrative Requirements: You are responsible for certain administrative requirements. Some of these requirements are:

1. File hours each week (Time and Effort).
2. File forms with group office for domestic and international travel.
3. Ensure that all papers and abstracts you submit have been reviewed internally and assigned a LA-UR (Los Alamos Unclassified Report) number. This is a requirement.
4. Complete your annual performance assessments.
5. Register visitors to the Laboratory.
6. Maintain computer security.
7. Stay current on all training necessary for your job.

Laboratory administrative policies and procedures are codified in the administrative manual. You can find the UC prime contract and Laboratory operations requirements (e.g., Safe Work Practices) by going to the Official Documents page on the internal Laboratory Web site.

SECURITY

The following information is intended as a guide during your visit and will cover the highlights of your security responsibilities. Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Admission to security areas is prohibited. Visitors are allowed to access only the non-secure locations that have been specifically approved on the individual 982 form filed by your Laboratory host.

Citizens of foreign countries must receive special approval before visiting the Laboratory and must wear a badge while on Laboratory property (including leased buildings). If you are planning to arrive during nonworking hours or nonworking days, please ask your contact to make special arrangements for your visit. Visitors under the age of eighteen must remain in public areas unless they are part of official Lab activities.

Security Badges/ Badge Office customer service hours are Monday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• You must present a valid passport and current visa documents or a US permanent resident card to obtain a Laboratory visitor badge.
• Security badges are an indication of authorized presence in open, approved areas.
• Security badges are the property of the US Government and must be returned before you depart the Laboratory.
• You must wear you badge above the waist, front side of body, photo side out at all times while on Laboratory property.
• Remove your badge after leaving Laboratory property, and keep your badge safe from damage or theft during nonworking hours.

Controlled Articles: The following privately owned articles are not permitted in a limited area, exclusion area, protected area, or material access area without previous authorization from the facility being visited and from Security Support (S-5):

• Recording equipment (audio, video, optical, or data)
• Electronic equipment with a data-exchange port capable of being connected to automated information system equipment
• Cellular phones
• Radio-frequency transmitting equipment
• Computers and associated media (including palm-top computers)
• Controlled substances (e.g., illegal drugs and associated paraphernalia, but not prescription medicine)
• Other items prohibited by law.

Within administrative and open areas the following are not allowed: dangerous weapons, explosives, or other dangerous instruments or material likely to produce substantial injury or damage to persons or property. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited, in any form, in all areas of the Laboratory, except under special circumstances approved by the Director.

Emergencies In case of an emergency while you are visiting the Laboratory, dial 911 for assistance. If available, give the operator the technical area (TA), building, and room number listed on the phone. If you are outside a building, there are placards posted on the building identifying the technical area and building number. Answer all the questions asked to the best of your ability and do not hang up the phone until you are instructed to do so.

Departure At the end of your visit, return your badge to the Badge Office. You are accountable for each security badge that has been issued to you. If you forget to do this, promptly mail your badge to Los Alamos National Laboratory P.O. Box 1663 MS B236 Los Alamos, NM 87545. Return your dosimeter and any car pass you may have received to the issuing group.

TELEPHONES

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Laboratory Operator: 667.5061 (Dial 0 from Laboratory phones)
Department of Energy: 667.5491
Housing Office: 661.2626
Government Taxi: 667.TAXI (8294) or 667.5307
Badge Office: 667.6901
Fire, Ambulance, and Police: 911 or 8-911
*Dial only the last five digits on Laboratory phones. The area code for New Mexico is 505.

Dial 8 to get an outside line. Within the Laboratory you only need to dial the last 5 digits of the phone number.

Your supervisor or group administrator will make sure that you are set up with a telephone. To initiate Voice Mail on your phone, contact CCN-4 at 667.3400 or see their voice mail web page. The number to access your Voice Mail mailbox is 7-5286 (505.667.5286).

GETTING E-MAIL

Your group System Administrator will help you set up an e-mail account and provide you with an e-mail address.

FINDING PEOPLE

To find Laboratory personnel contact information, group rosters and the Laboratory phone book are good places to start, or you may dial 0 for the operator.

ACCESS TO THE NETWORK

You will need a Citrix CryptoCard if you need to access Laboratory systems such as the Crays and CFS, or to get to Laboratory-wide administrative/business systems, such as Time & Effort, Travel, and Data Warehouse. To get a CryptoCard or SmartCard, you need to submit an ICN Validation Request form to the ICN Password Office.