Verifying Authorization for Employment at BU (I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification)
Do not engage in any kind of employment until you are certain you have authorization.
If you are planning on working at BU, you will be required to present documentation to the ISSO to verify your identity and employment eligibility. Completing the Form I-9 allows the ISSO to confirm that you have employment authorization that permits you to work in the U.S.
Updating or Completing Your I-9
Your I-9 must be completed or updated:
- Within three days of beginning employment at Boston University
- If you receive a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD), a new type of employment authorization or an extension of your employment
- If there is a change to your immigration classification
- If you are a BU student and you move to a regular staff or faculty position at Boston University, or if your BU department wishes to employ you beyond the date of your graduation
- If you obtain U.S. lawful permanent residence (a “green card”) after starting employment at BU
Required I-9 Paperwork
To complete your I-9, you will need to provide:
- Original immigration documents that demonstrate your unexpired employment authorization in the U.S. (see the list of documents accepted by USCIS for I-9 purposes)
- Information about the appointment or job for which you have been hired:
- Academic appointment letter* (if you are working in a teaching or research position)
- HR job offer letter (if you have been hired for a staff position) or
- Letter from hiring department specifying your job title, start and end date, salary and direct supervisor (for temporary hires)
*If the ISSO has prepared immigration documents to assist in your employment sponsorship (such as in J-1, H-1, TN, or O-1 immigration status), we may already have a copy of an appointment letter or job offer letter on file.
How do I complete an I-9s for On-Campus Student Employment
To complete an I-9 as a student employee:
- Complete Section 1 of the electronic Form I-9. Instructions to F-1 students on how to complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 can be found here
- Bring the following documents that prove your identity and employment authorization to the ISSO during regular business hours as soon as you find a job but no later than by the end of your third day of work:
- For students in F-1 status, your on-campus work permission can be demonstrated by showing your passport, I-20, and I-94.
- J-1 students may present a passport, DS-2019, and I-94, and should request ISSO authorization for on-campus employment.
- Once the I-9 is completed and an ISSO staff member has verified your employment eligibility documents, we will update the Student Employment system so that Student Payroll can issue your payroll checks.
- If you are a new student to BU, you will be required to complete Initial ISSO check-in as a new student. Be sure to indicate during the check-in process that you have been offered an on-campus job and follow instructions above to complete section 1 of the I-9. Your I-9 will be completed remotely by the ISSO within 3 business days.
- If you are a new student to BU and have already completed your new student check-in and have since found a job on-campus, please follow the directions provided above.
I-9s for International Scholars & Employees
If you are a new BU employee or re-hire who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a legal permanent resident of the U.S.*, your employment verification form (Form I-9) must be completed within three days of your employment start date. Please schedule an appointment with ISSO Scholar Services accordingly.
New employees and re-hires will be required to present appropriate documentation in order for the ISSO to complete the I-9. Please review the required documentation listed above and be prepared to present all required original documents at your appointment. In addition, we recommend that you follow the I-9 completion instructions to initiate the I-9 process prior to your scheduled appointment
We encourage you to review requirements related to continued employment authorization for more details on how to insure compliance with US immigration and employment regulations.
*U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents must complete the employment verification process at Human Resources.