Verifying Authorization for BU Employment

Initial I-9 Verification

If you are a new BU employee or re-hire who is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, you must complete Form I-9 within three days of your start date. This process requires verification of original immigration/employment documents so, except for fully remote employees, is not offered remotely. Schedule an appointment with ISSO Scholar Services in time to meet this deadline.

Note: U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents complete I-9 verification through Human Resources.

What to bring to your ISSO I-9 appointment

• Original immigration documents proving identity and work authorization (see USCIS I-9 list).
• Documentation confirming the details of your BU employment (If ISSO prepared your immigration paperwork, we may already have an appointment or offer letter on file.)
  • Academic appointment letter (teaching/research), or
  • HR job offer letter (staff), or
  • Department letter with job title, start/end dates, salary, and supervisor (temporary hires).
• ISSO scholar/employee clearance form

Do this before your appointment

• Start the online I-9 process per instructions so ISSO can complete verification faster.

I-9 Re-verification for Continued Employment

In addition to verifying eligibility to begin employment within the required 3-day period, foreign nationals must also present proof of continued employment eligibility for the duration of their employment. This process is known as re-verification, and allows for updates to your initial I-9 based on a change to your initial verification.

Re-verification may occur multiple times during employment. Departments and employees must plan ahead and respond to ISSO’s reminder emails about upcoming expiration’s.

Examples when re-verification is required include:

Gaps in Employment Eligibility

If an employee cannot show valid work authorization beyond their I-9 expiration, the department must terminate employment in SAP effective the day after the I-9 expires. The employee must stop all work (no unpaid/volunteer work) and may only be rehired after providing documentation to complete a new I-9. Departments should contact HR for rehire procedures and/or to discuss how BU benefits may be impacted.

Because government processing can be slow, start sponsorship or extension requests with ISSO well in advance, as six months or longer may be required depending upon the type of application. Employees who are authorized for employment incident to their status (not requiring BU sponsorship) must take necessary steps to apply for any extensions of their work authorization document so that they can present the required documentation to the ISSO in a timely manner.